Building community and belonging

Helping your organisation create the type of psychological safety and belonging that makes return feel intuitive.

Because belonging shouldn’t stop when leave starts

Parental leave can be one of the most rewarding experiences of someone’s life. It can also be of the most isolating.

As priorities shift and identities evolve, many employees begin to feel uncertain about what’s happening at work and disconnected from colleagues.

At the same time, managers and HR teams can feel unsure about how much contact is too. much, where the line is drawn and how to make sure people still feel part of the team both before, during and beyond leave.

Thoughtfully creating opportunities for people to connect with peers at the same stage, reconnect during leave, share experiences and feel part of something bigger can have a lasting impact on confidence, wellbeing and ambition.

It isn’t just about staying engaged with work. Leave is like a sabbatical, it should allow space. Instead, community comes from connection, and that connection needs intention.

Every organisation is different, so community initiatives are designed around your culture, your people, your resources and your goals.

Community might look like…

KIT days that combine practical information, inspiration and meaningful conversation.

Parent events that create opportunities to connect with colleagues who get it.

Guest speakers and panel discussions sharing lived experience and practical insights.

Parent network support to help communities grow with purpose rather than relying on goodwill alone.

Group coaching and facilitated conversations that allow employees to learn from and support one another.

Thoughtful touch-points throughout leave that help employees stay connected without feeling pressured or overwhelmed.

What makes a great community?

The most successful community initiatives aren’t measured by attendance alone. They’re measured by what happens afterwards.

Employees who feel less alone, more likely to have conversations with their managers, more connected, more valued, more informed, more optimistic about what’s next.

Those experiences strengthen belonging, encourage future engagement and often make the transitions from career to leave and back feel significantly less daunting.

Purpose | Energy | Belonging | Conversation | Continuity

Why Talent On Leave?

We don’t create events for the sake of having events. Every community initiative has a purpose. Sometimes it’s helping people return to work, sometimes it’s about building relationships, sometimes it’s about creating opportunities for everyone to understand each other better. The format always follows the purpose.

And that purpose has to be about the bigger experience. Community initiatives often work alongside coaching, manager support and employee experience design, creating a joined-up approach that helps people feel supported as individuals while building connection across the organisation.

We’re here to help you get that mix right for your people and the organisation, not just to get places filled. If something isn’t working, we’re there helping to get it right.

Growing your culture with you

We’re interested in more than delivering sessions. We’re interested in helping organisations create maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave experiences that genuinely work for everyone.

Our clients often begin with piloting one aspect of what we do. It gives you, and us, a sense of the fit and the potential. Then we get to work at a pace that meets your resources, culture and objectives.

“Thank you for what has been an incredible success story within MFMac. I would just like to add what an amazing impact Talent On Leave has had on our new families and employer brand. ”

Martin Glover, Chief of Staff

“Talent On Leave’s approach has really brought Baillie Gifford’s vision to life but also inspired us to innovate in certain areas and focus on those ‘moments that matter’. Employee feedback from individual, group coaching and our KIT days continue to be extremely positive ”

Ailsa Buchanan, Family Network Lead

“I am so proud of the word we continue to do with Talent On Leave. Our employees rave about the coaching support you provide but the ripple effect has been just as positive”

Catriona MacLachlan, Blackhall & Powis

Let’s create a community people genuinely want to belong to

Whether you’re looking to introduce your first KIT Day initiative, strengthen an existing parent network or create more meaningful opportunities for employees to connect, this is the stuff that lights us up.