What’s The Impact Of Job Sharing On HR Practices?
Job sharing is a work model where two people work together to handle the responsibilities of one full-time position. Instead of one person doing everything, two qualified employees share the workload, complement each other’s strengths, and stay productive even when one takes time off. So, it’s no wonder job sharing has become popular in HR. Job sharing can involve split days, where one person works mornings and the other afternoons; split weeks, where each person works for two or three full days a week; and complementary skills arrangements, where two people with different strengths divide the job based on what they’re best at.
While job sharing isn’t new, it’s becoming popular in HR. More employees want flexibility, better work-life balance, and the freedom to fully express their talent at work. In addition to that, there is an interest in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in companies; therefore, HR teams seek ways to offer more opportunities for their employees to show their potential and become their best selves. Since HR leaders recognize that job sharing helps them with workforce management, let’s explore how it benefits businesses, making them more productive and innovative.
5 Ways Job Sharing Affects HR
1. Helping With Recruitment
Job sharing gives opportunities to people who may not have a chance to show their talent otherwise. For example, employees who have to take care of family members, semi-retired professionals who still have much to offer, or people with chronic health conditions who need flexibility at work are all experienced and highly capable, but can’t find a traditional full-time role to fit their busy schedules. With job sharing, companies can create roles that two people share. This means HR teams must change how they write job descriptions, post open roles, and run interviews. The result? A more diverse talent pool. Companies can now employ experts who bring fresh perspectives and knowledge but need flexibility. Plus, candidates feel seen and valued for who they are, not just for the hours they can work. Ultimately, job sharing allows HR teams to create a more inclusive and adaptable workplace.
2. Improving Employee Retention And Engagement
Keeping talented people isn’t easy. For many employees, the traditional 9-to-5 full-time role isn’t suitable anymore because of their out-of-work responsibilities. But how does job sharing help HR with employee retention? Instead of losing team members to burnout, family responsibilities, or life changes, companies allow them to share the job and, thus, the workload. Whether someone has returned to work from parental leave, transitions to retirement, or studies at the same time, they can still be productive at work and have time for their lives outside of it. Job sharing also helps with engagement. Companies that offer this option often see higher employee satisfaction because they meet their staffers’ flexibility needs. This also reduces burnout. When two people share responsibilities, there’s less pressure. Therefore, employees can take breaks, ask for help, and manage their time better.
3. Optimizing Workforce Management
Managing a traditional 9-to-5 workforce is challenging enough. Now, if we add job sharing, HR teams have new responsibilities to deal with. However, this makes the HR team’s role more active, as they now have to put together a plan for their workforce, ensuring shared roles run smoothly and deliver results. One of the first challenges is setting up schedules and responsibilities between job sharers. Thankfully, HR professionals can easily manage everything with collaborative tools like shared calendars, project management platforms, and instant messaging apps. HR must also realize that with job sharing, people are now reviewed based on the work they do, not the hours it took them to do it. So, the better the communication, the better the workforce management.
4. Preparing For Leadership Roles
Job sharing isn’t just about work-life balance or flexible schedules. In fact, job sharing is changing HR practices by offering employees leadership opportunities. How? It gives people aspiring to become leaders the chance to work part-time in senior roles. This allows them to gain experience without being overwhelmed by a full-time leadership position. Imagine how helpful this is, especially for underrepresented groups. For instance, women returning from parental leave, caregivers, or those managing health challenges might hesitate to apply for leadership roles due to their responsibilities. By sharing a leadership position, though, they can contribute their skills while managing other parts of their lives. Over time, this creates stronger, more diverse leadership roles, helping organizations find their future managers within their workforce.
5. Fostering Collaboration
Introducing job sharing as an HR practice changes the team culture as well. This is because job sharing doesn’t work without collaboration. It’s not only the two people working together that must communicate seamlessly, but the whole team too. So, clear communication channels, shared calendars, and project management apps are essential for everyone. This can help foster a culture of trust and knowledge sharing, as team members start to see that the results are great when work is shared effectively. However, the HR’s role here is critical to avoid confusion regarding who does what and who people report to. Thankfully, by offering training, creating clear role descriptions, and setting up decision-making processes, everything will run smoothly.
What Does The Future Hold For Job Sharing?
AI Tools
Years ago, HR struggled with the logistics of job sharing. There were issues with updating calendars, tracking tasks, giving days off, etc. But now, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and smart scheduling tools are here to save the day. These automate scheduling so that hours are distributed fairly, help job sharers collaborate on tasks and goals, match job-sharing partners based on working styles, skills, and availability, and alert managers when there are gaps or documents that need updates.
Broader Adoption
Traditionally, job sharing was most common in public service roles, such as government agencies, education, healthcare, and NGOs. Yet, private sector organizations, especially those in tech, legal, marketing, and finance, are beginning to adopt it, too. This is because they’re realizing that job sharing offers solutions to many workplace challenges. In tech, for example, software engineers or product managers are valuable, but they also want to prioritize family life, side projects, or health. Rather than losing them, companies are giving them the flexibility to split a role.
Integration Into Remote And Hybrid Work
In remote or hybrid teams, asynchronous communication and working on your own are already common, so job sharing is easier. Job sharers can collaborate through shared documents, project management tools like Asana or Trello, and daily status updates on Slack or Teams. Even better, job sharing can make remote teams more resilient. For instance, if someone’s ill, traveling, or has caregiving responsibilities, another person can step in.
Conclusion
If you’re an HR leader, you should explore job sharing. It’s a strategy that helps attract top talent, keep employees happy, and even build leadership opportunities. Embracing job sharing means creating a workplace that values balance, collaboration, and innovation. Start integrating it and watch how job sharing can transform your team and organization for the better.
