Two for the price of one

By ANGELA McCARTHY

Friends Jane and Ellen have job-shared their office and reception role at a university for six years. Originally a part-timer, Jane was asked to work full-time. That didn't suit her lifestyle so she proposed the job-share idea to her boss.

Jane says they try to avoid dumping work on each other and keep in close communication, sharing information in a daily log book.

"It is about personalities working well together, taking combined responsibility and having a no-blame policy," says Jane.

"We decided from the start to share any problems and work things through ourselves. But we couldn't do this if we didn't totally trust each other and I think that trust would possibly take a while to build up with a stranger."

Not all job-shares work. Margaret suggested a job-share when she was asked to go full-time in her conference administration role for a small, not-for-profit organisation.

Her manager agreed and recruited a second person for the two-day/three-day share. Margaret got on well with her new colleague although at times she needed to follow up her work.

"She wasn't as methodical or as quick as me but that didn't worry me because I was keeping the hours I wanted so I could also spend time with my preschooler."

It began well but then management started "getting picky. The accountant hauled us over the coals about a missing invoice, saying the mistake happened because we were job-sharing. But it could have happened to anyone and we'd sorted it out before it became a problem".

Margaret began to sense the loss of support for the arrangement. When she became pregnant and applied for maternity leave, her job-share colleague resigned shortly after. The organisation replaced them with a full-timer, offering Margaret a part-time position after maternity leave.

"I decided not to go back because I felt there was too much bad feeling about the job-sharing situation."

She believes the job-share would have worked if other staff had supported it more, and says it became a red herring to cover management problems.

"It is important that management and the wider team are flexible towards job-share arrangements," says Deloitte tax division manager Georgina Bridge, who set up a job-share arrangement to avoid losing talent.

A secretary returning from maternity leave didn't want to work full time and asked about job-sharing. Although Bridge was advised it hadn't worked in previous situations, she felt she should give it a go. Besides, it fitted well with Deloitte's work-life values.

That was 18 months ago and the job-share is now into its second combination of personnel. "It works because the people involved want it to work and are very conscientious. They try hard to ensure that no work is left at the end of the day for the next person."

Once a month, the person doing fewer hours comes in an extra day to help her other half with monthly invoices. This increases the sense of the team within the office, says Bridge, who tries to schedule team meetings, morning teas or lunches on that day each month.

"Having support from the rest of the team is very important," she says. "It also helps if the pair is on the same pay rate."

Remuneration is an important factor, says FX Consultants' director Stewart Forsyth, because people want to feel there is equity.

"It is not whether you see a huge link between what you're doing and the rewards, but whether you're getting paid similar to other people who are performing at your level."

Management must be clear about valuing the people and the job appropriately, he says.

"It is quite possible that there will be pay differential but what is important is that the rationale behind the pay is clearly understood."

Another issue to watch out for is lack of communication between either the job-sharers or the wider team.

"You also want to avoid finger-pointing and to encourage problem-solving when things go wrong," adds Forsyth.

KC Temps successfully ran a receptionist job-share position within their office for four years.

"In the mornings, reception needed phone and reception skills. In the afternoons, more secretarial support was required," says KC Temps' client services manager Alexis Siermans.

"The job returned to a single, full-time role this year because the role changed due to increased web recruitment applications."

Siermans says job-sharing tends to alleviate issues, such as cover for family or personal illness and school holidays.

"I think you also get more productivity out of people because you have two fresh people over one day."

However, there can be heightened disruption if one half leaves, as it is harder finding a temp for half a day and the afternoon roles are harder to fill, she adds.

The recruitment company mainly gets requests for frontline job-share roles, but Siermans believes job-sharing would work well in other areas, such as sales and product management.

She also sees opportunities for employers to use job-sharing to help people struggling to overcome employment weaknesses.

For example, someone with industry experience could job-share with someone with no industry experience. Someone with New Zealand experience could be teamed up with someone without, she says.

When employers recruit for job-sharing roles Siermans advises employers to define tasks carefully within the job-share and to look for excellent communicators who are team players.

"You can't be Ms Control Freak or Ms Autonomy in a job-share."

Karma Button, who took over the afternoon part of a job-share with Sue Ruttle at Mitre 10's support centre six months ago, says systems and communication are vital.

They have a 15- to 20-minute hand-over period in the middle of the day that allows them to communicate face-to-face. They also keep a running diary from one day to the next.

"I put in everything Sue needs to know and [details of work] I haven't finished. Then she ticks it off as she goes."

The job-share role has existed successfully for about three years, says Mitre 10 support centre manager Brendon Mills.

The rationale was to ensure high-quality customer service all day, something difficult to achieve for one person on a long shift. To help compatibility, Mills includes the incumbent receptionist in one interview when recruiting.

Button liked that approach. "At the interview I felt I'd get on well with Sue. Establishing a good working relationship from the start is essential."

Mills says the job-share means there is always experienced cover when someone is ill, and there are no problems covering lunch breaks.

"As well, two heads are better than one when looking for solutions to problems."


What is job-sharing?


Job-share is a system where two people take the responsibility for one full-time position, dividing work, pay, holidays and other benefits.

Benefits of job-sharing

* Two people bring two sets of skills and experience to the job. It maximises individual strengths and minimises individual weaknesses.

* Job-sharers may bring increased energy to the job. Due to the fact that they are working the hours which best fit with their other commitments, sharers are fresh, energetic and creative during the hours they are working and this can lead to improved output.

* Flexibility may allow job-sharers to "cover" for each other when they are unable to work for family or other reasons. This ensures the job is done at all times and provides continuity.

* Decreases in absenteeism.

* Job-sharing reduces staff turnover and consequently the upheaval which goes with recruitment procedures and training of new staff. People stay in a job longer if the hours suit their home lives.

* Job-sharing may reduce the possibility of performance problems as members of the team are able to informally monitor each other's work.

* Eases the return to work of staff on maternity leave.

* Job-sharing may be of benefit to older workers who would prefer a phased retirement, workers who wish to undertake studies while continuing in employment, or workers with disabilities who may only be able to work part time.

* Source: University of Western Australia

How to job share

* If your manager is wary of the idea you will have to cover all the bases in your first approach.

* Before seeing your boss, find someone who could share your job with you.

* Write a definition of job-sharing.

* State the benefits of job-sharing.

* List the reasons the employer should consider restructuring the job.

* Write a proposed work plan and schedule for the job-sharers.

* Enlist the support of your colleagues.