{"id":20240,"date":"2023-11-06T17:17:55","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T17:17:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/?p=20240"},"modified":"2023-11-29T17:33:45","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T17:33:45","slug":"what-is-job-sharing-and-how-to-do-it-successfully","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/what-is-job-sharing-and-how-to-do-it-successfully\/","title":{"rendered":"What is job sharing and how to do it successfully"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With workers in search of new, flexible ways of working, job sharing could soon be making a comeback.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We cover why job sharing could be the perfect working option for you, what to consider as both an employer and an employee, and how to make job sharing work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Want to skip to the most relevant bits? You can do so here:\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#Section1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is job sharing?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#Section2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is the difference between job sharing and a part-time job?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#Section3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is job sharing a growing trend?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#Section4\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Could job sharing become more popular?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#Section5\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are the benefits of job sharing for the employer?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#Section6\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are the benefits of job sharing for the employee?\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#Section7\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How does job sharing work?\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#Section8\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Things to consider before taking a job share<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#Section9\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to do job sharing successfully<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#Section10\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Crafting a convincing proposal for your employer<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><a name=\"Section1\"><\/a><\/h3>\n<h3>What is job sharing?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Job sharing is when two or more employees share full-time equivalent hours for the same job. This doesn\u2019t always mean that hours are split 50\/50, for example, one person might work two days, while the other works three. Some employers might create a job share that equates to slightly more than a full-time equivalent, to allow for collaboration points for sharers across the week. Whatever happens, a job share leads to a net reduction in salary for the employee.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><a name=\"Section2\"><\/a><\/h3>\n<h3>What is the difference between job sharing and a part-time job?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Part-time jobs are usually in place when a role is only required for a certain number of hours each week. This could be because a business has limited hours of operation (for example in hospitality), has a limited budget for a role, or simply because the team is small and only requires part-time hours for that position.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Job shares are roles where there is a need and a budget for full-time hours and a role is split. As most senior roles are not advertised part-time, job sharing allows people to enter into and stay in senior positions when they otherwise would not have been able to.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><a name=\"Section3\"><\/a><\/h3>\n<h3>Is job sharing a growing trend?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the moment, job sharing is actually in decline. Since its peak in 2013, job sharing has decreased in popularity. In 2013, around <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/415880\/number-of-employees-job-sharing-uk\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">185,000<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> UK employees were on a job-sharing contract and today this number has fallen to around 98,000.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This decline could be for several reasons including how our ways of working have changed. As job sharing provides the person with flexibility, having increased flexibility in terms of hours and location of work could mean that those who would have chosen to job share 10 years ago are now able to work full-time from home or with a hybrid set-up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On a similar note, for many who would have participated in job sharing at its peak in 2013, it is no longer viable due to finances. With the cost of living skyrocketing, and goods costing around 33.3% more than they did 10 years ago, working part-time is no longer an option.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, job sharing could still make a comeback.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For creatives who want to set up a business or enter the world of freelancing, a job share could be just the financial security blanket they need.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For students too, job sharing provides a solution for those looking to work in professional-level roles while they study. Particularly for those who are re-entering education after a significant period of employment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Job sharing could also be the solution to equity, diversity, and inclusion challenges in the workplace. Caring responsibilities can have a significant impact on the work trajectory of the carer, and this especially impacts women. Current workplace predictions suggest it will take <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/higginsonstrategy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Empower_Job-Sharing-Report_2023_FINAL-compressed.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">30 years<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for women to catch up to men\u2019s participation rate in the labour force. What\u2019s more, as many as two-thirds of professional women could be working below their potential when they return to work from career breaks, mainly due to very few senior positions offering part-time hours. Job sharing is just one of the ways to accelerate both participation and the advancement of women into senior positions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For disabled people, only <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/the-employment-of-disabled-people-2022\/employment-of-disabled-people-2022#labour-market-status\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">54.3%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of whom are employed, the part-time working opportunities allowed by job sharing could increase participation in employment. Again this would help boost the diversity of employees and particularly boost diversity at the top of organisations, something that has long been lacking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20246\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/christina-wocintechchat-com-VOYQEi3uv70-unsplash-1.jpg\" alt=\"A female software engineer working at her laptop.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1282\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/christina-wocintechchat-com-VOYQEi3uv70-unsplash-1.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/christina-wocintechchat-com-VOYQEi3uv70-unsplash-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/christina-wocintechchat-com-VOYQEi3uv70-unsplash-1-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/christina-wocintechchat-com-VOYQEi3uv70-unsplash-1-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/christina-wocintechchat-com-VOYQEi3uv70-unsplash-1-1536x1026.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><a name=\"Section4\"><\/a><\/h3>\n<h3>Could job sharing become more popular?<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/higginsonstrategy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Empower_Job-Sharing-Report_2023_FINAL-compressed.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Empower<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a campaign to increase female and minority participation in the workforce, certainly thinks it should.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The campaign group is lobbying the government to incentivise job-sharing by introducing a reduction in Employers\u2019 National Insurance contributions. It\u2019s been calculated that currently, job-sharing costs an employer an additional 23% in contributions, so this change could greatly increase the number of employers who are willing to provide job-sharing opportunities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/higginsonstrategy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Empower_Job-Sharing-Report_2023_FINAL-compressed.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">campaign<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has seven key recommendations:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employers and job search sites should clearly advertise positions which are applicable for a job share and should not disfavour applicants seeking one.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employers should consider all requests for job shares fairly and cannot refuse applications based on their preferred working patterns.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Job search sites should introduce an \u2018opt-out button\u2019 if job sharing is not applicable to a role. This will make job sharing the norm, and not the exception and will increase the number of roles available to a partnership.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Government should introduce a reduction on National Insurance contributions for two employees in a job share to incentivise employers to introduce job-sharing roles and reduce the cost barrier.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Government should create a statutory duty on employers to consider flexible working requests from employees.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Government should expand the Civil Service\u2019s existing internal \u2018job share finder\u2019 and ensure across the public sector, 5% of senior positions are job shares by 2025.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parental leave as set out in law should fall equally to male and female employees.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the campaign is successful, job sharing could become a flexible working policy that is more widely adopted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><a name=\"Section5\"><\/a><\/h3>\n<h3>What are the benefits of job sharing for the employer?<\/h3>\n<p><b>Increased productivity.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Research has shown that a job sharing team of two is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/higginsonstrategy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Empower_Job-Sharing-Report_2023_FINAL-compressed.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">30%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> more productive than a single full-time counterpart. If the tax breaks proposed by Empower come into place, employers would benefit from 130% output for the cost of one employee.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>There\u2019s more flexibility. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If predecessors in a role have continually burnt out due to too much workload, employers could choose to create a role that is a six-day, rather than a five-day equivalent. This could allow two people to work three days a week, with an entire day for collaboration, boosting output to 120% plus a 30% productivity boost.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Employers gain more skills.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> No two people are the same. With a job share, an employer is gaining two people\u2019s insights, ideas, and skills. Say for example two sharers both have 10 years of experience, then an employer gains 20 years of experience. As they say, two heads are better than one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Boosted equity and inclusion. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A study commissioned by The Job Share Report revealed that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/higginsonstrategy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Empower_Job-Sharing-Report_2023_FINAL-compressed.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">61%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of women would like the opportunity to job share and 87% said their ability to job share was the difference between staying in a job or leaving it. Job sharing does not just benefit those with caring responsibilities. For many disabled people, part-time work is the only accessible way into the workforce, and job sharing is an excellent way of getting the best talent into higher roles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>A new talent pool is unlocked. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With more flexibility, employers are increasing the talent pool from which they can hire, and boosting their employee retention too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Coverage during periods of sickness or annual leave. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When one part of the job share is out of office for whatever reason, some continuity is provided by their counterpart(s).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20248\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/airfocus-v89zhr0iBFY-unsplash.jpg\" alt=\"Two men brainstorming with post it notes on a whiteboard.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/airfocus-v89zhr0iBFY-unsplash.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/airfocus-v89zhr0iBFY-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/airfocus-v89zhr0iBFY-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/airfocus-v89zhr0iBFY-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/airfocus-v89zhr0iBFY-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><a name=\"Section6\"><\/a><\/h3>\n<h3>What are the benefits of job sharing for the employee?<\/h3>\n<p><b>Increased productivity and creativity. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By enabling a better work-life balance, and potentially allowing people to work on more than one project, job sharing creates a more productive and creative environment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Improved work-life balance. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regardless of why job sharing might benefit you (health, caring responsibilities, entrepreneurial pursuits, work-life balance, etc), part-time working arrangements can enable employees to work in a way that suits them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Enhanced job satisfaction.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> For those people who would have previously had to take a lower role to work part-time, job sharing allows career advancement in a more stimulating and challenging role.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>There\u2019s someone there to pick up the slack.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Rather than going away on annual leave and dreading a full inbox on return, a job share means that there\u2019s someone around who\u2019s been able to keep things moving. Your job sharer is a teammate, and you support each other throughout any highs and lows.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><a name=\"Section7\"><\/a><\/h3>\n<h3>How does job sharing work?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the moment, a job applicant, or current employee, goes to an employer asking for a job share. Once approved it is usually down to the employee (or soon-to-be employee) to find a suitable candidate to share the role.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For many, this is the tough part, as unless you have an extensive network of people at a similar career point with similar skills, it can take a very long time to find the right person.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re lucky enough to find someone who passes any interviews and stipulations set by your employer, you will then go about deciding your ways of working. This could include the hours you both work, points in the week where there is a crossover in hours for collaboration, any key areas of the role that will be owned by a specific person, and how best you both communicate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In some cases, where employers share that they are open to job shares (only <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/flexa.careers\/blog\/job-sharing-and-the-benefits-for-employers\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">32%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of companies advertise their flexible working policies) job sharers can apply as a team, usually with a clear idea of how this will work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For civil servants, finding that match is a lot easier, with the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gcs.civilservice.gov.uk\/career\/jobs\/civil-service-job-share-finder\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Job Share Finder<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, however, similar private sector equivalents have struggled to get off the ground.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20249\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/hadija-jCfDzOQ2-C8-unsplash-1.jpg\" alt=\"A sign pointing to 'answers'.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/hadija-jCfDzOQ2-C8-unsplash-1.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/hadija-jCfDzOQ2-C8-unsplash-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/hadija-jCfDzOQ2-C8-unsplash-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/hadija-jCfDzOQ2-C8-unsplash-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/hadija-jCfDzOQ2-C8-unsplash-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><a name=\"Section8\"><\/a><\/h3>\n<h3>Things to consider before taking a job share<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are, in reality, lots of positives to job sharing for both employers and employees, but it is certainly not for everyone. Make sure you weigh the pros and cons.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Finances. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask yourself if job sharing is financially sustainable. Job sharing takes time and effort. For your employer, there are two employee contracts to sort, two people to onboard, and two people to set up on IT. For you, there\u2019s the time it takes to adapt to a new way of working. All of this means that job sharing isn\u2019t a short-term option. You don\u2019t want to get everything in place only to let down your employer or the person you\u2019re job sharing with, so make sure that this is something that you can financially afford long term.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Your way of working and how you manage people.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Successful job sharing partnerships are ideal for people who work in similar ways to one another. This could be as simple as how organised you are, how you like to communicate, and how you do your work. You and your job share must be aligned, especially when it comes to how you manage people, as no one likes a good cop, bad cop scenario.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>How you measure performance. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is more complex when a job share is not a straight 50\/50 split of time and role. When a share is more complex, or certain responsibilities are given to one half of the pairing, then this is where things can get messy. Make sure you know exactly what each individual\u2019s KPIs are, especially if this is a new partnership.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Time management.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If the operating rhythm of a role means that the start of the week is busier, bring this into consideration. This might mean that a split down the middle on a Wednesday lunchtime could lead to an unfair balance of workload.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Use technology to your advantage. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you use technology to communicate with your job share or with the rest of your team, to manage and define tasks, or to keep processes in place, it can be a great tool for success!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Consider what happens if your job share leaves.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> For some people, it could take years to find someone whom they trust and respect enough to enter into a job sharing arrangement. However, life happens and things change so always consider what happens if the other person (or you) wants to leave. Could this mean you need to go back to working full-time? How easily could you find a replacement?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><a name=\"Section9\"><\/a><\/h3>\n<h3>How to do job sharing successfully<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you\u2019ve weighed up the pros and cons of job sharing and considered exactly how this might work, you need to make sure you and your sharer(s) are all on the same team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Invest time in understanding each other\u2019s working style. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not only is this important before agreeing to this kind of arrangement, but it\u2019s also beneficial moving forward. You don\u2019t need to work in the same way, in fact, sometimes opposites attract. One important alignment though is your values.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Set up a clear handover process.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If there isn\u2019t a regular crossover of your hours this is extra important. Make sure you are aware of the work that\u2019s been done and what you need to do to get that over the line.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Create clear boundaries. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And stick to them! Make sure that you both know your hours of work and your responsibilities and you respect those. If things start to crack, the way you communicate how you\u2019re feeling and what\u2019s going on could be make or break.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Stand united.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Use \u201cus\u201d and \u201cwe\u201d language in communications to show that you\u2019re very much operating as a team. If someone on your team would rather speak to one job sharer over another, address this head-on to ensure you\u2019re both getting the same level of respect and insight.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Communication is key. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve said it throughout all of these tips but communication is key when entering into a job sharing agreement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20251\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/microsoft-edge-fb_wM334yYQ-unsplash.jpg\" alt=\"A woman working at her laptop.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/microsoft-edge-fb_wM334yYQ-unsplash.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/microsoft-edge-fb_wM334yYQ-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/microsoft-edge-fb_wM334yYQ-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/microsoft-edge-fb_wM334yYQ-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/microsoft-edge-fb_wM334yYQ-unsplash-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/h3>\n<h3><a name=\"Section10\"><\/a><\/h3>\n<h3>Crafting a convincing proposal for your employer<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re lucky enough to be in a role you love but for whatever reason would like to explore job sharing, make sure, in the first instance that you communicate this, informally at first with your employer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some, larger organisations will have a job-sharing policy in place, while others will not know where to start.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In general, you\u2019ll be expected to craft a proposal, detailing why job sharing would be of benefit to you as an employee and them as an employee. Use some of the information above as a place to start, but try and use examples that are specific to you, your employer, and your industry too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Find an advocate.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Normally this would be someone in HR who will be able to guide you through the process and support you through some of the more tricky meetings that might take place. This person could also be someone more senior to you, like a supportive line manager, or someone specifically working in equity, diversity, and inclusion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Understand the drivers of your company. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This could be boosting employee retention, developing a more productive workplace, or goals that they have set around equity and inclusion. Spend time exploring recent annual company reports, and the mission, vision, and values of the organisation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Use numbers and statistics. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve already mentioned that two people sharing a role can be 30% more productive. For companies that could be exactly the boost they require to get work done on time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Appeal to their personal side.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This is especially important if you\u2019re asking for a job share because you need more of a work-life balance. Take the opportunity to emphasise your value to the company and why you as a person need this change. If you are looking to do your own thing like freelance, emphasise how what you learn in another role could help them as a business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Create a clear plan of action. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you already know who you\u2019d like to share your role with, then even better. Ideally, your employer will want to see timeframes, the support you need, and how much the process of getting a second person will cost them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember, your proposal can be presented in a variety of different ways. It could be a presentation, a letter to HR, or a conversation. Where possible, let your employer know how they\u2019d like the information presented. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Final takeaways<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s clear that job sharing has many benefits to the employer and the employee, and in the search for new ways of working, something that\u2019s been around for a long time like job sharing should not be overlooked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Job sharing isn\u2019t a temporary fix, and it\u2019s far from a straightforward change to our ways of working. Time, effort, and open communication are all necessary to ensure successful job sharing relationships.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"blog-cta-box\">Feeling inspired to start your job hunt? Check out the latest roles <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/\">here<\/a>.<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<p><b><strong><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"emoji\" draggable=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/11\/svg\/1f4a1.svg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/strong>Read more: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-spot-a-diverse-and-inclusive-employer-and-the-posers\/\">How to spot a diverse and inclusive employer (and the posers)<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With workers in search of new, flexible ways of working, job sharing could soon be making a comeback.\u00a0 We cover why job sharing could be the perfect working option for you, what to consider as both an employer and an employee, and how to make job sharing work.\u00a0 Want to skip to the most relevant<a class=\"moretag\" href=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/what-is-job-sharing-and-how-to-do-it-successfully\/\"> Continued \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":20243,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[719,1015,1109,1107,1165],"tags":[1112],"class_list":["post-20240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-paths","category-diversity-inclusion","category-finding-a-job","category-life-at-work","category-pay-benefits","tag-featured"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20240"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20240\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20458,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20240\/revisions\/20458"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}