Job sharing in senior management roles

The results of a study into the feasibility of job sharing in senior management, client-facing and project-driven roles have recently been released.

The study, by diversity recruitment specialist Capability Jane, and work-life balance organisation Working Families, was prompted by the increasing desire amongst many women in senior roles to combine career development with reduced-hours working; and the need on the part of employers to retain and progress their female talent.

Key findings of the study include:

• Nearly two thirds (61%) of senior women surveyed said they would like the opportunity to job share. Nine out of ten respondents said that having the ability to job share could mean the difference between staying with a company and leaving.
• There is a sound business case for job sharing to be promoted by employers. Whilst costs may be slightly higher than employing a single individual, the benefits, including retention of key personnel, absence cover and a focused and energetic team can easily outweigh these.
• Job sharing is already happening effectively at a senior level in large global organisations.
• Benefits cited by jobs sharers included: the ability to work in a big role on a reduced hours basis; career progression; the ability to switch off and hand over accountability; greater flexibility and work life balance; and having two heads focused on a single role.
• Job sharing, however, was found to be no panacea. Hard work and commitment, including out-of-hours communication with job share partners, and the need to go the extra mile in order to prove themselves, were key characteristics of successful job shares.

Sarah Jackson, Chief Executive of Working Families said:

“We would encourage businesses to fully absorb the findings of this research, especially in the current economic climate. Working hours are on the increase, and the annual cost of presenteeism is greater than of absenteeism. So the need to think about the design and shape of work is paramount. Job sharing provides a unique opportunity to think about the design of roles, and about creating really effective ways of working.”