Job sharing is a relatively new concept in the workforce but it might be a solution for HR departments looking to accommodate their employees' circumstances, especially during COVID-19. A job share is when two employees share the same role to equal the work capacity of a full-time employee. There are obvious advantages of having two people collaborating on many tasks like these. You get the brain power and perspectives of two different individuals which can aid in creativity and problem solving. You also have an extra person to pick up on things that the other might have missed. The arrangement allows flexibility for both employees if life events arise which can lead to less stress, more satisfaction, and greater productivity. We outlined some other general realities of a job share program.

Other advantages:

• It provides coverage in situations of personal or family emergencies

• The increased opportunity for accountability makes goal setting and measuring success a greater priority

• Diversity of voices and backgrounds can provide additional perspectives when it comes to problem-solving

Disadvantages:

• It can be costly for employers in terms of paying for cross over days and increased benefits

• Communicating with two or more people regarding the same work can be timely and there is no room for missed communication

• Coworkers must devote more energy to catching up and compromising on tasks

A Case Study:

In theory, job sharing might seem confusing, so we want to provide an example of a previous successful job share we encountered. At Northern Illinois Food Bank, two of their HR Generalists, Dawn Yarbrough and Tracy Kelsey, job shared their role for a time and it works as a great example of how an HR department can implement programs that provide more flexible opportunities for talented individuals. Tracy had been working part-time and Dawn was looking to scale back in order to pursue a degree in clinical mental health, so this arrangement was proposed. There are both advantages and challenges for the employer and the employee, but in this time where the lines between work and life are blurred, job sharing can be the answer to maximizing an employee’s potential.

Why it works:

Transparency and communication are key when it comes to job sharing.

Dawn: “We had a friendship already which helped us to be transparent and open with each other. We also really care for the food bank and wanted to make sure that we're on top of everything and not letting things fall through the cracks. That created a lot of communication points for us to make sure that we're clear about what pieces need to be done. It also helped us communicate our capacities and limitations at a given time.”

Tracy: “We do have differences in our communication styles, but we both have the same underlying values. It was really helpful that we're both coming from the same place in what we're trying to do, even if the way we approach it is a little different.”

Job sharing creates opportunities for increased accountability.   

Tracy: “We both feel and hold ourselves accountable to make sure the work gets done. Once a week, we talked and went through all of the open positions. We would delegate and say ‘you call that person, I’ll call this person.’ It’s really a flow of constant tasks that we take piece by piece. Even with that, we had to be transparent by just saying ‘I have a school meeting, can you take that interview?’ or ‘I have to pick up my kids from school. So can you take that phone call?’”

Challenges: 

Both employees must constantly be on the same page when it comes to completing tasks. Employees have to make sure all information is shared with the other job sharer, otherwise things can fall through the cracks.

Dawn: “There are some people who know one of us better than the other, so they reached out to only one of us which can be tricky. People learned that if they put both of us on an email they’ll get a faster response. We also have an HR email that goes to all of us in HR so that was helpful too. We tried to utilize that and ask employees to utilize that. That way all five of us on the team had access and could answer a question as quickly as possible.” 

When there are two part-time employees taking on a full-time role, the division of work isn’t always straightforward. 

Dawn: “It’s a work in progress. We both probably worked more hours than we plan to, but some weeks we did better than others. Some weeks things come up, personal things for somebody on our team and we needed to step in. That happened a lot during COVID.”

Final Thoughts:

Would Dawn and Tracy recommend job sharing to other organizations? 

Tracy: “Yes because I think it's important for people to be able to have jobs that they enjoy or want to pursue and to be able to also have a work-life balance that suits their needs. There are not a ton of part-time jobs readily available that are both fulfilling and that pay well enough.”

When it comes down to it, they both agree that job sharing enriched their personal and professional lives. 

Dawn: “When I look back on when I was in this role for about two years before going down to part-time I remember feeling very lonely. For me, having someone else to share that with, and even share those funny moments with, or to just connect with during the workday helped tremendously. That emotional connection and human level connection is something that we don't necessarily value as much in our society.”

It’s not a typical arrangement, but Dawn and Tracy found that it allowed them both flexibility and fulfillment. Other companies that want to retain valuable talent while also allowing their employees to find a work-life balance through part-time employment might want to consider job sharing.