Job design: The forgotten element
Aligning human resources to a newly designed process or structure requires a rethinking of task definitions and reward strategies. Many organizations assume that people will somehow adapt to a new process and structure and do not invest resources in the formal redesign of jobs. Anyone who has ever tried creating change in an organization knows that the forces of entropy generally exceed the capacity of individuals to adapt to change. Left to chance, things will usually revert back to the way we have always done it. Fundamental change in the work requirements and rewards are crucial to improving organizational performance.
A comprehensive approach
Job design specifies the way an individual relates to the larger organization. Key components of a well designed job include:
Task specification
Motivating characteristics
Knowledge and skill requirements (technical and interpersonal)
Development opportunities
Reporting relationships
Peer (team) relationships
Decision authority
Performance measures
Rewards and compensations
How I can help
As with all my work, I will collaborate with your organization to document and redesign jobs to meet your unique business objectives. My job is to define and manage the design process and create technical job documentation. My emphasis is on creating opportunities for the broadest practical level of participation and the well managed use of time.
I can help you and your organization:
Conduct in-depth task analysis
Identify and enhance the motivating potential of the job
Develop competency models
Write competency-based job descriptions
Develop competency-based selection and employee development processes
Design innovative compensation strategies tied to key organizational metrics
Increase productivity and reduce labor costs
To learn more about job design and how I can help, please contact me.
