Job sharing: A better work-life balance while advancing your career

Job sharing is a flexible arrangement where one full-time position is filled by two or more people working on a part-time basis. It allows parents and caregivers to further their careers while balancing home life and producing quality work — and is also a tool for getting more women into leadership positions. Yet it is not widely implemented or considered by many development organizations.

Cara Honzak and Cheryl Margoluis both job share the position of senior technical adviser for population, health, and the environment at Pathfinder International. Speaking as individuals — not on behalf of their employer — Honzak and Margoluis talked through some realities of the working arrangement, including the benefits to both employee and employer.

Here, we take a look at some of the benefits and challenges of job sharing.