Anne Flores: Empowering Single Parents and Redefining Success in the Workplace

Anne Flores is a dedicated single parent and an accomplished Strategic People & Culture Leader with a passion for creating better workplaces. As the Group Manager - People & Culture at Jumbo Interactive Limited, she strives to make a difference in the lives of employees

Being a working parent is an incredibly demanding and rewarding journey, with highs, lows, and numerous valuable lessons. Anne, however, begins with a crucial message: it is essential to recognize the challenges faced by single parents and the circumstances that have led them to their current situations. Often, judgment is passed without genuine empathy for the complexities and struggles that remain hidden behind the scenes.

“My parenthood journey started with an unexpected blessing when my daughter entered my life, putting a new relationship to the test. Adding a new-born to any relationship can strain it, but coupled with a tumultuous relationship, the chances of the family unit surviving were slim. My daughter’s father and I separated when she was just five months old due to toxicity in the relationship.”

“Whilst my home life was experiencing serious decline, my career experienced new highs and I was promoted into the biggest role I’ve ever had. Striking a balance, then, often felt like I was on the precipice between madness and greatness.”

Striking a Balance: Anne’s professional life was flourishing, but striking a balance between work and family life took plenty of legwork; establishing processes to provide clarity to her team, streamlining work wherever possible and being ruthless with her calendar.

Anne: I found myself frustrated with my lack of presence. At home my mind was at work, at work my mind was with my daughter. I quickly became exceptionally good at managing my time so I could be present - being both intentional and ruthless with my calendar.

If information could be shared asynchronously, I’d opt for collaboration tools like G-Suite or Slack over meetings, and I worked hard at upskilling my team, so they had confidence to answer queries and manage cases themselves. Becoming laser-focused and purpose-aligned has meant that juggling work and family comes more easily to me.

Unveiling Superpowers: Anne discovered that she was surrounded by numerous Super-Mum’s at Jumbo Interactive, holding demanding roles, and was in awe of their strength. 

Anne: I know my decision-making skills have come to the forefront, and I’ve grown in the way I empathise and nurture those around me. That might sound odd coming from an HR professional, but that quality of nurturing didn’t come naturally to me before having a child.

Redefined Support Systems: Building a reliable support network is crucial for working parents and Anne expresses gratitude for the involvement of her family and her daughter’s father, in sharing parenting responsibilities. But Anne’s biggest learning in this space has been around realigning relationships and intentionally nurturing valuable friendships.

Anne: I can’t stress enough the importance of good friends. Over the last 12 months (it’s been a year since I became a single mum), it became apparent that the same friends I have Friday drinks with were not the same friends I could call upon when I was in tears or in a tight spot.

Workplace Support: Jumbo Interactive goes above and beyond in prioritising the wellbeing and mental health of its employees. With a hybrid work model, core hours between 10am and 2pm, a fantastic Employee Assistance Program and flexibility to suit individual lifestyles, Jumbo fosters a culture that empowers Parents.

Anne: It’s no secret that I’m an advocate for the Jumbo Interactive Group. Since the first day of my employment, I have been completely blown-away by the level of support and flexibility that’s offered to our people. The policies aren’t just words on a wall, but the lived experience of our people. For example, I have a team across time zones, so on a Thursday I start work at 10am and finish around 7pm. This means I get to enjoy breakfast with my daughter mid-week and hit the gym before I start my working day

"We have a culture that empowers parents to work hard, achieve big things, and still enjoy their families.”

Legacy in the Making: Anne celebrates that we’re moving away from a cookie-cutter pattern of 9-5 employment and taking the opportunity to enjoy both work and family, while utilise our special gifts and talents.

Anne: “I hope to inspire people to redefine what success looks like to them, and encourage people to become more purpose-aligned, leaning into their natural talents. I want to create a world where people of colour like me and my daughter, have equitable opportunities to thrive and are celebrated for our unique perspectives.”

And Anne’s leaves us with a strong message: 

“I hope my writing and shared examples will encourage other decision-makers to make positive changes in their own workplace. One workplace at a time, we can do our part to heal a burnt-out, out of touch culture that breeds stress and a whole host of mental-health issues.

And I truly believe this starts with nurturing the family unit and helping families thrive.”