The Juggle Is Real: Why Flexible Working Isn’t a Perk - It’s a Lifeline for Parents and Carers

At Inspired Search & Selection, we are privileged to witness the incredible success stories of professionals in the publishing industry. Esme Richardson, Associate Director at Inspired, has written this blog to share our approach, and thoughts on this topic with some hints and tips at the end for both our clients and our candidates thinking about moving jobs.

One phrase we hear often from working parents is "the juggle." It may sound light-hearted, but anyone who has experienced it knows it’s anything but. The juggle is real, and it can be relentless.

It’s the morning rush of nursery drop-offs, forgotten lunch boxes, and water bottles, followed by back-to-back Teams meetings. It’s writing a thoughtful email or negotiating a contract while a toddler tugs at your leg or demands ‘one more episode’ of Bluey. It’s the guilt of missing a client call or a meeting with colleagues because the nursery called, again.

In our roles at Inspired, we work with clients (Publishing & Content businesses) and on the whole most of our clients continue to offer true flexibility, we see this reality play out daily. We speak to candidates and employers alike who navigate these challenges, and it’s clear that flexible working is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s essential and actually, from one of our recent polls and that of other surveys publishing this year, a Number 1 sought after benefit. 

What Parents and Carers Need from Their Employers

More candidates than ever, especially parents and those with caregiving responsibilities, are making career decisions based on how well a company supports work-life integration. Flexibility isn’t just about remote working; it’s about trust, autonomy, empowerment, and recognising that people have responsibilities beyond their job titles.

The most sought-after employers in publishing today are the ones who:

Offer flexible hours, not just flexible locations

Understand that outputs matter more than clock-watching

Respect the unpredictable nature of parenting and caregiving including sick days, school closures, last-minute chaos

Foster a culture where asking for flexibility isn’t seen as a lack of commitment, but as a human need

How Inspired have been driving change in the publishing industry

We are in a unique position to push this conversation forward as we have been recruiting and consulting with publishers for over 25 years.  We spend a lot of time truly understanding the cultures of our clients and consult and advise on how to recruit the very best talent in the market by having strong benefits, authentic cultures and values. How we do this? 

Ask the right questions when briefing with clients—is flexibility truly built into the culture?

Champion and really get behind candidates who need non-traditional working patterns and highlight the immense value they bring

Call out unrealistic expectations around working hours, presenteeism, and urgency culture

When hiring is approached with empathy and realism, everyone benefits. Roles get filled by committed and capable professionals and productivity goes up. Employers gain access to a wider talent pool. And parents and carers—many of whom still bear the greater share of domestic responsibilities—are no longer forced out of the workforce by rigid systems.

The Juggle Doesn’t Have to Break Us.

Parenting and working full-time will always be a balancing act. There will always be compromises. But when we normalise flexible, human-first working practices, people can thrive at work and at home.

At Inspired, we work with incredible professionals who truly understand these challenges, creating environments where flexibility isn’t just acknowledged—it’s embraced. And this conversation isn’t only about parents; caregiving takes many forms, and workplaces must evolve to accommodate the realities of modern life.

So, if you’re hiring, ask yourself:

Does your workplace culture genuinely support flexibility, or is it just a box-ticking exercise?

Are your hiring processes set up to welcome talented professionals with non-traditional schedules?

Are you empowering parents, carers, and those with responsibilities outside work to thrive in their careers?

And if you’re job hunting, consider:

Does your next role offer the trust and autonomy you need to balance work and life?

Is the company truly invested in flexible working, or is it just a convenience for them?

At Inspired, we’re passionate about connecting fantastic talent with workplaces that don’t just talk about flexibility but live it, because when businesses embrace flexibility, everyone wins.

We’d love to hear how your company is challenging traditional working practices. Let’s start a conversation that makes work work for everyone.