Flexible working is becoming a more popular way of working, especially amongst women. Having a good work life balance is becoming increasingly important to employees, and employers are starting to implement strategies to help with retention. Job sharing for women in tech is a form of part time work where two people share the responsibilities of a full-time position and split the hours of work. There are two different models which can be used for job sharing, so that the workload can be split fairly between employees.
The islands model is referred to as the job split model and is where two employees share one full time position but not in workloads. The employees specialise in different areas of the role and have different duties. This helps them to focus more on their roles and use their different skillsets to complete the role. Job splits normally allow the employees to complete the tasks independently from one another and there is no need for them to overlap.
The twin model is referred to as the job share model and is where two employees share one full time position and its workload. They work on the same tasks but on different days of the week. They have the same responsibilities and therefore job sharers will need to have ongoing effective communication to ensure the job is completed correctly. Some employers believe that it is best to have one day where they overlap so they can brief each other on current activities and important information.
Job sharing for women in tech has many benefits, especially if they are looking to start a family or have other caring commitments. Having a work life balance is important to employees, especially for millennials who have become the majority of employees populating the workplace. Therefore, job sharing allows them to spend time with family and take up leisurely activities.
Job sharing for women in tech allows them to retain the level of their responsibility of their full-time position but allows them to enjoy the flexibility of working part time hours. Job sharing also gives them a chance to learn from the other person they are job sharing with in regard to experience and skills. Job sharing for women in tech gives them the opportunity to cover their partners work and organise days off without necessarily having to take annual leave as their partner might be able to cover for them. Even when job sharing, it is still possible for women to progress and develop their role in the tech industry. It is also still possible for women in tech to go back to having a full-time position from job sharing if they would like to.
Job sharing doesn’t just benefit women within the company but it also benefits employers. Job sharing can help a company broaden their talent pool by attracting valuable people who do not wish to work full time. This will also help companies to broaden the capabilities of their workforce by having two people with different experiences in one position.
Productivity in the workplace is likely to increase when employees job share, as they might be more willing to complete more than their fair share of work if they do not have to work a full week. Also, by working less hours, employees are at a lower risk of fatigue or burning out and can remain motivated and energised and therefore be more productive.
Within a company there are always people who have stayed for many years and may consider leaving due to other commitments as working full time isn’t an option for them anymore. This is where job sharing is beneficial to a company as offering those employees a chance to job share (work part time) as an alternative to leaving can help retain employees who are highly valuable to a company.
Find out more about how to maintain work life balance for women in tech and retaining staff in tech.