Part-time and Flexible Jobs

“Where Can I Find a Decent Part-time or Family-friendly Job?”

This is one of the questions that we are most commonly asked.

For many mothers, finding a part-time job that fits around their family commitments, is suited to their skills and experience AND meets salary expectations, is like finding the Holy Grail.

Part-time work, whilst better suited to family life and achieving work-life balance, comes with career trade-offs. Firstly, it comes with a reduced salary but also potentially impacts on employee benefits such as reduced pension contributions, and may lead to less career progression as part-timers are often not considered for promotion.

Secondly, many women assume that they will need to accept a lower-level position or a non-professional role in order to achieve the flexibility they crave. Hello, Gender Pay Gap!

Both factors combined produce a ‘double-whammy’ trade-down effect whereby often, it doesn’t make financial sense to return to work at all, especially after childcare costs are factored in.

Luckily, over the past 10 years, a number of specialist websites and recruitment agencies have sprung up, dedicated to helping women find part-time and flexible work. Most were launched by women who personally experienced the same problems in finding family-friendly jobs, and hope to make life better for other women (and men). Whilst the focus of these sites is often working mothers, it’s recognised that more and more people want to work flexibly for a variety of reasons and all roles advertised are open to men and women, parents and non-parents alike.

Increasingly, these recruiters are listing professional and management roles but there is still a distinct shortage of these types of roles advertised on a part-time or flexible basis.   This is a reflection of the overall job market. Many of these recruiter organisations are lobbying and raising awareness of the issue, which can only lead to further improvements.   Here at Runneth we’re all about raising aspirations and boosting your confidence to not settle for a lower-level position – the professional roles are out there, it’s just a case of finding them!

The resources listed below can be a good place to begin your job search, but do not get disheartened if the roles advertised are not quite what you are looking for. There are many ways to find your next role – this is just one approach (we can help you with others) – and it’s a useful place to begin.

Happy hunting!

Part-time and Flexible Job Websites

Cityflex Jobs (London)

Launched in November 2017 by founder Louisa Symington-Mills, Cityflex Jobs are new kids on the block.  Part of the Cityparents Group, an award-winning network and diversity organisation, Cityflex have a Jobs Board for skilled and experienced City professionals seeking flexible opportunities.

Timewise Jobs (Nationwide)

Timewise Jobs is a jobs board specialising in part-time jobs and roles that have some element of flexibility, matched to people with the right skills and experience.
It was set up in 2005 when the Founder, Karen Mattison MBE, identified the gap in the recruitment market for quality part-time jobs.

It lists a range of part-time and flexible roles across the UK, in sectors including finance, administration and charity.

Timewise publishes an annual Part Time Power List, of leaders and senior managers who are working part time (some in job shares). It is truly inspiring to see the types of roles that are being successfully managed on a part time basis.  Check out the 2018 Power 50 winners here.

Rumour has it that when the Timewise Part Time Power List was first launched, very few people were nominated for it or wanted to be. They were all people doing amazing things but they were not perhaps known in their organisations for working part-time – it was usually done under an informal agreement which was kept quiet. Roll forward a few years and the more progressive organisations are actively encouraging nominations of their own successful part-timers.

Working Mums (Nationwide)

Working Mums is a nationwide jobs board listing both full time and part-time roles, including work from home and volunteer opportunities – from companies who support parents and flexible working, and understand the challenges faced by parents returning to work.

Founded in 2006 by Gillian Nissim after the birth of her second child, the site is packed full of advice, not only for working mums but also for dads, employers, returners, entrepreneurs and those interested in franchises.

Working Mums created the annual Top Employer Awards and invites employers to sign up to the WorkingMums.co.uk Top Employers’ Charter as a statement of their commitment showing that they are “fully embracing the business case for flexible working, and enabling parents to progress and enhance their careers whilst managing the challenges of family life.”

See the list of award winners in 2017 here.  The 2018 Awards are now open for nominations – enter here.  Applications close 20 July 2018.

Capability Jane (London-based but expanding in the South East)

Founded in 2007 by Sarah Hill, Capability Jane consists of a small team specialising in listing part-time and flexible opportunities for experienced executives, predominantly at management level.   They list permanent, fixed term contract and interim roles with ‘forward thinking organisations motivated by performance, not nine-to-five routine’.

The roles listed are primarily for full time equivalent salary levels of £40,000+ (permanent) or £200+ per day (contract). Registering on the site provides access to the Capability Jane community which offers advice and job hunting tips.

Mumsnet Jobs (Nationwide)

A spin off from the main Mumsnet site, Mumsnet Jobs is a job listing board that connects job seekers with employers who are actively recruiting parents. They list part-time and flexible roles as well as full-time opportunities.

The site is huge and covers a wide range of sectors, so don’t be surprised if it feels like a struggle to be noticed above the noise. You can narrow down your search criteria with the user-friendly search functions and you can set up job alerts (maximum of 5) to be sent to you by email.

The good thing about the Mumsnet Jobs site is that, because it doesn’t act as a traditional recruitment agent with a barrier between the candidate and the employer, you can use it to see what opportunities are available with an employer you are interested in and then you can contact the employer directly for more information.

2to3Days.com (London-based but expanding)

2to3Days.com was founded in 2014 by Business Coach Juliet Turnbull, who recognised the difficulty that businesses have in finding talented people for part-time roles. Being a mother of young children herself, she also witnessed other parents struggling to find part-time family-friendly roles suited to their skills and experience.

2to3Days.com is not a recruitment service. It describes itself as a private online community, aiming ‘to match and connect employers and mothers who are looking for stimulating work on a part-time flexible basis.’

Candidates register on the site for free, upload their CV and can apply for roles of interest. Employers and recruiters pay a monthly fee to list jobs. 2to3Days.com is a matching service and takes no responsibility for vetting employers or recommending candidates. You can read more about how it works here.

Ten2Two (South East of England but expanding)

Launched in 2007 by husband and wife team, John and Deborah O’Sullivan, Ten2Two is a flexible recruitment agency, exclusively specialising in professional part-time and flexible jobs.

Ten2Two have local recruitment teams in London and throughout many counties in the South East. Check out their locations here

You can register to become a member on the site by submitting your CV.  Jobs are not listed online; instead the recruitment team will contact you when a position comes up that is suited to your skills, experience, location and preferred way of flexible working.  If you would like to register but are not quite ready to apply for roles, you can become an Associate Member.  You’ll be kept in the loop with new happenings, but the team won’t actively search for a role for you until you are ready.

Their tag line is ‘Drop kids off. Have a career. Pick kids up.’ How great is that?

Attune Jobs  (Nationwide)

Attune Flexible Jobs is a job site specialising in part-time and flexible working vacancies. Their aim is to support recruitment for business services functions in Law and Professional Services firms, including:

• Finance jobs

• HR jobs

• IT jobs

• Marketing & Business Development jobs

• Other general and bespoke roles.

Returnships

Visit our Returnships main page, which explains what a returnship is and how you can apply for them.  Or jump straight to our listings of all UK Returnships for 2019 and prior years (2018, 2017 or 2016).

Charity Jobs

Websites and Job Boards specialising in charity jobs:

The Guardian

CharityJob

ICAEW Volunteers (unpaid roles only)

Third Sector

Charity Comms

If you know of any other recruitment agencies or websites that specialise in part-time, flexible working, job share roles or returnships, please email us to let us know so we can add them to our list.