Why Moms Are Some of the Best Hires You’ll Ever Make

Let me tell you about a client of mine.

She’s smart. Experienced. Steady under pressure. She's the person you want in the room when things go sideways and the one who makes sure your team hits the deadline, even when the roadmap changes. She’s been having great conversations with her manager about a promotion—one that reflects the years of impact she’s had in her role. But after being out for a week on spring break with her kids, she returned to a very different tone.

Turns out a male colleague—15 to 20 years younger, with fewer qualifications—was suddenly being seriously considered for the role.

What changed? Not her performance. Not her track record. Not her readiness.

The only thing that changed was someone remembered she’s a mom.

And just like that, she went from leadership material to a maybe.

Let’s talk about what’s really going on.

When we assume that a parent—especially a mother—isn’t a good fit for a role because they have children, what we’re really saying is: I’ve already decided what you’re capable of before you’ve even had the chance to show me.

That’s bias. That’s a missed opportunity. 

And frankly, it’s poor leadership.

Let’s name the assumption out loud: There’s a belief that moms are too distracted, too busy, or too unavailable to lead.

But that belief doesn’t hold up when you take even a moment to look at the reality. Moms show up every day doing exactly what you say you want in a hire:

• Managing competing priorities

• Making fast, high-stakes decisions

• Navigating high-pressure environments with empathy and clarity

• Leading with deep self-awareness

• Getting things done

The truth is: Moms are exceptional hires.

Because of what they’ve lived.

Because of what they know.

Because of how much they juggle.

Here’s what you really get when you hire or promote a mom:

1. Master-Level Multitasking and Prioritization

Moms are constantly doing mental triage:

What needs my attention now?

What can wait?

What needs delegation?

They’re balancing drop-offs, school projects, work calls, aging parents, and that report that’s due tomorrow—all while keeping track of everyone’s water bottles and appointments. That’s not distraction. That’s elite-level time and energy management.

2. Emotional Intelligence and Conflict Navigation

Any mom who has diffused a toddler meltdown in a grocery store or negotiated peace between middle school siblings has the skills to mediate a tense team meeting or handle client feedback with grace. Empathy, clear boundaries, and the ability to read a room?

She’s got it in spades.

3. Unmatched Resilience

You don’t know strength until you’ve done a 3 AM feeding and still showed up to lead a morning meeting. Or returned to work after navigating postpartum depression. Or advocated for a child’s medical care while keeping a team afloat. Moms are some of the toughest people you’ll ever meet—and they’ve earned every bit of that grit.

4. Clarity and Purpose

When time is limited and energy is a precious resource, moms get really clear on what matters. They don’t have time for politics or performative busyness. They want to make an impact, use their strengths, and do work that counts. That kind of clarity and intentionality makes for powerful leadership.

5. Seasonal Capacity, Not Static Capability

Here’s the part most people miss:

Being a mom doesn’t mean her capacity stays the same forever.

The client I mentioned earlier? When her kids were little, she made a choice to scale back. She went part-time to make sure they were taken care of—and let’s be honest, to make up for the systems that weren’t built to support working parents.

But now? Her kids are in high school and middle school. They’re independent. She’s ready to take on more. And she shouldn’t have to explain that to justify her next promotion.

So to hiring managers, here’s what I want to say:

If you're making decisions about a candidate’s readiness based on assumptions about their parenting status, you’re not just being unfair— You’re actively missing out on incredible talent.

You do not get to decide that someone isn’t leadership material because of their family structure. You do not get to filter out moms because you’re nervous they’ll need time off, or flexibility, or because they took a step back in a different season of life.

You’re not hiring someone’s family. You’re hiring their skills, qualifications, experience, and drive.

Let those be the metrics that matter.

And to the moms reading this:

If you’ve ever felt dismissed, overlooked, or underestimated because you have kids, let me be clear: 

It’s not a reflection of your worth. It’s a reflection of their bias.

You don’t have to prove your value, but I know you do anyway—every day.

So keep showing up with that quiet strength and fierce clarity. The right opportunities will recognize what you bring to the table.

And if no one’s told you lately? You’re already leading.

And while this piece highlights the unique value that moms bring to the workplace, it’s worth saying clearly: All women—parents or not—deserve to be seen, supported, and given opportunities based on their strengths and experience.

This post is simply one part of a much bigger conversation about recognizing women’s leadership, removing bias from hiring decisions, and creating workplaces that reflect the full spectrum of talent that’s out there.

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