By Chelsea Macleod, Account Director
In January 2025, I returned to my role at Genoa Black after maternity leave and I was about to begin the balancing act of all brining all my “life titles” together, new mum, step mum and Account Director.
Reflecting on the beginning of the year, I was nervous about returning to work – I almost felt like I was starting a new job but fortunately, I got back into the swing of things quite quickly with colleagues and clients alike welcoming me back with open arms.
Becoming a parent transforms every part of your life, and returning to work is one of the most significant recalibrations you make. It tests your resilience, your priorities, and your identity. But it also offers a fresh lens one that, as marketing professional I’ve found incredibly valuable.
We hear a lot about the logistics of being a working parent, which is different for every individual, (personally, I also have the added complexity of being a solo parent for half the year due to my husband’s job in the oil & gas industry).
So as a different take on the subject, I wanted to use my professional and personal expertise to discuss the importance of employer brand. Specifically, how embracing and supporting working parents can strengthen your employer brand, deepen your culture, and give your values credibility.
The Importance of Authenticity – Start with Your Culture
Authenticity can be an overused word when we talk about brand, yet it’s overused for a reason. Customers, clients and stakeholders can tell when a brand isn’t authentic, and this is also true for your employees and their perception of your employer brand. Genoa Black often supports employer brand strategy as part of our wider marketing and business strategy projects, and we stress the importance of ensuring internal behaviours from both employees and leadership match the outward perception of the company culture. When it comes to supporting working parents, there’s no better stress test for authenticity.
It’s easy to post about flexibility on LinkedIn and job adverts. It’s harder to live it when a team member needs to leave early again because of nursery bugs, childcare gaps, or sheer exhaustion. But this is the moment where brand meets behaviour.
For me, returning to a workplace that truly meant what it said – about flexibility, support, and valuing people – deepened my connection to the business. It’s also made me a stronger advocate for it. When you create a culture that champions its people, they become your brand champions in return.
Use Working Parents as Brand Assets
Maternity leave or extended parental leave returners bring more to the table than they’re often credited for. We’re time management superheroes, expert multitaskers, laser-focused decision-makers, and more empathetic leaders. We return to work with a renewed sense of purpose, clarity, and, frankly, an impressive ability to prioritise what really matters.
From a brand positioning perspective, recognising and elevating this talent pool is a strategic advantage. Not only does it make your employer brand more inclusive and human, but it also fosters loyalty, enhances brand advocacy and ensures the right people are in the right roles to grow your business.
Positioning Your Employer Brand: From Policy to Perception
In the same way we develop positioning strategies by identifying a clear point of difference, businesses should think about their parental support policies as a positioning opportunity. What do you want to be known for? Is it progressive parental leave? Support for returners? Flexible pathways to leadership?
Whatever the focus, the key is to define it, deliver it, and communicate it. It’s not just a tick-box HR initiative; it’s a living expression of your values. And in an era where talent decisions are increasingly values-led, this can set you apart in a crowded employer landscape.
Returnships Are a Brand Experience
My own return to work was a masterclass in employer brand experience. Regular check-ins, realistic expectations and the space to ramp up, not rush in. These created a huge impact on my success in the last six months.
Could companies go further by treating the employee journey like a customer journey? If we apply the same logic to employee journeys – especially for returning parents, the re-onboarding experience could be enhanced and strategies to re-energise people who’ve been through a huge life change could be implemented. This is where brand and culture intersect and could have a huge impact on employee retention.
Create Spaces for Honesty – Not Just Flexibility
Everyone’s experience of navigating work and parenthood is completely different and creating a space for respect, honest conversations and support into company culture builds trust with your employees. Just like you would use your customer facing brand to build trust with clients and prospects, an authentic employer brand builds trust internally. When employees trust leadership and feel genuinely cared for, it builds a resilient, motivated workforce that are ready to propel companies into growth.
In summary…
My return to work wasn’t scary, it was a transition that has had positive effects both personally and professionally and that is due to the culture at Genoa Black.
If you want to strengthen your employer brand and get in touch with us to discuss how we can help.
