We caught up with Deborah Brooks and got her thoughts on her job share situation
Recently, we were very lucky to speak to Deborah Brooks, the Deputy Director for the Civil Service dealing with Diversity and Inclusion. Those of you who attended the Mumsnet Workfest will have heard her talk about her successful job share and how she’s a real advocate for the arrangement. She has been job sharing for a few years now and has been kind enough to share her experiences.
SYJ: Deborah, Tell us about your current jobshare
Deborah: I've been working in my current jobshare since Jan 2015. How I came into it is slightly unusual in that my partner and I were both working part-time in different jobs and we were both struggling. Not so much with the amount of work but the fact that even on our days off we were still checking emails, making calls etc, and there was always a mountain of work to come back to. So we decided to do both jobs but to do them together, and we've found it's easier to have a bigger responsibility but to manage it between two people. Six months in we are slightly reshaping the role to make it work even more effectively going forward.
SYJ: How does it work practically?
Deborah: I work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and my partner works Monday, Thursday and Friday, so we obviously have an overlap on Monday - we have a catch-up session between 9-10am, and we try to keep 4-6pm clear for strategic thinking, planning ahead etc. I'll send my partner an update at the end of the day on Wednesday and have a quick call with her first thing Thursday morning. Then she'll send me a note at the end of the day on Friday. We also have a shared InBox.
We line manage 6 people together, and we individually meet with each of them once a fortnight. Our role is appraised (not us individually) so our fortunes and reputations are really tied together. Trust is key, we represent each other at meetings and defend any decision the other person may have made. So far we haven't encountered any problems.
SYJ: What is important in a job share partner?
Deborah: My partner and I have very different styles, in fact our Myers Briggs personality profiles are exactly opposite! What we do have is strong shared values, we might approach things in different ways but we end up in the same place So we have similar instincts, judgements and values which I think is more important than having similar styles. I'm more introverted and a quiet thinker, whereas my partner is a big extrovert and prefers to bounce ideas off other people, so we compliment each other. We learn a lot from the different approaches and it helps us to achieve a good balance.
I met some other potential candidates too, and it is a bit like dating, you have to feel there is some chemistry between you. So the practical side has to work (which days you want to work etc) but also the more personal side - what motivates you both etc.
I had a previous jobshare from 2009-11, which worked well, and it only ended when I went on maternity leave again. When I returned, my partner at the time was about to go on maternity leave, so the timing has to work too. My current partner and I have both decided that we don't want any more children, and we're both keen to really focus on our careers, so we're hoping this will be a successful long-term partnership.
SYJ: How does it benefit you?
Deborah: My days off are really my own, I can be confident that the work is getting done and I don't need to worry about it. I can focus on my children or whatever else I'm doing instead. It's actually nice to be able to have someone to discuss things and share ideas with, and as I mentioned we are both learning from the other's style and approach.
I can do a proper, challenging, full-on job, which is rarely the case with part-time roles. My career can stay on track. Since we work so well together my partner and I have had discussions about our medium-long term aspirations and hopefully we can achieve them together.
SYJ: How does it benefit employers?
Deborah: Our line manager had more to deal with when my partner and I were in part-time roles, now his time has been freed up. It is slightly more expensive the way we are job-sharing (with the overlap on Monday) but we are definitely giving more than a full-time person would be able to. Job shares could also be arranged in different ways, so there is no increase in costs. There are real commercial reasons for getting women into more senior roles, and this won't happen unless employers are serious about flexibility. And the alternative - continuously losing women and having to go through the time and expense of recruiting - doesn't make any sense.
Luckily the Civil Service has been very supportive of job sharing and can understand the benefits. One women who is now in a very senior, full-time role, job shared for five years at one stage in her career. So job sharing may only need to be something temporary, but it can play a very crucial role in retaining talent.
Thanks so much to Deborah for her insights and for showing that job sharing is an effective way of working. Be sure to follow her on twitter and see what else she is up to! @deborahbrooksn3