Fast Company: plan a maternity leave that is less stressful for everyone.

Planning for a long-term leave, such as paternal leave, can be stressful for employers, coworkers and new parents. Jacquie Liddell, area vice president at Randstad Sourceright, offers hiring managers some practical advice following two distinctive maternity leave experiences.

"The first time I took maternity leave, I didn’t know what to expect. I was stressed about what I was missing in the office,” she writes. "My second maternity leave was significantly less stressful, largely due to the experience I gained from my first leave and the pre-planning I did prior to going out on leave."

When an employee goes on maternity leave, advance planning makes a difference. The employer and employee should build a strategy for managing work responsibilities up to and during maternity leave, with serious consideration as to who will be doing that work while the new parent is on leave.

There are several options when it comes to what type of talent to use to cover for the employee, such as having existing staff take on certain tasks, contract a gig worker or hire temporary talent. If the company decides to bring in someone externally, Liddell suggests engaging those workers early, while the mom is still at work and able to help onboard her temporary replacement.

Read the full article in Fast Company for more tips on resourcing during a parental leave. Then check out this episode of talent trailblazer TV for more tips on choosing the most suitable work arrangements and engaging contingent talent.