Over on the WorkIt, Mom! blog, there’s a thought provoking post referencing a recent Wall Street Journal article that describes how mommy “swat teams”(smart women with available time) are being recruited through networking and staffing firms to handle crash projects for corporations.
What I love about the concept is that women are working through their social circles to find opportunities that leverage their skills and keep their minds stimulated while allowing for the flexibility of raising a family. The red flag here is that in some cases, the companies seem to be getting women “on the cheap”.
Women should remember that compensation is a function of what the market will bear, not what they think they need. Even if money is not the main motivator behind the desire to work part-time, it is still in a woman’s best interest to benchmark the market and compare the offer against other similar positions. Talk to past colleagues, recruiters and members of professional associations to gain a better understanding of what organizations might pay for similar full-time work and use this information to help gauge what a fair and reasonable part-time or project-based salary might look like. Also check out salary.com and payscale.com for additional salary information.
Stay at home moms can offer incredible value to organizations and as businesses become more virtual, professional opportunities for SAHMs who have continued to network with clients and colleagues in the corporate world will continue to grow. Be sure to leverage these same networks to validate that you are being paid competitively for any assignments you take on. Happy Mother’s Day!