One solution to the talent shortage is to involve more women and also! mothers. We are convinced of that! Because the potential of women is still underutilized in the job market. We at neue fische have developed our (part-time) IT Bootcamps especially for the promotion of women and mothers. Virginia and Nadine, the two founders of Mom Hunting, support mothers with a different innovative approach.

Their idea: Match Career Moms with compatibility-friendly companies via an anonymous recruiting platform

Their goal: To bring the compatibility of family and career into the management field

That made us curious, so we asked Nadine and Virginia directly what Mom Hunting is all about.

Nadine, why is the time now perfect for Mom Hunting?

Nadine: The pandemic has completely turned around rigid working conditions. While home office used to be unthinkable, it is now almost the norm. This flexibility is especially important for parents.

In addition, companies - due to the shortage of skilled workers - have to find new, creative ways to attract talent and nurture the individual career. And compatibility-friendly conditions attract talent! More and more entrepreneurs are recognizing this and are therefore seeking our support.

How did you come up with the idea?

Virginia: The idea was born five years ago. At that time, I was just founding a recruiting boutique agency. In the process, I realized that the mother role was making women completely invisible. On top of that, many mothers sell themselves extremely short when they return to work. I wanted to change both.

What characterizes a Career Mom?

Virginia: A Career Mom is the CEO of her family and her everyday life has bootcamp character. In this "Family CEO Bootcamp", however, Career Moms acquire all the important social skills in a very short time. Interestingly, these are virtually congruent with the "Future Hot Skills". Empathy, resilience and transformation skills are just a few of them. Another plus for companies is that Career Moms are immensely loyal.

What relevance do Career Moms have for our economy and especially digitization?

Nadine: The answer was given just the other day by Lisa Paus, the Federal Minister for Family Affairs. She showed that we would have 840,000 more workers in one fell swoop if all women with children under six worked as many hours as they would like according to surveys. While quite simplistic, the logic is correct: This highly skilled, ambitious "potential" must be tapped!

Virginia: Digitalization in particular demands openness and a willingness to learn. Mothers are used to change and are ready for further development. An ideal starting position.

How do more women find the courage to enter the STEM-field?

Nadine: That is quite simple: Trough promotion. More concrete offers are needed to introduce them - at all levels, starting in school. After all, the current imprinting in early childhood has robbed many women of their curiosity about STEM fields.

At neue fische, we give women a chance at a digital career through a lateral IT entry. Why do you think women are perfect role models for a career change?

Virginia: Most mothers deal with their resources more consciously. They have to prioritize what they invest their time in. Accordingly, they are open to effective offers of help that enable them to get back on their feet. A lateral IT entry is almost perfect in this respect. In addition, the IT sector is a place where diverse international structures often already dominate... only a lack of women often still exists. This is also perfect for the re-entry of mothers.

"Coding Women" are still unimaginable for many. However, many women discover the IT world for themselves in our IT bootcamps. What experiences have you had in this regard?
Nadine: More and more women in our talent pool are completely reorienting themselves. And more and more women are also committing themselves to "coding". A really smart decision given the current career opportunities.😉

What advantages do IT professions offer women - also in terms of work-life balance?

Virginia: IT professions are the pioneers of a new work setting. As a rule, developers can determine their own time and location. Their work is trust-based and output-oriented. These are the framework conditions that career moms need.

You work together with companies that have made compatibility friendliness their goal. What does that mean?

Virginia: All partner companies undergo a "Maturity Assessment" in which we take stock of compatibility & diversity. This qualification is a must in order to become a "Mission Partner" with us. Because this is the quality promise we make to Career Moms.

Nadine: Under no circumstances do we work with companies that already score a 10/10. On the contrary. We want to break new ground together with the companies and in the process shape compatibility plus diversity to suit each company.

You embody empowerment, have founded and are living the dream of many women. What advice would you give them to make their dream of the perfect work-life model come true?

Nadine: You are the future! Believe in yourself, go new ways, be courageous and don't let anyone talk you into something! Listen to your heart, go YOUR way and be authentic. Then you are the best version of yourself!