Should jobshares be the new normal? Jobsharing is not a modern invention, but it is still met with scepticism. Now, the appointment of two joint artistic directors to a high-profile arts job might sway critics.
One job, two people for top arts role
Should jobshares be the new normal? Jobsharing is not a modern invention, but it is still met with scepticism. Now, the appointment of two joint artistic directors to a high-profile arts job might sway critics.
Thelma and Louise. Bonnie and Clyde. James Watson and Francis Crick. Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Serena and Venus Williams.
Famous partnerships such as these are responsible for some of our greatest leaps forward in technology, science and the creative arts - and for less praiseworthy feats.
Some of these examples may have sprung to the minds of Tamara Harvey and Daniel Evans as they applied jointly to the position of artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, a historic theatre company in Britain. They could have been inspired by the theory that even Shakespeare himself did not write all of his plays alone.
It was announced this week that they have won the title, and will become the first ruling pair of the company since the 1980s. Or, in other words, they are jobsharers - people who share a job traditionally done by one person.
The jobshare has strong historical precedentAn earlier event that is seen as an example or guide to be considered in later similar circumstances.. In Ancient Rome, two consuls were elected on a yearly basis to command the army, preside over the Senate and represent the state.
The notion of an ideal partnership is also long-standing. In PlatoOne of the most important Ancient Greek philosophers. 's Symposium, Aristophanes claims that humans were born with two faces, four hands, and four legs, but were split in half by Zeus to limit their power. The humans sought desperately for their lost halves, hence the idea of a "soulmate" or an "other half".
Nowadays, jobshares are rare. Just 0.4% of the workforce of the UK have one. They are sometimes viewed as a modern concept, an example of new "flexible working practices" and the shift away from the traditional 9-5. Critics are split on whether the trend towards such flexibility is positive or negative.
And some experts dispute the idea that "two heads are better than one". Studies suggest that decisions made by one person are more likely to be accurate, considered and pragmaticDealing with things sensibly and realistically, in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations. than those made in groups of two or more. "Crowd think", for example, refers to irrational decisions made by a large number of people.1
For now, our relationship with the jobshare is still unclear. Some argue that as a society, we are most comfortable when power has one recognisable, reassuring face.
Should jobshares be the new normal?
Yes: The labour force is evolving and our work practices need to evolve too. This system is proven to be effective and fits well into the modern landscape of work. Besides, two minds really are better than one.
No: The jobshare can often lead to extra costs for employers, and if the jobsharers are ill-matched, their work will be less productive too. There is nothing wrong with the traditional 9-5.
Or... Jobshares in positions such as artistic director might work, but there are many professions in which it cannot be effective. Some jobs just need to have one person at the wheel.
Keywords
Precedent - An earlier event that is seen as an example or guide to be considered in later similar circumstances.
Plato - One of the most important Ancient Greek philosophers.
Pragmatic - Dealing with things sensibly and realistically, in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.
One job, two people for top arts role
Glossary
Precedent - An earlier event that is seen as an example or guide to be considered in later similar circumstances.
Plato - One of the most important Ancient Greek philosophers.
Pragmatic - Dealing with things sensibly and realistically, in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.