Growing the Business by Giving Parents More Flexibility

By Caitlin Elsaesser
When Frances Moreno decided to leave her job to start her own business, her former boss told her she was reckless. He asked, "How can you be a good mother to two young children -- one of whom has special needs -- and a new business owner?" But five years later, Moreno's family is thriving and her business is bringing in millions of dollars in revenue.

Leaving the traditional workplace
Moreno always wanted to be a businesswoman, but after she had her first child she started to question her job as a director at a job placement company. Moreno says she never let her daughter affect her job performance because she is committed to her career, but she says her superiors started assuming she could only be involved to a certain degree.

"They meant well, but they didn't realize they were actually undermining my effectiveness," says Moreno. "I'd go to give my input on a decision, and they would say, 'Oh, don't worry about that, you've got a lot on your plate right now -- we'll take care of that for you.'"

Six months after she was born, Moreno's daughter was diagnosed with a brain disease. The event only compounded Moreno's doubts about her company, which offered no flexibility for employees who were parents. She started planning her departure.

Step one in Moreno's exit strategy: Get her personal life in order.

"For a dual working couple -- my husband is a lawyer -- who wants to raise well-adjusted and happy kids, you need to make sure the support is there," says Moreno. This meant finding the right nurse to care for her daughter. Once she did, Moreno says she no longer felt anxiety or fear about leaving her children at home. The nurse even encouraged her, saying, "Go work on your business and be successful!" This level of support gave Moreno the confidence to make her move.

In 2005, the founders of the first Vaco office, a placement firm for accounting, financial, IT and administrative professionals, approached Moreno about opening an office in Los Angeles. With no headquarters, Vaco is a group of related but independently operated LLCs across the country.

Before she would commit to the new project, she had to know if the working conditions would be conducive to employees who had children -- with two children already, and one more planned, this was a critical question. Moreno was upfront with the investors about her desire to have more children, and asked if her plans were compatible with their vision for her to lead the Los Angeles operation. Her concerns were put to rest when the investors listed the names of women with young children who were currently leading Vaco LLCs elsewhere in the country.

"Sometimes companies will oversell their commitment to working mothers," Moreno says. "I needed to see proof that they were true to their word, and Vaco did that."

Convinced the company would support her work-life balance, Moreno opened Vaco Los Angeles in 2006. One year later, she had her third child.

Earning flexibility
In starting a new company, Moreno didn't just seek a family-friendly environment for herself: She wanted to create that environment for her employees as well. If an employee could produce the desired results, Moreno offered him or her more flexibility.

The first recruiter Moreno hired earned a reputation at Vaco as one of the best in the field. The woman told Moreno that with two young sons, she wanted to work two days in the office and three from home. Because the recruiter is productive and focused, Moreno says it is worth offering her the extra flexibility.

Moreno also sought to lure away the best office manager she knew by offering her the same salary she was making for full-time work at another company -- but on an 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. schedule. The office manager finishes all the work Moreno needs, and gets to be at her child's swimming lessons by 3 p.m.

"It is not about face time," says Moreno. "It is about what you can get done in the time you have."

Moreno admits that the flexible approach doesn't work with every hire. She once hired an employee who had climbed Kilimanjaro and during her interview claimed to have a great work ethic. As it turned out, the employee took advantage of the extra flexibility, demanding to be out of the office constantly even though she was not meeting her goals. She didn't stay long.

"If you are superb, by all means, I'll let you work from home," says Moreno. "But to be able to pull off flex time, you need to be at the top of your game."

Moreno now only hires employees who have a demonstrated track record of excellence. And perhaps most importantly, she only offers flex time to employees who have shown they can meet their goals. Her model is working: The company pulled in $15 million in revenue last year.

A legacy of working mothers
Moreno believes the model she is setting for her children matters. Her grandmother and mother both held full-time jobs, and Moreno says their work ethic inspired her to go into business. "I want to teach my daughters that women can kick butt," says Moreno.

Resources

• Check out how a national retailer is making the workplace more flexible.
• Learn about some of the benefits of offering flex time.