Having to cover a maternity leave is common for Canadian employers. Close to 170,000 women and 30,000 men take parental leave each year, according to the Government of Canada.
Employers need to make an important decision about how they plan to fill the role for 12 or 18 months. And in some cases, have a plan if the employee chooses not to come back after leave.
Our recruiters explain to employers all the time that hiring to cover a maternity leave is a very different situation from hiring to fill a vacant position. There are many variables at play, and how you approach hiring for maternity leave can have a big impact on company culture, employee satisfaction, performance, and many other internal factors.
Here are 7 insights from our recruiters about hiring someone to cover a maternity leave:
1. Don’t try to get by without filling the gap
Some companies, rather than fill the gap with a temporary employee, try to get by without hiring. They spread out the duties of the employee going on maternity leave to other people, adding more to their plates and expecting them to pick up the slack. While this can work in the short term, it can also have a huge negative impact on office morale. It could also impact the performance of the people who now have an increased workload.
2. Use the opportunity to add new skills to the team
If you are going to hire, use it as an opportunity to bring someone on to the team who can offer something new or different. Don’t just bring in someone to fill a void. Look for candidates who can offer new and desirable skills. Someone whom you could potentially hire permanently.
3. Consider internal talent first
Sometimes the best person for the role is already on your team. Promoting or shifting an internal employee into the maternity leave coverage role can maintain continuity and reduce training time. You can then backfill their position with a temporary hire, which may be easier to onboard.
4. Clearly define the role and duration
Clarity is essential, or you could run into issues when interviewing candidates. Be upfront in your job posting and interviews that this is a temporary or contract role. List the expected start and end dates, key responsibilities, and whether there’s any possibility of the role becoming permanent.
Clarity helps attract candidates who are specifically seeking short-term roles, such as freelancers, recent grads, or professionals in between permanent positions.
5. Use a recruiter to find the right candidate
Consider working with a recruiter who specializes in your industry. They will have access to candidates who would be ideal to fill the role. Know that senior-level positions are more difficult to fill for maternity leaves. A recruiter could be a valuable resource in this situation.
6. Start looking to fill the role as soon as possible
As soon as you’re informed about an upcoming maternity leave, begin preparing. Ideally, you want to start the hiring process at least 1–2 months before the leave begins. This allows time for recruiting, onboarding, and potentially training the temporary hire alongside the employee going on leave.
7. Use mat leaves as a long-term job interview for the contracted worker
Even though your main objective is to hire someone to adequately cover a maternity leave, there is also an opportunity to use this time to see if your new temporary employee could be an option for another full-time position in your company. What better way to get to know the real skills and abilities of a professional then to have them work in your office for 6 months or a year? Plus, they will already be familiar with how your company operates. Why let this training and experience walk out the door if you could use them once the person on maternity leave returns to work?
Making the effort to find the right person can also benefit your company if the person on maternity leave decides not to come back to work. This can change once a person takes leave, and having the right person as a replacement could turn out to be the permanent solution for the position.
A Final Word About Covering A Maternity Leave
With close to 200,000 Canadians taking parental leave annually, employers need to be proactive, thoughtful, and flexible in their approach. Whether it’s tapping into internal talent, bringing in new skills, or treating the role as a trial run for future hires, how you handle maternity leave coverage can influence morale, productivity, and even long-term hiring success. By planning ahead and being intentional with your hiring strategy, you not only support your team during a transition but also position your company for stronger outcomes down the road.
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