From Childcare to Talent Retention: North Carolina’s Economic Update on Family-Friendly Workplaces

More than fifty business leaders recently attended our “North Carolina Economic Update” discussion with Chris Chung, Executive Director of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. The event also featured a panel discussion with Family Forward NC Certified Employers, including:

• Gary Graham, President, Graham Personnel Services
• Elizabeth Bostian, Chief Financial Officer, First Bank
• Damali Orozco, HR Senior Director, Procter and Gamble
• Theresa Roedersheimer, Executive Director, NC Early Childhood Foundation

The message was clear: Family-friendly workplaces aren’t just a nice perk — they’re the bedrock of North Carolina’s strong community and competitive economy.

“What we’ve learned as an industry in the economic development sector is that childcare is probably one of those most pronounced barriers that hold people back from employment,” Chung says.

Roedersheimer, Executive Director at NC Early Childhood Foundation, added early childhood development plays a role in shaping future workforce capabilities because 90% of a child’s brain develops in the first five years of life.

“Forming secure relationships and having a safe place for your child to go when you’re at work matters so much,” Roedersheimer. “Just having the child know that when their caregiver drops them off and is going to come back — and they feel safe and happy where they’re at — can make a big difference in a child’s life.”

Access to quality child care matters so much because in North Carolina, almost 70% of young children aren’t reading proficiently by the end of third grade, she said. This underscores the importance of supporting families and providing access to quality early childhood education.

Real Stories, Real Impact

The panelists shared the challenges and successes of creating workplaces where parents and caregivers can succeed.

Bostian, Chief Financial Officer at First Bank, shared her journey as a working mom, navigating the balance of career and family. She emphasized the importance of a supportive culture, where employees feel empowered to voice their needs without fear of judgment.

“We’ve created a culture where everyone knows they can say what they need,” Bostian says. “These policies have created a place where people are proud to work. I also encourage fellow leaders to mention their children at work because we need to set the tone that models work-life balance.”

This attitude has led to improved talent acquisition and retention. Bostian said they’ve been able to attract high-level talent from competitors because people are willing to take pay cuts for a more supportive work environment.

“We’re getting a ton of talent from people leaving their old jobs — and willing to accept a pay cut because they know they’ll be treated like human beings with lives outside of their job,” Bostian says.

Orozco, HR Senior Director at Procter and Gamble, said what was most rewarding about going through the certification process was having employees fill out the Family Forward NC employee survey. This survey is required for certification.

“The survey gave us a lot of deep insights that we wouldn’t normally have,” Orozco says. “Now, we have a data set that we can use to build awareness among leaders, managers and employees.”

Because Procter and Gamble’s workforce is 70% men, they wanted to attract more women to the industry. But in the manufacturing industry, the hours typically aren’t traditional or consistent, which can be tough for working moms.

“One of the biggest changes we made was adjusting our shift schedule,” Orozco says. “Instead of rotating days and nights — which was a big competitive disadvantage — we changed it to a fixed schedule.”

Graham, President of Graham Personnel Services, encouraged fellow business leaders to get certified because he’s seen first-hand how it has helped his company grow.

“How can your people take care of your customers if they’re worried about their family? The answer is clear: They can’t,” Graham says. “Talent has the choice. And so I think everyone who is looking to acquire, keep and engage talent — taking care of your people is a core piece of that. We’ve seen a lot of positive revenue growth. And I think a lot of that has to do with the way we treat our people.”

Graham also highlighted the value of the certification process because it caused him to look more closely at internal company policies and make some positive changes for employees. He encouraged employers to apply.

“Getting certified is an easy, straightforward process and it can happen quickly,” Graham says. “I would encourage all business leaders to learn more about getting certified.”

Get Certified! 

So far, more than 18,000 employees in Greater Greensboro work for Certified businesses. Do you want to join the list? Learn more.