Job sharing could help retain top female talent

Nearly two-thirds of senior women say they would like the opportunity to job share and nine out of ten say that having the ability to job share could mean the difference between staying with a company and leaving.

This is according to new research from diversity recruitment firm Capability Jane and work-life balance organisation Working Families. Respondents in the research who already job share cited benefits including 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.

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 identified as key characteristics of successful job shares.

The research, sponsored by Centrica, Deloitte, DHL, Freshfields, Herbert Smith, KPMG and RBS, found that while costs for job sharing 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.

In addition, the study focused on capturing best practice recommendations for how to make job sharing successful at senior level, and creating a set of resources.  These resources include toolkits containing frameworks, checklists and templates for organisations looking to set up an effective job share programme.

Sara Hill, Managing Director of Capability Jane, commented: “As diversity recruitment specialists we have seen a growing appetite for job sharing amongst women in key commercial roles. However, scepticism remains amongst managers who believe ‘it won’t work here’.

"With this project, based on sound research findings, we are setting out to dispel this myth, and to provide the tools and the evidence for organisations and individuals who want to make job sharing work.”

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.”