Reaction to 'matchmaking' job-share project 'hugely positive'

Inspired Selection has revealed a “hugely positive” reaction to its new “matchmaking” job-sharing scheme.

Suzy Astbury, CEO of the recruitment agency, put a call-out for candidates across the industry to contact her about jobs-share opportunities, and is now calling on publishers to come forward with more job-sharing possibilities.

Astbury launched the project following The Bookseller’s report last month into the working pattern, in which senior publicists shared their experiences and called for more job-share opportunities.

Astbury said: “I am actively working on job-share placements right now. It’s all going very well and the response has been hugely positive… The Bookseller’s reporting has been an incredible catalyst and shows the importance of highlighting and sharing creative ways of ensuring we retain the incredible talent in publishing rather than lose it because we can’t be flexible.”

She believes that “this could be something more people would sign up for and be interested in exploring but are just not sure where to start, where to look, or even how to approach someone to potentially job share”.

Astbury added: “Being able to deliver this would mean so many more people get to stay doing what they love, thriving, as well as the companies retaining top talent.

“I would also urge publishing companies to contact us, should they be having conversations with anyone in their organisation where more flexibility is requested. Please do come to Inspired and let us try and matchmake for your teams, and your brilliant people so you don’t have to lose that incredible talent. If you see yourself as the next dynamic duo like ‘yamazakiowen’, we want to hear from you.”

The Bookseller’s sister magazine, The Stage, has also recently explored how job-shares could help mothers in theatre and stage managers.

Interested candidates should email Astbury with the subject line: "Job Share Application", with their desired job title and area of publishing, along with a brief introduction, aims for the job-share and CV.