Job-sharing can work, but it ‘requires more than goodwill’

In response to a dynamic labour market and growing interest in holistic employee wellbeing, one working arrangement has been flagged as the contemporary answer to burnout, fatigue, dissatisfaction, and absenteeism – but only when done right.

According to Dr Ashley McGrath, chief executive of CEOs for Gender Equity, traditional full-time work models no longer reflect the reality of the contemporary workforce.

She said: Organisations are navigating a challenging combination of labour shortages, skills gaps and shifting expectations about work. Talent attraction and retention have become harder as workers increasingly seek roles that fit their lives, values and wellbeing needs.”

At the same time, McGrath explained that workplaces have always been dynamic in response to social change, economic pressures, technological advancement, and changing expectations.

Enter job-sharing, a model in which two or more people share the responsibilities of one role to deliver the full scope of the position. The model has been identified as the intersection of flexibility, gender equity, and workforce sustainability – but, as McGrath explained, it is dependent on clear expectations, shared accountability and coordinated communication.

In this way, organisations first need to identify which of the practices of job-sharing is more applicable to the role and situation. The twin model, McGrath explained, sees two or more employees have the same responsibilities and shared accountability.

Alternatively, the island model dictates separate responsibilities within the shared outcome, and the hybrid model shares the core role with specialist areas divided in accordance with strength.

The next step, McGrath explained, is deliberate sequencing, the identification of ownership, and generating the understanding that “job-sharing is a workforce design change, not a one-off flexibility request”.

Skirting these obligations risks pairing incompatible job-share partners, unclear division of responsibilities, unstructured handovers, and a lack of leadership buy-in.

In recognition of a possible cost difference, McGrath said: “Job-sharing may or may not cost more depending on how it is structured, but the benefits in terms of talent attraction, employee retention, more robust decision making and innovation far outweigh any cost over one full-time employee.”

“The potential negatives can be mostly mitigated through effective engagement and planning during the job design, recruitment, onboarding and implementation phases.”

In this way, McGrath urged employers to start with intent, not expectations.

She said: “Position job-sharing as a recognised option within your flexible work approach, not as an ad hoc workaround.”

McGrath explained that organisations then need to treat the early stages as a learning opportunity, and to apply changes as the arrangement progresses. As the process is refined, leadership capability should also be supported early.

“I would recommend asking your employees what they need to support their wellbeing and personal life circumstances. They are the people on the ground and your greatest source of ideas,” she said.

“The measures will look different for every organisation … the key is to offer a range of options and create an environment where people feel safe to ask for what they need.”

As such, McGrath surmised that “job-sharing changes what’s possible for someone’s career, but only when an organisation has the right tools to design it properly”.

In this vein, Christine Castley, CEO of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), said: “Job-sharing demonstrates that leadership does not always need to follow a traditional full-time model, helping employers retain valuable talent while creating more pathways into senior roles.”

“At a time when many organisations are focused on attracting and retaining skilled employees, rethinking how work is designed can open opportunities for a broader range of people to contribute and thrive.”

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