Exploring the experiences of working mothers navigating the kaleidoscope career post COVID-19 pandemic : a case study.

The attrition of working mothers in technology workplaces is a pressing issue that demands attention from IT, HR, and D&I leaders who strive to forge inclusive environments within predominantly male industries. Through this study, I illuminated the multifaceted challenges these working mothers faced within the technology sector, exploring their experiences and pinpointing reasons for their departure. I offer evidence-backed recommendations for organizations to retain and better support these invaluable employees struggling to stay employed as IT professionals. Through this holistic single case study, I grasped the nuances of working mothers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering a comprehensive, rich perspective on female attrition and providing detailed insights into these four working mothers’ experiences after leaving their careers. Using a holistic single case study design, I facilitated a deep dive into the specific experiences of working mothers in IT during the global pandemic crisis. NVivo version 14 further streamlined the organization, coding, and analysis process for data analysis. I efficiently unpacked a large volume of qualitative data to unveil common themes and patterns encapsulating these participants’ experiences. I distilled the findings from the preliminary questionnaires and interviews into three primary themes: balancing work and family, career challenge sacrifice, and lack of career authenticity, aligning with the Kaleidoscope career model parameters of balance, challenge, and authenticity. This study revealed that over 50% of women under 35 left IT during the pandemic (Lynkova, 2023). These findings underscore the urgent need for creating inclusive workplaces that nurture innovation and drive business success, as Microsoft did during the pandemic (Boyd, 2023). Microsoft is an excellent example of an employer that supports diverse employee needs. During the pandemic, Microsoft leaders prioritized digitizing remote and hybrid workplaces to ensure employees could work efficiently from their location (Boyd, 2023). IT leaders should follow Microsoft’s lead and prioritize building more inclusive workplaces that foster innovation and drive business success instead of forcing in-person work mandates that exclude marginalized employees.