Balancing New Mom Duties with Working at a High-Growth Company: Why Joining Glovo Was Worth Taking the Risk
My maternal instinct kicked in along with the hunger to improve my knowledge, skills, and impact in UX.
By Meltem Naz Kaso Coskun, Glovo UX Researcher
If you were asked to imagine what a new mother does during her postpartum, I’m sure updating her CV and portfolio, and replying to a job post don’t make it to the top of the list.
During my pregnancy, I had thought my maternity leave would be non-eventful. But a few days upon hearing from my colleagues that some members of our team were laid off, I thought I could be next. COVID made instability seem both inevitable and impersonal.
Why did I apply for a job at Glovo?
Under these circumstances, taking care of my baby wasn’t just about changing diapers and breastfeeding. It also meant making sure that I was great at what I was doing professionally. As the maternal bond between me and my son grew, so did my investment in my UX career. Looking back, I understand why. Motherhood has been so beautiful and yet all-consuming. I needed to balance it with an intellectual endeavor such as my career in UX Research.
During long nights of breastfeeding, I was drafting UX articles, reading tons, and checking LinkedIn. Once, I came across a terrifyingly appealing job post at Glovo. In my case, it was terrifying because having a baby and paying a mortgage demanded extra security, especially in a pandemic. Looking at it from the outside, a start-up where I had heard that people sometimes burned out wasn’t exactly a good match for current circumstances. Yet, the job post was also appealing because it promised an in-house UX Research experience in online delivery, arguably one of the fastest-growing and ever-changing, and interesting industries. This job offered so much to learn and create impact.
Glovo was the only place that I applied to. I felt as though I was conducting a preference testing just to see if the recruiter would favor my newly crafted CV and portfolio. I seriously didn’t think I would end up changing my job.
And yet, I did.
How did the process go?
If I have to summarize my recruitment process, I would say that it was an equal mix of fun and challenge.
It was fun because I felt like I was hanging out with smart and eloquent people. They both had the guts to challenge me and had a keen interest to truly listen and hear what I had to say. I had to think fast and verbalize my thoughts in a coherent and memorable manner.
Also, there was something unique about my recruitment experience: Each time I met someone from Glovo, I emphasized how I was the sole caregiver of my baby in the evenings while his dad worked the night shift. I did so because Glovo’s response to my concern — on whether the UX Researcher job position was compatible with the responsibilities of a new mom — was key before going forward. If I weren’t convinced with the sincerity of their replies, I was going to reject their offer.
My first interview was around late November 2020. It took me a few seconds to realize that my webcam cover was on so my recruiter was only seeing my virtual background on zoom. When I finally made my hologram-like appearance, we both burst into laughter. It was my lunch break, I was having fun answering questions that were beyond clichés. On the same day, we organized the technical interview with the hiring manager.
The technical interview — which was conducted both in English and Spanish — was when I spoke more in detail about my past projects and future ambitions. One of the first things that my interviewer said was that he understood that I was at my home, so if a delivery person came to my door, or whatever happened, I could stop for a moment and handle it. He was speaking rapidly, keeping me on my toes as he outlined the tools that his team used. I was honest about what I knew and what I didn’t.
The recruiter had told me that if I would pass the technical interview, I would receive a case study. Still, I was surprised to see it in my inbox only a few hours after talking to the hiring manager. Everything moved so fast!
While investing my time in the case study had I for the first time contemplated the real possibility of joining Glovo. Up until that point, my interviewees were comfortable with my request to prioritize my son from 5 pm onwards. A work schedule that accommodated my family life was promised. I said why not. Let’s do this!
And the case study itself was pure fun. I won’t go into details, but I can assure you that I had to be creative, and involve my family in a mock usability session.
The final two interviews upon passing the case study — one with the Director of Product and a Product Manager, and another with the Head of Product Design — went above my expectations. The whiteboard challenge with the product team was a real-time exploration of how I would go about doing a project at Glovo. It was a dialogue, rather than just me talking, and I appreciated receiving questions that helped me dig deeper into my reasoning.
In addition, the Director of Product, a mother of a 10 months old baby herself, told me something that resonated with me: Glovo relied on personal responsibility and inner motivation to get things done. Nobody would actively monitor my working hours. And I would be encouraged to be protective of my personal time to achieve a work-life balance.
Similarly, what struck me in my meeting with the Head of Product Design was his directness and honesty, coupled with his professionalism. As a father of two, he walked me through his experience of Glovo’s growth as well as the challenges of balancing his work responsibilities along with caring for his daughters.
My partner — who was taking care of my son as I did both interviews — told me later that behind closed doors, he heard me laugh. He heard that I was engaged during the calls. That’s when I knew that I wanted to work for Glovo, and if it did, I would give my best shot.
And around Christmas, I got my offer. Beyond the basics of any offer, it included a note from my hiring manager that they were accommodating my (timing) needs as a mother.
I said yes on the spot.
Key Takeaways
I was hesitant to consider Glovo as a serious possibility due to my personal circumstances. Having a baby to care for, and a mortgage to pay made the job change all too risky, especially in a pandemic. But my interaction with the Glovo team for the UX Researcher position made me challenge my assumptions. Glovo team moved fast, and they assured me at each and every step that they were mindful of my responsibilities as a mother, and they respected my work-life balance.
For someone like me, who was ambitious about her career but also serious about her responsibilities at home, Glovo was the right fit.
And by the way, we are hiring! If you think Glovo might be your next challenge, check out our Careers page or Linkedin.
