As couples prioritize professional paths, companies like SLB implement 'dual career' programs to coordinate partners' careers. These initiatives consider family preferences and prevent talent loss. Nara Tsuboi, SLB's HR head in Brazil, explains shifts in corporate policies.
Companies are adopting 'dual career' programs to help couples in relationships develop careers simultaneously. Nara Tsuboi, SLB's HR head in Brazil, notes that firms long avoided or ignored internal relationships, but about two decades ago, the sector shifted to structured policies rather than bans. This prevents talent loss, as career decisions like promotions or relocations affect families, such as time with children or longer commutes. Programs cover hetero and homoaffectionate couples, even if only one partner is employed there. Rules prohibit conflicts of interest, like same reporting lines, and require formal relationship declarations via an HR 'couple registry'. For global firms like SLB, operating in over 80 countries, mobility is key: “There is an effort for both to go to the same location and keep working,” Tsuboi states. Couples alternate promotions, one taking a higher role temporarily while the other follows, potentially switching later: “The other partner accompanies the mobility, and this can change over the career.” Family factors like children, adaptation, and mental health are weighed: “If the person is not well at home, they also cannot perform at work.” Opportunities tie to performance: “It is an accommodation for those delivering and advancing in their careers.”
