​Celebrating our working dads for Father’s Day 2021

By Guidant Global

​As Father’s Day approaches this Sunday in the UK and US, some of our working dads from Guidant Global and our sister company, Comensura, share with us their experiences on balancing work and being a dad.

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“One word that comes to mind when I think about working at Guidant is ‘Family’.

I started my journey at Guidant in 2017 (which only feels like yesterday) working as a Recruitment Coordinator for one of our aviation accounts. Since then, I have moved around a few times within various recruitment companies in London and under the wider Impellam Group (Guidant’s parent company), however Guidant has made me feel more welcomed and stress-free as a working parent.

As a single father of three wonderful children, it can get hectic sometimes, but with the Guidant family, being able to look after my children has been a breeze and worry-free. I am honoured to be a part of such a good brand that embodies a work-life balance.”
- Rasem Bouhairie, Recruitment Co-ordinator

“While working here has been exciting, fast-paced and exhilarating, it’s also been great to work here as they put family first and always ensure you take the time needed for those important dates, so you never miss some of those magical life events with your kids.”
- Christopher Probert, Head of Service, Private Sector

“I have been with Guidant for 2 years working in Finance. At home, I have two children with a third on the way. The past year has been challenging with nurseries shortening their hours, not having additional family support with childcare and with my wife being a key worker.

Guidant have been supportive throughout, in allowing me to work flexibly as well as allowing me to take leave at short notice. There has always been an underlying trust that everything will get done, and the sentiment has been that family life is important too, which I am grateful for.”
- Ben Mould, Financial Controller

One of the most wonderful things about working for Guidant Global is the real commitment to being a family-first company. During my 6+ years with the organisation, there have been countless times where I’ve been strongly encouraged to make time and be there for my children through coaching their soccer team, attending dance recitals and helping with homework. This working culture has helped me prioritise my commitment to being a good father – and for that I am eternally grateful! Here’s wishing all dads a wonderful and relaxing Father’s Day!
- Mark Sawicki, Senior VP Program Management

“Being a working dad at Guidant has been great. I am able to pick Ruben up form childcare each Wednesday (or as needed) which allows me to also be supportive of my partner in her job, which often means she works later than I do! Having the ability to be able to work flexibly means I can be there for Ruben’s important moments too.”
- Nick Vincent, Client Services Manager

“Prior to joining Guidant in 2019, my sole job title was Dad! I’d taken the opportunity to be a stay at home parent for the first few years with my daughter, Isabella. As she moved into full-time education, I began a new career.

Before remote working became the norm, Guidant offered flexible working opportunities which allowed me to manage my work alongside being a parent, making it much easier to balance the roles of Marketing Executive and Dad.

I’ve no better example to offer than when I had to add ‘Teacher’ to my skill set for home-schooling during lockdown – Guidant understood the challenges of this and offered fathers (and mothers) new, flexible working arrangements, making it much easier to negotiate that challenge while juggling work.”
- Stephen Salmon, Marketing Executive

“I joined Guidant in February 2014 and Annabelle, our first child, arrived in May 2015. I’m not sure if anything can actually prepare you for becoming a dad, but the overall family orientation of Guidant and Impellam (our parent company) at least gave me a fighting chance!

Our leadership team and company culture have actively supported me at every step of the journey. From early scans, through the birth of Annabelle, to her first day at school – every ‘event’ has been met with support, flexibility and some really great advice.

Just as we started to find our feet with Annabelle (sort of), along came Albert in December 2017… Once again, we found ourselves in the middle of a new and slightly more crowded whirlwind! The support, guidance and flexibility available to me as a fledgling dad – both from our company and my colleagues – are things for which I will be eternally grateful. Just knowing that I can drop things to attend to my young family without giving it a second thought is an extremely valuable gift…

Looking back, I have no idea how we would have managed the last 6 years without the unconditional support of my employer.

I feel so much pride to work for an organisation which is truly family-first. The past year has been challenging in so many ways, especially with home schooling, and participating in the Impellam Superstars lesson programme was a real highpoint for me. The opportunity to engage with a group of children and our working parents was extremely energising and a lot of fun.

My final thoughts as a dad on Guidant are about the future of work for my children. Our progressive views on DE&I and the environment in particular, coupled with our ability to influence so many companies all around the world, give me real hope that I can at least play a part in building a better tomorrow for Annabelle and Albert.”

- Simon Blockley, CEO Guidant Global

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We’re proud to support our working dads in any way we can. Come join #TeamGuidant and be part of an inclusive team today >