Carers bring unique skills to the workplace
Caring for a loved one can be extremely rewarding, but it’s also tough. I care for my mum, husband, son and daughter-in-law, as well as doing a full-time job – it’s not easy.
Many people face this same challenge, with one in seven working people in the UK juggling work and care, according to charity Carers UK.
Juggling so many responsibilities requires a unique and very broad range of skills – these skills are extremely valuable in the workplace.
Key skills
Carers are, by nature, empathetic. They tend to be great at listening to and supporting others, whether that’s colleagues or customers.
Communication and stakeholder management skills are key. Carers often have to advocate for and secure external support and services for the person they care for.
Carers also have to be incredibly organised and manage their time efficiently. In addition, there’s a huge amount of risk assessment that goes on. When my son was younger he didn’t see danger. He’s getting better at that, but I’m constantly risk assessing things, which is a skill many carers have that’s highly sought after.
Other key skills are resilience and multi-tasking. Carers have to be able to change direction at a moment’s notice, because sometimes things happen that are out of their control and they have to find a way to work with it.
Carers also often find themselves making big decisions – having confidence to do that is a key skill that not everyone has.
Our support
Caring responsibilities can fall on anyone at any time and they can be either short term or long term - what is needed is a flexible and supportive organisation.
In the UK, HSBC has achieved Carers UK’s Level 3 Carer Confident Ambassador accreditation, which recognises the ongoing efforts we’re making to care for and support colleagues with caring responsibilities.
Those learnings are being shared across the bank globally. We recently launched a global Carers Charter and set of Principles that outline our commitment to carers and the support that’s available, including relevant policies around flexible working, leave and sabbaticals.
In addition, our global Ability and Nurture employee resource groups have been set up specifically to support carers. These networks enable colleagues to connect, share their experiences and support each other.
Providing a supportive workplace for colleagues with caring responsibilities helps to ensure they can meet their commitments at home and at work.
It also enables us to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce, which benefits from the unique set of skills carers demonstrate.