Top tips for setting up a successful job share relationship – a guide for employers

01.10.24 Articles Mentoring Program Resources

Discover the essential steps to set up a successful job sharing relationship and create a win-win for your organisation! From finding the perfect match to securing leadership support, these tips will guide you in building a flexible and effective job sharing model that enhances productivity, fosters gender equity and encourages collaboration. Whether you're new to job sharing or looking to fine-tune your approach, this guide offers actionable insights to help you make it work seamlessly.

Categories: Mentoring Program
Tags: Mentoring Role models
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Top tips for setting up a successful job share relationship – a guide for employers

1. Facilitate a great match

Don’t seek the most perfect pair. Instead, look for two individuals with compatible communication styles and a shared commitment to making job-sharing a success. It’s the synergy that counts, not identical skills.

2. Choose the right model

Select a job-sharing model that suits the role (and the employees) involved.

Twin model: Both partners share the same tasks but work on different days.
Islands model: Duties are split, with each employee covering different areas depending on their abilities and expertise, with little reliance on each other.
Hybrid model: A mix of both, where a role is shared with some distinct responsibilities.

3. Set clear communication protocols!

Establish clear guidelines, patterns and channels for communication to prevent misunderstandings and ensure coordination and consistency across the shared role.

4. Define responsibilities

Outline each party’s responsibilities to avoid issues and any gaps or people stepping on each other’s toes! Use shared calendars or management tools to keep everything organised and everyone on the same page.

5. Foster flexibility and adaptability

Encourage both employees to remain open to feedback and adapt as the partnership evolved, especially if this is the first of its kind in the organisation.

6. Secure leadership support

A successful job share needs strong endorsement from senior leadership. Their support legitimises the model and encourages others to see it as a viable, valuable path to gender equity.

7. Adjust HR policies

Review and update HR policies to ensure that contracts, compensation and benefits are feasible for the job-sharing arrangements. This also sets the organisation up with the right processes for future partnerships – and provides clarity around the procedure should one party seek to exit the job share relationship.

8. Invest in training and support

Don’t hesitate to seek training and guidance. Reach out to NAWO. We can all help each other learn the best way to approach this new way of working!

Want to find out more on job sharing, we also have an insightful article you can read here: job-sharing as a game changer for achieving gender balance in the workplace.