Employing people is a very expensive business. In order to reduce costs and maintain flexibility it is essential that your staff possess all of the skills that you need, and are fully occupied at all times. Many businesses choose to employ workers for key functions whilst outsourcing other areas. If you are uncomfortable with the dependence upon a third party – and the associated costs, you could consider an alternative business model: job sharing.
A successful job share will synchronize the demands of the organisation, the demands of the job itself and the individual characteristics of the employees involved. The workplace is an increasingly demanding environment, but a job share allows the worker a less stressful position and a far greater level of control over their work/life balance.
Here are our Top Five Tips to assist you integrate a well-balanced Job Share into your business.
1. Establish The Ground Rules.
Before commencing a job share arrangement it is very important to establish some ground rules, and ensure that both partners are completely happy with the terms of the agreement. Outline exactly which hours each partner will cover, how the salary and benefits will be divided, and what will happen if one person feels unable to maintain this commitment over time.
Action Task: Develop a well thought out job share plan before you start.
Develop a comprehensive job description, communication plan and contingency plan. Don’t be afraid to re-evaluate the position at regular intervals.
2. Select Two Well-Matched Individuals.
When initiating a job share you should select two individuals known for their closely-matched skill-sets – workers who will have shared values, similar personality traits and comparative experience. By dividing the work-load evenly, their complimentary skills will gel them into a dynamic work team that is comfortable sharing successes and failures alike.
Action Task: Try to interview both applicants together. This will help you to assess the interaction between the two candidates, and help you to evaluate the strengths of your new ‘team’.
3. Take One Step Back and Two Steps Forwards.
If you are keen to hire a part-time worker, but want to avoid a recruitment head-ache, consider approaching one of your ex-employees. Why not get in touch with favoured former employees who have retired or departed the company due to family reasons? Employees will be grateful for the extra flexibility, and repay you by going the extra mile at work. They will already know the company inside out, and won’t even require training, thus minimising costs.
Action Task: Compile a list of previous employees who have left the company due to a top-heavy work/life balance, and establish whether or not they would be a suitable candidate for your new job share set-up. If you are unfamiliar with their work, consult people who have worked closely with them in the past.
4. Share Everything!
A successful job share arrangement should be fluid, dynamic and cohesive. The link between the two colleagues in question should be so strong that others should find it impossible to tell who is doing what, and when they are doing it! By sharing simple workplace tools such as Email and Voicemail, there will never be any kind of disruptive over-lap.
Action Task: If you are worried about blurring job boundaries, and would prefer to give each employee a more clear-cut role, you can divide up the medium-to-long-term objectives, rather than the smaller day-to-day responsibilities. By viewing the job share as two parallel roles, you will overcome any awkwardness.
5. Agree on a Means of Communication.
By its very definition, a job share is an unusual way of working, and even the most resourceful employees are likely to have a few teething problems as the system ‘beds in’. Furthermore, employees participating in a job share should always endeavor to make themselves available for questions when they are off-duty.
Action Task: Suggest that both employees work three day weeks – with an overlap in the middle. This should minimize communication breakdown, and ensure that the working week flows rather than juddering to a halt in the middle.
You have been reading our Top Five Tips for integrating a Job Share into your business. Although this kind of arrangement won’t be suitable for everyone, and as a good boss you will understand exactly which employees will benefit and thrive from this type of arrangement. Tip: Planning is the key. Develop a detailed action plan, and ensure that everyone understands the logistics and demands of the job share.
We hope that you have enjoyed reading our ‘Job Share’ Business Tips. For more business advice, please visit http://tofind.co.uk/blog/
Author: Tom Leins
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: WordPress plugin Guest Blogger
