If you ask most business leaders what their greatest asset is, the answer should be their people.  Organisations need engaged, committed and productive employees – giving them the work life balance they need and desire through job sharing is a way to ensure this…

 

Benefits to organisations:

• The retention of talented individuals, who may not be able to or want to work in a full-time capacity.  The Job Share Project reported that 87% of job sharers said the ability to job share meant the difference between staying with a company and leaving.

• Two minds in one job, with a mixed and complementary skillset.  Double the experience, knowledge, and network, and two varied styles in one role.  This enhances creativity and innovation, positively impacting client service and output. 

• Commitment, motivation, energy, and engagement from the job share partners, leading to higher productivity.  Research has shown a 30% enhanced productivity gained through two people job sharing (UK’s Resource Connection and the Industrial Society).

• A widened, and potentially untapped, talent pool when recruiting and attracting – by offering flexible working roles, including job sharing, you will become an employer of choice for many.

• A certainty of coverage for clients and stakeholders, enabling continuity in the role, where holidays and absences are covered. 67% of managers with direct experience of job sharers in senior roles believed it has a positive impact on clients (The Job Share Project). 

• An additional level of accountability in the role – to each other, as well as performance objectives and the organisation.  Job share partners are committed to making the arrangement work.

• A real focus on collaboration and teamwork, enhancing not only the employee experience of the job share partners, but that of those in their team and peers – research has shown job sharing allows for a better sense of team belonging, with more opportunities for development having the benefit of two minds, skills, and experiences.

• An opportunity for the transfer of skills and experience – some organisations use job sharing to develop more junior employees partnered with those looking to retire in forthcoming years.  This ensures that vital knowledge is not lost within organisations.

• Encourages diversity in roles and an inclusive working culture.

• Two employees committed to the success of the role and your business.

 

We truly believe that job sharing enables a utopia of work life balance, whilst the job sharers can maintain challenging and senior roles…

 

Benefits to individuals:

• True work life balance, with the exclusive benefit of job sharing being that your job is being completed by someone you trust on your ‘home days’.  This allows you to fully switch off from work and focus on life…whatever that may be.

• Remaining within a full-time role, you can maintain a challenging, stretching career, with equal opportunities to progress.

• Development from your job share partner – the exchange of knowledge, skills and ideas is incredible from sharing a role.

• You become a unique micro team, where you are able to bounce ideas off each other and continually learn from one another’s’ skills, experience and styles.

• Job satisfaction through motivation and engagement, and a real commitment to the role, organisation, and each other.

 

The overarching gain in our experience of job sharing is that for us personally we have been able to continue our careers in a challenging and strategic role that we love whilst meeting the work life balance that we (and our families) desire, something that we share with a professional we respect, trust, and continue to learn from!