Where are all the part-time developer roles? My kids are 2 and 5; I don’t want to give up my career but I also don’t want to miss them growing up. One is in school and the other in nursery 2 days a week (don’t even ask me how much that costs).
Tech recruiters message me on LinkedIn and without wanting to waste anyone’s time I straight away reply asking if they have part-time roles. The answer is, pretty conclusively, no. Searching for jobs returns the same answer. But there are so many positives to hiring a part-time employee.
Six reasons why hiring part-timers is good for business
Increase recruitment and retention of staff by offering family-friendly working practices.
Being able to show potential clients/customers that you value having a diverse workforce.
Allowing you to bring in experienced and highly skilled staff members even when you have a fixed budget and can't afford to bring someone in on a full-time basis.
A bigger pool of candidates. Part-time work tends to attract parents with younger children and older people, who may not want to work full time but can bring a wealth of skills, experience and expertise.
It can be an efficient way to keep costs down in areas where you don't yet need full-time cover.
Part-time workers are highly productive. A survey by BT in 2014 found that the productivity of flexible workers increased by 30%.
Mulitasking master
And don’t get me started on how much I can multitask since becoming a mum. I carry around two children’s calendars in my head as well as my own, manage the emotions and expectations of everyone and work my part-time hours. When I’m at work (from home) I’m laser-focused and committed. I’ve stocked up on good quality family time and am ready to work.
Why aren't there more part-time dev opportunities around? Part-time workers are good for business.