Power Couples! Job Sharing with Spouses
Do you have a power couple? I have several. Coach and Mrs. Taylor from Friday Night Lights. Jim and Pam Halpert from the Office. Kim and Kanye. (Who are you to judge me?) There are people that just hit home for me. But there’s one power couple that matters most to me and that’s my wife and me. We are a self-proclaimed power duo. Unfortunately we don’t work together. At least not to make a living.
In recently speaking with a very dear friend of mine, he stated that he wants nothing more than to spend more time with his family. This is something that we all relate to in one way or another. He has security cameras installed throughout his house with which he checks in on his family throughout the day. “They look like they’re having so much fun! I wish I could be at home with them.” This is a pretty common feeling. So why not go home and spend more time with them? Because someone has got to pay the bills.
If you were to ask his wife what she would like to do, she would tell you that it would be awesome to contribute her time and efforts to society like she did before she became a stay-at-home mom. She misses the adult interaction.
This spurred a thought. Why not job share with your spouse? It could be any combination of hours. I work twenty, she works twenty. Or maybe it’s thirty me, and ten her. Any combination would work. In discussing his relationship with his wife, he would tell you that she is the most qualified person for any job out there. Being a stay-at-home mom is one of the most preparatory positions anyone can have!
“Pump the breaks, Copernicus!” you might be saying. How does this work?
Well, here’s the problem. We have all become so closed minded and chained down by stupid job descriptions. A job description tells me that I can only do what is found on that paper, and nothing else. It limits me to a series, or set of tasks, and it forces me to use a set of “required” skills that may or may not be a strength of mine. Then of course there’s the ol’ “That’s not part of my job description” excuse. Job descriptions are stupid.
When Batman built the “Justice League” did he try to find only people that fit specific skills or qualities? No! He said, my name is Batman, and I’m rich and have cool gadgets. Then he pointed to Superman and he said, “Superman, you’ve got laser vision and you are super strong!” Then he went down the list to build an amazing team of superheroes that fit the needs of the position. But he realized he couldn’t do it himself.
You might be asking yourself how we went from spouses to the Justice League. Let’s circle back. My wife and I are really cool people. There are very specific things that my wife is really good at, that I am not. And vice versa. Consider the idea of hiring my wife and I as a package deal. If you would hire one person for $40,000 a year, why not hire two for the same price? Pay me $20,000 and my wife $20,000. I work twenty hours a week. As does she. But here’s what you are getting. I’m the boisterous one that will get people’s attention, while my wife is the quiet one that is organized and good with numbers. You would be getting a power couple team that is basically two for the price of one. You will be utilizing both of our strengths without having to break the bank.
Why would we want to do this? Well, because it gives us both time to do what we want. She would get to get out of the house more and get some of that much needed adult interaction. I would get to be at home with my kids. Taking them to the bus stop, or going to their school programs. It’s a win-win situation! You get amazing skills and we get the time that we so desperately want!
When you employ both my spouse and I, our bedtime conversation is not spent gossiping about someone that wore a ridiculous outfit on Instagram. Rather, it becomes more geared to work. It’s another situation, wherein we have a common bond. Work is now a family activity, not just simply something to pay the bills.
Now, here’s one of the concerns we’ve run into with this. This only works if the two positions require similar skills. For example, a good scenario would be when you hire my wife to do the accounting, and you hire me to do HR. A bad example of this would be when you hire us to job share Software Developing and Marketing. In other words, this does not work in all situations. Yes, this will take some work on your part.
Some people will look at this idea and say “Well this doesn’t work for us. I don’t want to have to get divorced.” This is not necessarily a “works for all” type of situation. I know people that would end up killing each other in this scenario.
This doesn’t have to work for everyone. But the idea is one where it can be mutually beneficial. I get to spend time with my kids. My wife gets to get out of the house for some “grown-up” activity. And last by not least, you get your power couple. Hiring spouses, significant others, or best friends to job share my responsibilities provides a cultural shift in my company. It’s an opportunity to pay someone for their services, yes. But for me as the employee, you’re providing me with so much more. You are providing me with emotional pay. I get to spend time with those that matter most to me.
Don’t be afraid of this. It can work. And in the end, everyone benefits.
