Working with mom is a win-win
"How's your mom doing," Movement Chief Talent Officer Chris Allen asked.
It's not the first question you'd expect to hear in an interview. Granted, Chris had worked with my mom, Kim Villarreal, at a previous job, and knew my family well.
"Uh, well, she's not great," I managed to fumble out while holding back tears. My mom was tired, burned out and needed a change. Her stress was affecting our family, and I had secretly prayed before the interview, "Lord, if I don't get this job, would it be weird if I told Chris to interview my mom?"
"Well, just know I've got a position here that I want her for," Chris said.
I'm sitting in an office interviewing for a position at a mortgage company (an industry I had never thought to work for) and now I've just received news there is a chance I get to work with my mom? Talk about a surge of emotions. To say I was overwhelmed would have been an understatement. I made it through the interview tear-free and anxiously waited for his phone call.
I got the job and started working at Movement in November 2015. Chris was true to his word and my mom made the transition in January 2016. Today, she's a human resources manager at Movement, and I'm grateful God answered my pre-interview prayer in an exceedingly abundant fashion.
As you can imagine, working with your mother has its advantages and challenges. I always have a lunch buddy, but it's important to remember that, at work, we're colleagues first. Those situations aside, the best part of working with my mom is learning from her exceptional example of how to be a confident business professional.
Working for Movement — a place where families are not only valued, but highly prioritized — with my mom has been restful for both of us. We can heal from past work experiences, and find co-workers who feel like family.
I am my mother's daughter. I'm discovering more similarities between us each day. Becoming more like my mom is such a gift. She's smart, compassionate and the strongest woman I know. I think everyone should work with their best friend.
Tell us a bit more about mom
- Preferred duo name: Killa Villas
- Mom's favorite color: Green
- Work perk: All access badge pass (thanks HR)
- Is mom a dog person or cat person? We made her a dog person against her will.
- Tell us something we don't know about mom: She's the uncontested world's fastest speed walker.
**#MyMovement is a company campaign to share and connect significant stories from our team members, homebuyers and industry connections across the globe. With #MyMovement, we hope to make the personal generosity, kindness, service and social awareness of our own community contagious.
