Sandrine: “ Birgit, can
you tell us something about your accompanying spouse story?
Birgit:
“Yes, I do. I have lived professional experiences abroad in Italy, Brazil and
France before meeting my husband. I loved it so much that I proposed my husband
to have a professional experience abroad. Asia or Latin America was our dream,
but Geneva it became thanks to the company he works for ! At that time, our 2
daughters were born in Belgium and I quit my job as a general manager of a SME.
After these important decisions, time to move ! In Geneva, I was happy to be
able to pass some “little children” time with my girls, but I knew that I
wanted to get back to work. The typical “mother/working girl issue” then rose:
how to manage kids and work especially when you are a competent women willing
to work hard but not interested in a 100 % full time job nor in a half-time
half-challenging job ? Some might think “just make up your mind, you cannot
have it all”. But I disagree. The actual labor market designs whether full time
jobs whether half-time jobs. There is something in between and that is called
jobsharing. This is when I decided to help advising companies with their work
organization design in order to make them more flexible. These are called “new
work models”, I call it “other working ways” or “travailler autrement” in
French. Aquincum is the name I gave to my company.
Sandrine: “Aquincum, what
is the name standing for?”
Birgit:
”It has
no meaning at all, it refers to an ancient Roman cite. I just liked the word
and it starts with an A, often first in a row ☺. “
Sandrine: “Can you tell us
what new work models mean?
Birgit:
“Thank you for this question. New work models are organizational models that
intend to adapt work organization in order to find a win-win solution for both
the companies and the employees. The expression “New work models” might impress
at first glance but it does not always mean that the company should change the
whole organization. It will depend on different factors. Aquincum is
specialized in 3 work models :
- Teleworking, working anywhere and
anytime, an intelligent way to offer flexibility.
- Jobsharing, a fantastic model for
employees wanting to keep working in interesting jobs while the company can
continue to keep the talent, guaranteeing service for clients.
- Age management indicates that you
respect personal life matters in the way you manage your people, that you are
aware of your work force generational composition and how they work together
and finally that you start thinking on valorizing all ages and preparing
knowledge sharing and transfer.
You also
have other ways for making work more flexible such as flexible hours. I
consider these as “soft flexible work measures” not taking advantage of the
full potential that the other approaches offer. But I am of course not against
it ☺.”
Sandrine: “Can you tell us
about the way you help companies to implement new work models?”
Birgit:”
If a company decides to act, ideas are not often clear. A huge risk is putting
energy in one-shot actions, this rimes with a world expecting fast and easy
results. But there is nor best nor quick way for implementing new work models
as you deal with people and organization. So what I first try to do is to help
them to see clearer. Why should the company care ? What are the advantages ? So
I help them defining the objectives and the way we can get there. Once you have
the vision and the buy-in of managers, then you can start to work. Aquincum
accompanies the company from A to Z, tailor-made. Depending on the objective, I
then offer my advice and expertise. For example, one company needed advice on
how to best implementing a teleworking policy. I then helped them out with the
Hr part (working at a distance), the juridical part (contracts) and the
logistical part (working tools and methods). “
Sandrine: “ You know how
much I am a supporter of jobsharing, can you tell us a bit more about the
advantage of jobsharing for the employees and for the companies?”
Birgit “
Yes, I do, but tell me Sandrine, you are working in a different field, so why
are you such a big supporter of jobsharing ?
Sandrine: “ Well not that
different in fact…My work is to help the spouses or partners of expatriate to
pursue their career development here in Switzerland. When someone has left a
job, a network, family and friends in the home country, the organization needs
to be re-invented here, a new work-life balance to be found.
Most of the jobs I
had in my career could have been fulfill in jobsharing and I wish there could
be more opportunities in Switzerland for the spouses I am coaching to
jobshare.”
Birgit:
“Thank you Sandrine.
The
employer can keep a job in “full time” position. This is often wanted for many
activities. The full time job gets then done by 2 distinctive persons, 2 heads
for the price of one ! Continuity is guaranteed, this is important in many
sectors. And the company can attract talents and can keep talents on board.
Let’s be
very clear : what does the company want ? Full time positions filled in by one
person. But if the search for the ideal situation does not work, what is the
opportunity cost of doing nothing ? The company looses time,energy and money
for the strive of that perfect situation. Their own talented people do not come
back after a career break. So jobsharing is like a marriage between companies’
and employees’ needs and wishes : full time position is guaranteed and working
time is reduced for both jobsharers.
Jobsharing
is not for people who wish to do “just an interesting half-time job”.
Jobsharing is a mutual commitment with a collective outcome based on trust and
good communication and it is more than a half-time job. This fact and the
perception that it is somehow a bit more expensive are the proper unfounded
limits of the model. Yes, it asks a bit more initial organization but when set
up clearly taking into account a check-list of factors, then it can only be
win-win. And what is more expensive ? Having job discontinuity or having job
continuity, not taking into account the expenses to recruit again
externally….Jobsharing recruitment can be done inside the company if you create
a jobsharing policy and culture and a communication program to support it. The
worst is not knowing what your employees want or intend to do…that is expensive
!
Sandrine: “I agree on the
advantages, but are their any pitfalls”
Birgit:
“I think the biggest pitfall is not considering jobsharing. Due to the existing
perception of jobsharing, companies exclude the possibility. Moreover this
exclusion is based upon personal reasons due to this wrong perception. So, in
order to avoid that big pitfall, I esteem a company should understand what
jobsharing really is about. I can help with that. Can you imagine, I recently
read an advertisement for a full time job available in jobsharing. Great, but
the communication failed, it did not explain anything about the model? How can
you apply to such an advertisement if nothing is clear? This simple online
communication did not inspire confidence to work for that company. So, I also
help companies positioning themselves properly towards jobsharing.
Another
perceived disadvantage of jobsharing is that it is not applicable for certain
activities. I think that this is a misunderstanding or a laxest attitude,
again, looking for that one perfect full timer. The manager should be obliged
to offer jobsharing and when it is not possible, he should then proof that the
activity was not suitable for jobsharing. You should include actual full time
jobs to be done on a jobsharing basis and not only consider the half-time
positions. By the way, according to the Swiss federal office of statics, 24 %
of women with a higher degree are non
active, while 61,3 % of these women are busy doing half-time jobs. But what
kind of half-time jobs ??? That is a whole bunch of potential talent to offer
interesting jobsharing jobs or to put back to work, if they wish so.”
Sandrine: “Birgit, what
would be your advice for people wanting to jobshare ”
Birgit:
“Jobsharing can be a wish, but it will stay a wish unless you talk about it
with some external resource enabling you to prepare your jobsharing proposal.
Preparing your jobsharing proposal means knowing what you want, know if you are
suited for jobsharing and writing it all out in a jobsharing proposal. That is
the first step. The second step is on how to approach and convince your HR
department. I truly believe people can make a difference so you should dare to
ask for it. Your chances are bigger if you have thought it all over and put
yourself in the place of your manager and/or your HR department. What is in it
for them? Should you consider asking an external resource to help you approach
the HR department ? Open questions but no “suit for all” solutions.”
Sandrine: “So what would
be your advice for companies considering jobsharing ”
Birgit:
“First of all, jobsharing is not just something you should do without giving it
a good thought. Brainstorm, be open but then fix a very detailed business case.
For example, that could be “we want to increase the number of competent women
coming back after pregnancy break”. Or “we would like to decrease the number of
highly effective talents leaving our company offering more flexible work
schedules”. An independent expert has the required distance to help the company
with this. Secondly, yes, a feasibility check needs to be done, I do like
anticipation a lot too, but sometimes the Nike slogan “just do it” comes in. If
it is scary, you can always start with a pilot. But most of all you need a
vision and managerial commitment to go for it. Finally, I would say to
outsource a part of the job. Good results are a combination of availability,
commitment and expertise. A company on its own does not always have these 3 ingredients
at disposal especially not for niche strategies. Aquincum helps you out from
the conception to the implementation of jobsharing in your company. Somehow I
may call it “project/change management in the jobsharing area”. My motivation
is to help both people and organizations on achieving the best possible
flexible solutions for both. And that does not work without a bit of creativity
and putting water in wine…just like in marriages ☺.”
Sandrine: “So what
would be your own wish or dream?”
Birgit:
“First of all, that more companies activate themselves to do something about
today’s challenges: continuity of their own activity, war for talent,
respecting competencies of employees, inclusion, diversity, new working models. Secondly that Aquincum continues to be real
added value and can continue to help making it better. And finally, that this
job continues to give me the pleasure I have doing it today, enabling me to
meet great people and to get the best out of me.”
Sandrine: “I wish all your
dreams will come true and I thank you very much for sharing this blog with me.
Thanks Birgit.”
