From A to X: Inside Bosch's Job Sharing Tandem

Anna Miller and Xenia Wurm share what it really takes to share a senior role at Bosch headquarters, and why the automotive industry should pay attention.

What does it look like when two senior HR professionals bring their experience, their networks, and their trust together into a single shared role? Anna Miller and Xenia Wurm can tell you exactly. Based at Bosch's corporate headquarters in Germany, the pair have spent the past year operating as a job sharing tandem in the company's central People Strategy, Steering and Performance department. They call it HR from A to X.

Hi everyone, we're Anna Miller and Xenia Wurm, and we are very happy to share our experiences as a job sharing tandem with the Women Automotive Network community! Especially as job sharing is still an uncommon working model, despite offering significant benefits for both employers and employees. Bosch has offered this working model since 2012 and currently has 80 active tandems across different leadership levels, up to senior executive level.

We've been working as a job sharing tandem at Bosch's corporate headquarters in Germany for one year now, in the central People Strategy, Steering and Performance department. We both work four days a week.

Our role is incredibly diverse. We're responsible for everything from shaping our Bosch people strategy 2030 and managing large-scale projects to preparing materials for senior leadership meetings, creating communications, and coordinating networks and events. It's a fast-paced and exciting environment, and sharing this role allows us to cover the wide spectrum of responsibilities effectively. Together, we bring over 20 years of Human Resources (HR) experience to the table, spanning different roles, divisions, and countries. We like to say we cover HR from A to X, from Anna to Xenia!

We met around one and a half years ago, when Xenia was still on maternity leave with her second child and Anna started to look for a next position within Bosch. We connected instantly back then and applied together for another position. This didn't work out but was in retrospect the perfect test run for the next application together.

When we saw the advertisement, we both knew we were looking for a challenging, strategic role that also allowed flexibility. So, we approached the leaders with the idea of tackling the role as a tandem, and we were so thankful for how open they were to the proposal, seeing the potential of having two dedicated minds on one complex job.

Thank you! We love our "From A to X" motto. What made us confident were a few things. First, our first conversation and the application test run, including an "application pitch" and an interview together. We quickly realized we had a shared vision for our careers and a compatible mindset.

We discussed not just our professional skills, but our working styles, our motivations for job sharing, and how we handle challenges. It was clear we shared the same values: trust, open communication, and a commitment to delivering excellent results. We also saw how our different backgrounds could be a huge asset rather than a challenge. We felt that together, we could offer more than one person could.

And there is another fun story that connected us even further: During the joint application process for the current position, we received an invitation for a first-round interview. Exactly during that time, we were both on holiday - accidentally and luckily in the same city we both love, Barcelona! So, we met in person in Xenia's holiday apartment and had a virtual interview together.

Our biggest expectation was that we could achieve 1+1 > 2 by combining our skills, networks, and energy, we could deliver a higher quality of work and greater impact than one person in the same role. One of our concerns was whether we could make the handover and collaboration process seamless enough for our stakeholders in such a dynamic headquarters environment.

Reality has exceeded our expectations! We've consistently found that having a sparring partner to refine ideas or review a draft leads to better, often faster results afterwards. As for our concern, we've developed a good collaboration and communication model, with regular check-ins, a joint open points list and a lot of quick communication either onsite or via chat and call.

Anna: Absolutely. A few months ago, we had to manage two major projects in parallel, both with tight deadlines and very different scopes. In a traditional role, this would have been incredibly stressful. But as a tandem, we could divide and conquer. Xenia took the lead on one, I took the lead on the other, and we served as each other's sounding board and backup. We delivered both projects on time and to the expected quality.

Xenia: On a personal level, I remember when Anna's son had an unexpected short stay in the hospital. It's a moment where your focus naturally needs to be with your family. Because we're in tandem, I could immediately cover for her, ensuring deadlines weren't missed and work continued smoothly. It was such a relief for Anna to know things were handled, and for me, it was a gift to be able to offer that support and compassion.

It's one of the best parts of our partnership! Our experiences are genuinely complementary. For instance, Xenia excels based on her broad HR experience in operations and shared services, making her very strong in execution and delivery. Anna's broad interdisciplinary and international background makes her stronger when a holistic view is required, e.g. for international roll-out or communication planning and execution.

So, when a new topic comes up, we can distribute tasks based not just on availability, but on our strengths and even our developmental goals. We leverage each other's expertise daily.

Communication is our cornerstone. With four eyes and ears, we see and hear more, which helps us anticipate developments. Practically, we have daily check-ins on our mutual three working days to align priorities. We use shared digital tools - notes, to-do lists, and calendars - so information is transparent.

Our rule is that anyone can approach either of us. Our different schedules are also a benefit: Anna is an early starter, while Xenia often works later, which extends our "office hours" and makes us more responsive. On top of that Anna works on Xenia's free day and vice versa and we also try to take our holidays separately to ensure as much availability for our stakeholders as possible.

It's a dynamic evolution! While we have core topics that each of us "owns," another part of our work is divided based on a combination of factors. We look at who has the most relevant skills for a task, who has more capacity at that moment, and who is most interested in a particular topic or wants to grow in that area, all of that of course in close alignment with our superior. This flexibility is key and keeps the role engaging for both of us.

We build trust by being radically transparent with each other. We can share half-baked ideas, share our challenges when it comes to balancing work and life, voice concerns openly, or admit we don't know something without any fear of judgment. This psychological safety is invaluable. Accountability comes from shared ownership. We see every project and every outcome as our collective responsibility. There's no "Anna's project" or "Xenia's project" - it's always our project. We succeed together and we learn from setbacks together. This unity is what we also want to bring our team and stakeholders.

Go for it! Our advice is:

1. Find the right partner first: Alignment in mindset and communication matters more than the role itself. Look for someone with a compatible work ethic and communication style, e.g. using internal career platforms or professional networks, special job-sharing platforms, or network events. Then be proactive: identify opportunities, team up, and position job sharing as a clear advantage: two skill sets, broader networks, and built-in resilience.
2. Make sure the model fits the job requirements and take joint ownership from day one. Job sharing is not job splitting, both tandem partners are together accountable for outcomes and visibility.
3. Set your "rules of engagement" early: Talk about everything upfront: how you'll handle decisions, disagreements, manage handovers, give feedback, and represent yourselves to stakeholders. Trust, open communication, and regular feedback are key. Not only within the tandem, but also for your stakeholders, who will experience you as one team.
4. Strong leadership support makes the difference. When managers enable the model, job sharing becomes a powerful lever.

At its best, job sharing goes beyond flexibility: it creates better results through collaboration, shared responsibility, and complementary strengths, making it a true win for the company and for us as individuals. Having a trusted colleague to brainstorm with, navigate challenges, and celebrate successes is one of the most rewarding aspects of this model. It's a powerful way to have both a high-impact career and a fulfilling personal life.

About Bosch

Bosch is a leading global supplier of technology and services. Founded in Stuttgart in 1886, the company employs more than 400,000 associates worldwide and operates across Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology.

As one of the world's largest Tier 1 automotive suppliers, Bosch has been at the forefront of vehicle electrification, connectivity, and automation for decades, supporting manufacturers and mobility companies across the globe.

Bosch has offered a formal job sharing programme since 2012 and currently operates 80 active tandems across different leadership levels, up to senior executive level, reflecting a long-standing commitment to flexible, high-impact ways of working.

To learn more about Bosch