The job search can be a nightmare for single parents. Here’s how employers can make it easier

Looking for a new job is often characterized as being a full-time endeavor. The same goes for raising children. So it’s no wonder that single parents report struggling with balancing both.

Some 44% of single parents in the US have had to turn down job interviews because of scheduling constraints, a recent survey from career and outplacement services firm Careerminds found. Data also showed that childcare was the primary inhibitor of single parents’ ability to schedule interviews, cited by 68% of respondents, along with school drop-offs and pick-ups, and after-school activities. Two-thirds of parents said they’d considered not applying for jobs because of potential scheduling conflicts.

Caregivers broadly make up 73% of the US workforce, and employers that don’t prioritize attracting them could be losing out on a large swath of top talent, experts told HR Brew.

“If you’re able to distinguish yourself from other potential employers [by saying], ‘We’re flexible, we’re here for you, we understand that you’re a person beyond the laws of this office or this company, [that] really gives you a head start in being able to attract and then ultimately retain that top talent,” Sadie Funk, national director of The Best Place for Working Parents, told HR Brew.

Value virtual. Virtual interview options can be a crucial accommodation for single parents.

“It shouldn’t be a surprise to any employer that somebody would request a video interview initially, which takes half an hour versus half a day,” Cristina Itze, VP of marketing and customer success at data analytics firm Big Chalk, told HR Brew. In-person interviews require extra time to commute and prepare that single parents may not have, whereas remote interviews require less time on behalf of candidates. Big Chalk is remote, and candidates go through the entire interview process virtually, Ethan Schug, a spokesperson for Big Chalk, told HR Brew via email.

Recruiters can also offer the option of recorded interviews, in which candidates submit videos of themselves answering interview questions. This option can be a win-win for job-seekers and companies because candidates can participate in the process at a time that works best for them, and anyone on the hiring team can view the recording at any time, John Parkins, Big Chalk’s chief people officer, said.

Embrace flexible scheduling. In addition to offering virtual interview options, employers can also consider avoiding strict scheduling practices.

Recruiters can offer to schedule interviews with ample lead time so candidates can arrange any necessary childcare, Funk suggested. Parkins echoed that sentiment, suggesting hiring teams could also offer multiple times, at different times of the day, across several days—or, better yet, ask candidates to provide windows of availability that work best for them, ranked by preference. At Big Chalk, candidates are presented with multiple availability options and can self-schedule interviews, Schug told HR Brew via email.

Some suggestions made by Parkins included that hiring teams should avoid penalizing candidates who may have to reschedule interviews and be mindful of local school calendars and closures. That way, they can help avoid scheduling interviews during holiday breaks, or offer to reschedule interviews in the event of an unexpected day off.

“For this population…flexibility is going to be so key, and [companies] could lose out on some really great talent by just being a little inflexible,” Parkins said.

Start by asking. These accommodations may not be feasible for every employer, but recruiting leaders can figure out where to begin by asking candidates their opinions.

Recruiters can use post-interview surveys or requests for feedback to learn more about how candidates felt about the scheduling process, suggested Parkins. They can also turn to their employee base, conducting surveys or holding focus groups, even with a parent or caregiver employee resource groups, added Funk.