Modern Day SAHM: Focused on Flexible Jobs for Moms
Stay-at-home moms (SAHMs) are a community of ultimate multi-taskers with a rewarding, crucial, but let’s be honest, sometimes undervalued role in society’s eyes. This last part is what gets me fired up.
Like a startup environment where one person wears multiple hats without complaint, SAHMs often run a household, manage the budget, and most importantly, raise small humans. These women are flexible, adaptive, and capable of extreme grit which are also hallmarks of an incredible employee. That’s why the phrase goes, “Want something done… find a mom!
Of course, the above characteristics can apply to every mom. Moms who work outside the home, and those who work inside the home – we’re all part of the same tribe! Putting the cape aside, since none of us are superheroes despite what pop culture would have us believe, there are also some unique challenges that stay-at-home moms face.
SAHMs may feel isolated, long for adult interaction, or have a desire to contribute financially. With the cost of groceries, and household bills rising with no end in sight, it’s no wonder!
Challenges facing SAHM employment
There are some distinct obstacles in finding flexible jobs for moms – SAHMs are not your average job seeker. These challenges can be overcome, but only if we identify the issues and their effect on the SAHM community and families.
#1 – Companies have walked back their pandemic-era policies
The work environment shift and pivot that companies executed in 2020 allowed many families to work full-time, and care for their kids since schools and daycares were shut down. Despite navigating this previously, many businesses today (including remote-first cultures and flexible/part time jobs) do not openly support remote work with kids at home. Many have re-implemented strict “quiet/distraction free policies” as a politically correct way of saying, “kids are no longer welcome in the background.” What’s worse, parents can be penalized or dismissed for violating these policies.
The effects?
- SAHMs (or dads) who work from home may feel they can’t be transparent with employers that their littles are home, or even on school break.
- Parents seeking remote roles feel the need to hide their childcare situation for fear of not being hired.
- Families may be forced into childcare situations or one parent may need to leave the workforce.
- Not everyone is fortunate to have family close by who is willing to help.
- If outside the home childcare is required, household budgets are stretched even tighter.
- Quality childcare costs $$$. According the 2024 Cost of Care Report, the average family spends 24% of their household income on childcare.
- Hiring care for in your home is prohibitively expensive for most.
#2 – Lots of competition
Competition for remote jobs remains at an all-time high as companies double down on return-to-office policies. Most job seekers today value flexibility in their work, which means WFH jobs are in high demand.
The effects?
- Flexible jobs for moms are few and far between.
- This can feel like an uphill battle for moms who truly need a remote role to care for their kids.
#3 – Employment gaps and stigma
Employment gaps on resumes (if not reviewed by an actual human) can easily be misinterpreted. Even before AI was in the picture, Human Resources and hiring managers scanned and sorted resumes quickly, so a long break in employment might move someone to the “no” pile rather quickly instead of recognizing the life experience gained.
The truth?
- SAHMs are overlooked during the hiring process.
In case you were wondering my thoughts on this, SAHMs are one of the most untapped communities in the job market, and they are about to have their moment. A little louder please, for those in the back?
(Note: If your company has supportive “WFH with kids” policies, please reach out – we want to spotlight you!)
A dream becomes a mission
Kimberly O’Neal, a devoted wife and stay-at-home mom of 2 boys, is on a focused mission to connect stay-at-home moms with flexible, remote job opportunities.
Serving the SAHM community
Together with her husband Corey, they are building a purpose-driven company to create a world where SAHMs can:
- be home and raise their kids
- come out of the shadows and be open about their primary role as a parent
- still earn an income by working flexible, remote roles
This is why they’ve created Modern Day SAHM – a platform specifically for SAHMs (or those who want to be) to find jobs where they can find balance in their primary role as a caregiver with their desire to provide additional income for their families.
With a 7-day free trial followed by a low-cost $5.99/month subscription, moms get access to vetted job postings, trusted advice from experts in their field, and a growing resource library. Additionally, moms can access and post for free on the “service” board, a dedicated space to offer services to companies or other SAHMs directly (think Upwork for SAHMs).
Let’s be clear, the upside is not just for moms!
Serving the business community
For businesses or employers, the O’Neals are hand-delivering:
- a flexible workforce perfect for project-based, or part-time roles
- an eager, captive talent pool with a strong desire to work
- free company membership and unlimited job listings on their platform for a limited time
- efficient pre-screening of candidates (if requested)
Company memberships are free on the Modern Day SAHM platform during this development phase to attract organizations who support the mission and are excited to become long-term partners.
Several businesses have already partnered with Modern Day SAHM for a variety of positions including:
- Konexial, an all-in-one transportation software solution
- Honors Real Estate Service, a Knoxville TN real estate firm
- East TN Weather, a new digital weather platform
- Bear Financial Solutions, a full-serve cloud-based accounting firm
Modern Day SAHM is born
For those who love an origin story, Kimberly opened up about what inspired her to create Modern Day SAHM.
Compelled by a personal struggle
“After experiencing severe postpartum depression following the birth of my first child and facing financial strain, I realized there had to be a solution. Coping with postpartum depression, I discovered that accomplishing small tasks throughout the day made a significant difference. It revitalized my spirits. However, the financial pressure of being a stay-at-home mom while relying on one income added to my stress. Struggling with both mental and financial burdens as a stay-at-home mom, I felt compelled to create this platform for mothers in similar situations to mine.”
– Kimberly O’Neal, Founder, Modern Day SAHM
Here are the highlights of the Modern Day SAHM quick launch followed by media and political support within her local community!
September 2023
- Launched the idea in a Facebook group local to Knoxville, TN.
- The feedback was so overwhelmingly supportive, that the Modern Day SAHM Facebook group came shortly after!
November 2023
- WBIR airs Modern Day SAHM on the news
- WATE Channel 6 shares Kimberly’s story
March 2024
- Teknovation highlights Modern Day SAHM on their online publication
April 2024
- WATE features Modern Day SAHM again
- Merit Street Media (producers of Steve Harvey & Dr. Phil) aired Modern Day SAHM
- Official Launch
Modern Day SAHM officially launched on April 4, 2024, and Kimberly’s Facebook community, which began about a year ago, has grown to over 3,800 mamas spanning the United States. The organization has even garnered the attention and support of Senator Becky Massey (R-Knoxville), and they’re just getting started!
Transparency and advocacy
The Modern Day SAHM Facebook group is an active and encouraging community, and Kimberly regularly posts and shares live updates about the status of job postings and partnerships. Her open, approachable, and transparent nature is refreshing, telling mamas they can contact her directly with any questions.
When a staffing company partnership role fell through recently, Kimberly was honest and sincere with her moms on Facebook Live, and she advised them not to proceed with applying for that specific role.
Her reason was that the position wouldn’t be a good fit for moms with young kids in the background.
Advocating for moms in the workforce
“Ultimately, as mothers, we should never feel the need to apologize for fulfilling our roles. It is crucial for a mother to be present at home with her child during the early years because of significant developmental milestones during this period. Why do companies obstruct this vital aspect of motherhood just because there is a child present in the background?
Mothers deserve to work. Dris Walace shares her experience of being dismissed due to children in the background in her article “I Was Fired For Not Keeping My Young Kids Quiet During Work Calls.” When will companies cease discriminating against mothers? Yes, I understand “discrimination” is a forceful term, but it is the reality of what is happening. Companies need to show respect towards mothers.
We are genuinely making an effort and we are trying to seek an opportunity similar to any other employee. We do not want to compromise our children for a job.
We want to be embraced as mothers without feeling the need to apologize for it.”
– Kimberly O’Neal, Founder, Modern Day SAHM
While there are a variety of job boards for employers seeking remote workers and flexible talent, some of those larger boards may not be ideal for startups or small businesses on a tight budget.
Today, Modern Day SAHM is not charging companies to post their remote jobs, which seems to be a unique and rare opportunity in this competitive market.
Though that may eventually change down the road, Kimberly is committed to finding lasting partnerships with companies who understand that from time to time, kids might pop on a call.
Why should businesses hire a SAHM?
Despite the fact that as a business you’ll be making a huge impact in a family’s life, there are financial and branding benefits to hiring stay-at-home moms.
Financial benefits
According to Business News Daily, part-time employees generally mean lower overhead costs, since it typically costs less to have a part-time staff. Full-time employees usually come with salaried positions and full benefits, never mind fringe benefits to attract and retain top talent.
A part-time or fractional workforce allows for staffing flexibility based on seasonality, new product launches, or across shifts to provide more service coverage.
Consider adjusting a new full-time role and hiring 2 part-time employees instead. You might even be surprised to find that a current full-time employee (someone considering retirement, starting a family, or pursuing higher education) might be interested in transitioning to part-time, but wasn’t sure how to broach the topic. Talk about a retention tool!
Branding benefits
If you haven’t noticed, there is a loud and growing movement in support of working moms. On LinkedIn specifically, many professionals are championing “parenting out loud,” and it’s only gaining more traction.
Additionally, we all know that moms generally hold the purse strings in the family.
According to Forbes magazine, “women make up to 83% of purchasing decisions in households across the U.S.,” so if your brand is targeting moms in any capacity, it could be a good business decision to hire SAHMs. Moms are naturally huge advocates for those companies supporting the mom community!
Want to see support for your product or service spread like wildfire across social media? Get at the forefront of this movement, and staff up with a SAHM.
Want to support or hire a mom?
Modern Day SAHM is currently seeking partnerships with local and national companies that want to provide employment opportunities to moms. It’s time to make a difference!
Feel free to contact Kimberly directly for partnership discussions.
Disclaimer: This is NOT a paid promotion or advertisement, nor is there any affiliate relationship between Work-From-Home Mommy and the featured business. The content listed here is the opinion of this author based on personal research, interviews, and information or data sourced from the linked articles above.
Curious about Work-From-Home Mommy? Learn about my story and this mama’s goals here.
