A job share is where you divide a role between two people and it can be a great way to return to professional work on a flexible basis. It can provide genuine flexibility, which other flexible options may not. For instance, part-timers working a 4 day week may in fact find they are working a full-time 5 day job over fewer days. How does it work?
Job sharers usually split their week, overlapping to share insights and updates. This way of working offers a supportive partnership where you are a team of two working collaboratively to deliver great performance. Returning to work can be daunting and job sharing provides a supportive way to return together in challenging and senior roles where flexibility is often scarce.
There are 3 steps to a successful job share:
Find your job share partner
Find a role in which you can job share
Structure and set up your job share
To find a job share partner, think about who is in your network. This might be ex-colleagues, people you have met through professional networking groups, mum groups or through other social networks. It is likely to be someone who you have worked with before. You will need to get on well, but you will also need to have complementary skills at a similar level.
If you are struggling to find a job share partner within your own network, you could use a specialist job sharing agency to help you. These agencies may also work directly with companies open to job sharing and advertise opportunities.
To find a job share role, look out for roles that are advertised as open to job sharing or flexible working. Despite the wholesale changes to working practices caused by the pandemic, Timewise’s annual job survey (2021) found that only 26% of jobs were advertised as open to flexible working so you will also need to look at roles advertised as full-time. Ask the recruitment agency or company upfront if they are open to job sharing. This is a more complex hiring process, so it is not something you can spring on a potential hiring manager later on in the recruitment process.
If the company is open to it, you’ll need to present your case when you apply. Include a proposal for how the job share would work in practice. Anticipate objections or common concerns the company might have and be prepared with an answer to combat these. Think about the benefits for the company, for instance, a broader range of skills, flexibility to meet client demands, cover for sickness and holiday.
Here are some links you might find useful:
Roleshare and Duome (online jobshare matching platforms)
Further and More (a jobshare recruitment agency)
The Jobshare pair support organisations to implement job sharing. They offer toolkits and a job share design and evaluation tool, as well as coaching and mentoring for job sharers.
If you would like to discuss how to achieve a flexible career, please book in for a free career consultation.