Common types of job crafting

Depending on the person, the organization and the nature of the work, job crafting could manifest in these common ways:

• Cognitive crafting: A shift in mindset about or interpretation of one’s professional role and tasks. For example, someone might observe their part in achieving the business’s mission and vision and consider how well it reflects their personal values.
• Relational crafting: Changes in the people the employee interacts with while working. This category can include everything from how often someone takes part in social aspects of the workplace or how they prefer to communicate across departments to complete tasks.
• Task crafting: Updates to the actions that make up someone’s job role, including alterations to the number, order, scope or type of tasks. When the worker has a sense of control over their own tasks, they tend to feel more closely aligned with the organization and its goals.

Techniques of job crafting

Most workers craft their jobs in many small ways at all organizational levels. Consider encouraging your teams to incorporate these job crafting techniques as you engage in performance management and evaluation initiatives:

• Brainstorming about ways they can alter their responsibilities to align with personal passions and goals
• Connecting with colleagues they don’t usually encounter in the normal course of work
• Practicing giving and receiving feedback that improves their ability to complete tasks and achieve goals
• Developing relationships with mentors and partners
• Adding new responsibilities
• Delegating tasks to others as appropriate
• Journaling about their thoughts and emotions as they go about their daily tasks to illuminate areas ripe for innovation and improvement
• Sharing with colleagues about challenges and skills so team members can help each other adapt their roles appropriately

Job design vs. job crafting: What’s the difference?

While these two terms are often mistakenly interchanged, they do have different connotations. Generally, job design refers to a top-down approach in which managers develop the necessary responsibilities, competencies and tasks for a particular role. With crafting, on the other hand, employees themselves proactively shape what they do at work and how they do it.

Now for the similarities. Common elements of job crafting and job design may include:

• Revising, adding or removing tasks from an employee’s job description
• Striving to improve employee job satisfaction, internal motivation, and personal and professional growth
• Considering an employee’s interests and strengths when assigning or taking on responsibilities

Benefits of job crafting for businesses

Most importantly for business owners and managers, the practice of job crafting can dramatically increase employee engagement. A motivated, inspired and creative workforce helps shield companies from flagging sales, lost profits and wasted revenue. According to data reported by Forbes, productivity leaks driven by lack of motivation cost American companies an estimated $450 to $550 billion every year. In another study cited by Positive Psychology, workers reported that colleagues who engaged in job crafting ultimately received better performance reviews than those who didn’t take this type of initiative.

Facilitating a culture of crafting can also assist with employee retention. In a 2020 survey of more than 1,000 organizations engaged in job crafting, MIT Sloan Management Review reported that most of the time, workers leave their jobs not for more money or better benefits but because they feel they lack autonomy and flexibility. When employees aren’t challenged, they seek more creative and stimulating work elsewhere.

Seasoned managers know how difficult it can be to find the right person for the job. When you allow your teams to develop their skills and passions through job crafting, you can tap into these strengths to improve the fit between the employee and the official role. You can also more effectively allocate responsibilities and projects with a clear understanding of each team member’s competencies.

Employees who have a strong sense of purpose and engagement feel less stressed at work. In addition to demonstrating a strong commitment to the physical and emotional well-being of your staff, a culture of job crafting can reduce the employer cost associated with employee health conditions related to chronic stress.

The Forbes article cited above notes that 4 out of the 10 most expensive medical issues for employers in the United States are cardiac in nature. Ongoing stress represents a significant risk factor for these dangerous, costly health problems, which include stroke, high blood pressure and heart disease. According to data from the MIT survey, workers reported that stress levels decreased by nearly 30% after they became engaged in the job crafting process.

How to support job crafting as a business owner or manager

Given the positive outcomes of job crafting for both employers and employees, savvy leaders can create a culture that encourages this engagement model with these strategies:

• Start the conversation about job crafting with your staff members. Many of your workers are likely unaware that this framework exists, even though most employees engage in this practice in small ways. Discussing common types of crafting and presenting case studies can inspire your team members to take advantage of this motivating technique.
• Create room for crafting within the worker’s job description and daily activities. Encourage innovation that aligns with the organization’s primary mission and vision. It can be difficult for employees to craft their roles within restrictive, inflexible environments, particularly when they feel micromanaged and experience a resulting lack of autonomy.
• During the hiring process, evaluate candidates for a strong sense of self-motivation. These individuals tend to take steps to improve their performance and make their jobs better, even if they aren’t expressly asked to do so by management.
• Discuss job crafting during employee reviews and evaluations. Topic ideas in this realm include breaking down the worker’s daily activities and tasks, asking about their favorite and least favorite aspects of the job (and why), and considering how much responsibility they currently hold and how much they would ideally like to have.
• Provide appropriate and readily available training and development opportunities so employees can grow in areas where they’d like to expand their roles. Ask your team members what they want to learn and why so you can plan effective educational experiences.
• Value proactive action and innovation among your staff members. Workers will hesitate to take initiative if they fear disapproval from supervisors. Provide constructive criticism as needed and encourage team members to talk openly and ask questions about their roles.