Last year, while I was still working at Coca-Cola in tandem, I took part in an exciting job-sharing study. The interesting and quite critical questions in the study sparked my curiosity. So I wrote to the master's student right away and have stayed in touch with her ever since. Inken Tönnies is a cheerful, interested and competent young woman with whom it is great to conspire. At the time, she was a student of economics and law. She has since completed her studies and is working as a junior personnel consultant. In her study, she asked two different target groups the same questions about the advantages and disadvantages of job sharing: one group consisted of practicing job sharers and their environment (executives and HR managers), while the other group consisted of HR managers and executives who had not yet had any contact with the job sharing model. The results of her study reveal exciting differences between those with and those without job sharing experience.
Hello Inken, thank you for taking the time to talk to us. Your study has given you an in-depth insight into job sharing. What do you see as the most important finding of your research?
Job sharing can only work if everyone pulls together. Not just the tandem, but also the people around them. The tandem should be trusted and, ideally, there should be a driving force to push the model forward. Ideally, it should be the company management itself, expressing its trust and clearly stating the added value for the company, e.g. retaining great talent. My generation is no longer interested in the dog-eat-dog society; we learned back in our university days that you can achieve your goals much faster together. That's why the model fits so well with the zeitgeist.
According to your study, knowledge retention is one of the top three reasons for job sharing, alongside talent retention. How does job sharing help here?
You can't afford to lose knowledge. Job sharing enables senior employees to make a smooth transition into retirement. I also see in my personal life how hard this sudden step can be. In a job sharing situation, the knowledge of the employee leaving is passed on to the successor. At the same time, the successor is not simply thrown in at the deep end. This is also a great sign of appreciation for both parts of the tandem. And, by the way, the whole thing has a great employer branding effect. The company wins across the board!
So a high return on investment for the company. And your study clearly shows that both those with and without job-sharing experience are certain that managers want the model, with over 90% agreeing. Nevertheless, it has only been used very selectively and hesitantly so far. Why is that?
It's like fashion trends. You have to see it more often to develop a real intrinsic interest. So far, it's been a case of the cat chasing its own tail. Interested employees who would like to work in a job share often get the ball kicked back to them. They are supposed to provide best practices. Although there are a few, these are still fairly hidden, which became very clear during my research. There is a lack of insight into specific examples of implementation. And so the ball remains in front of the employee.
At first glance, it seems paradoxical when you consider that, according to your study, 86% of HR managers and senior executives are familiar with the model, but it is only offered in 21% of cases. So most of them have heard of it. Is there simply a lack of in-depth knowledge on the part of companies?
Absolutely, and it starts one step earlier. First of all, the model has to be accepted. This is a question of corporate culture. The corporate culture was mentioned as the second biggest hurdle by those inexperienced in job sharing. But once this hurdle has been overcome, the next one awaits: a corporate structure that is not yet geared towards job sharing. From the point of view of the inexperienced, this is the top hurdle for implementing job sharing. These are classic implementation issues, such as: does the tandem need two workplaces, how do I draw up contracts, what happens if one person leaves, etc.? And it is precisely here that expertise is lacking. At the same time, constant trust in the tandem is always needed to ensure that it works well. That's why you should think of the first tandem as a pilot project where you can learn and where mistakes are allowed. The problem, however, is that currently every company has to reinvent the wheel over and over again in isolation. Actually, there are already some pilot tandems. Unfortunately, there is no bundled knowledge on the market yet about job sharing and the structural changes that go with it. In my opinion, that's the crux of the matter.
In your study, people with experience of job sharing rate the model as very unproblematic and are convinced of it. Those without experience of job sharing have significantly more concerns. Why is that?
We have a saying in Low German: Wat de Buur nich kennt, dat frett he nich! (laughs). The study clearly shows that people who implement it think it's great and those who don't are more skeptical. I fear that this is simply a little bit of the German mentality. Other countries are much more open to this or other models of flexibility. And it depends on who is at the top and where they come from (smiles)!
Oh dear! But above all, this shows that it is worth continuing to promote job sharing. What can employees do if they would like to work in this model?
Address it clearly and openly. If you don't do it yourself, no one will do it for you. The most important thing is to clearly state the added value for the company instead of just your own. For example, 'Hey, you have a permanent point of contact here thanks to the double occupancy'. Or: 'Job sharing clearly contributes to the topic of women in management positions and prepares you for the future.' So you have to work out both the operational and strategic added values.
Do you think every manager can work in top sharing?
No, it depends on the type. There are certain qualities that you need to have. The ability to work in a team and really keen on the model! You have to be willing to make joint arrangements and have no problem handing things over.
Can you imagine yourself working in job sharing?
Absolutely! I first came across the job sharing model through the topic of women in leadership positions. And I immediately thought: Yes! That's exactly how I want to do it. I would like to have children one day and be there for them. But I also want to pursue my professional interests, after all, I didn't study for nothing! And I would also like to reach a management position at some point, when I am ready for it. And in job sharing, I can combine both aspects. I think it's a great model. But (thinking)... no, no buts!
Dear Inken, thank you for the great interview!
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