An increase in job sharing across the charity sector could help tackle some of the staff retention issues in fundraising, according to speakers at an event this week.
One session at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s Fundraising Convention 2023 yesterday looked at the advantages of job sharing in fundraising, and speakers said increased flexibility helped to increase talent retention and improve diversity, equity and inclusion.
But senior fundraising professionals said job shares presented challenges and it was important for charities to address these early on.
Job sharing is ‘progressive’
Kizzy Gardiner, assistant director of fundraising at Samaritans, chaired the panel, and was joined by Samantha Braithwaite and Birgitta Clift, both trust fundraising managers at Leukaemia UK.
Also speaking was Ben Drabble, communications and fundraising director at BMS World Mission, and Carolyn Sankey and Vicki Stanley, co-directors of development at Black Country Living Museum.
Drabble said there are a number of organisational benefits to job sharing, both personally and for the organisation.
He said: “We know that we have some retention issues in our sector, but we’re aware too, that flexibility is a key way of improving that.
“We also of course have some diversity, equity and inclusion issues within our sector, particularly at the top level, and once again, flexible working is a proven way of addressing those issues.”
Stanley said advertising job shares was a really “good starting point” for the sector, as she did not see many advertised, “I don't think very many places are open to it still”.
Sankey encouraged people to ask their organisations, or when applying to roles – “if more people ask, more people, more recruiters will do it”.
Clift said “you find a way to communicate” and it becomes a “symbiotic” relationship. “I think it's really progressive, and it should be the norm,” she added.
Potential challenges
Drabble said some of the “pitfalls of job shares” is that people can try and compete with each other, as well as additional hours.
He said: “It's really important to get that communication nailed early on within the job share to prevent challenges down the road.”
Clift said: “Identifying the potential job share partner is obviously really important. It can be the first stumbling block.”
Braithwaite said embarking on a job share “is the best decision I’ve ever made”, and she did it partially for care responsibility reasons. Clift said the same, adding a job share “really helps you stay in good roles, in senior roles”.
Sankey and Stanley’s job share came out of maternity leave, and they said one of the key things they had learnt was to induct new colleagues into their way of working.
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