Sharing jobs means more time but does it mean less credibility among colleagues?

The New York Times recently ran a piece in their “Preoccupations” column about two advertising sales executives who share their job. What pray tell does this mean? Well, just how it sounds, the two women featured in the article tackle one job together. And from the sounds of it, they’ve made the arrangement work pretty darn well for themselves and for their company, Glamour magazine.

The job sharing scheme is appealing to parents who want to balance home and work priorities without either one tipping the scales. Why can’t I be a good parent and a good executive at the same time? The old conundrum that stumps and challenges so many working moms and dads could seemingly be solved by finding a like-minded partner to split the work week and job responsibilities with.

And while the article’s heroines, Joan O’Rourke and Jennifer Turano, have mastered the art of the job share, so much so that they won salesperson–er people– of the year last year, it seems that this arrangement could pose potential problems. “Jen and Joan” as their colleagues and clients affectionately refer to the duo, place great emphasis on both of them being completely involved in every aspect of what they’re doing. They take extensive notes for eachother so that neither one is ever left out of the loop. They never want the company, colleagues, or clients to feel that their situation is problematic or inconvenient and it takes time and effort to avoid the complications that could arise. They are clearly both devoted to the job and not just looking for a light work week with a nice pay check. They are goal oriented and genuinely want to be as successful at their job as at the other endeavors they undertake in their time off  (most likely parenting.)

But the author, Jen, admits that they are an expensive team. Glamour obviously pays them each a salary and provides benefits, for a job that could theoretically be done by one person. Of course, they share the commission, but two base salaries is an investment the magazine must have made in what they knew would be two top-notch sellers.

So what if you’re not yet a star player? What if you are a great worker who wants to be given a chance to grow and knows you will one day excel, but don’t necessarily have the track-record just yet? I would surmise that this situation is less likely to come to fruition for you.

Additionally, if this is, as I would imagine, a female dominated sect of employees that seek out this type of work arrangement, will your male counterparts take you less seriously or resent the freedom you have? There’s no doubt in my mind that “Joan and Jen” deserve the respect and appreciation that Glamour gives them. They work hard, and in some ways, maybe harder in their 3 days per week than someone without a partner to keep in the loop. And sure, they make less money because of their shared commissions, but it seems likely that those not sharing jobs could take a duo, who are clearly stating they have other priorities outside the job, less seriously than their fellow cubicle dwellers who are in the office all 5 days.

Would that be fair? Of course not. If “Joan and Jen” can get just as much as one person done without causing any inconvenience and their company is willing to shell out the extra salary for the stellar accounts they bring home, then kudos to them for balancing work and family. More companies, in my mind, should recognize and encourage this type of collaboration. But the real questions is, will they?

What do you think? Please leave comments and let me know how you view this kind of work arrangement and if you have experience job sharing?