Once you know what job crafting involves you start to see it everywhere. Your grocery delivery driver is doing it. The manager of your favourite bar is doing it. Even your careers consultant is doing it. So should you be doing it?
What is it?
Job crafting is not a new concept. Berg et al wrote about it in 2007, providing this definition:
“Job crafting is about taking proactive steps and actions to redesign what we do at work, essentially changing tasks, relationships, and perceptions of our jobs”.
Just like any crafting activity individuals take unique approaches depending on the resources available to them, and their preference for different materials. But instead of relying on craft supplies what people tend to do in their job crafting is lean into their strengths.
How do we recognise it?
Let’s look at Berg’s definition of job crafting again. The tasks we are required to do in our job are often prescribed, often with a deadline for completion. However, the way in which we carry out the task may have inherent flexibility.
My perception of how well I am served in a store may have less to do with the mechanics of the service (payment taken, and product handed over) and more to do with the interest level shown by staff. A conversation, a smile or an extra show of care is likely to lift my experience of the transaction. It is also likely to increase the job satisfaction of the sales assistant – their feeling of worth and the meaning it attributes to their role. A manager of a bar might enjoy their role but what is likely to sustain their interest in the role as a long-term career is the opportunity the role provides for engaging with the local community, contributing to themes such as wellbeing, fundraising and inclusion.
When people are asked to describe what their job involves they will often describe these valued moments ahead of actual job descriptions. Managers will often replicate this in describing their team members, often encapsulated in that familiar phrase “they go above and beyond”.
Will job crafting support your wellbeing?
Martin Seligman, the founder of Positive Psychology, developed the PERMA model from 2012 onwards, suggesting 5 components that contribute to a sense of wellbeing:
- Positive emotions
- Engagement
- Relationships
- Meaning
- Accomplishment
Subsequent research supported how these 5 components can have a positive impact not just on job satisfaction but on physical health and general life satisfaction. So, given the indications that job crafting helps people feel good about themselves, often increases interest levels, improves relationships, provides greater meaning, and a sense of purpose or achievement, there is a strong suggestion that job crafting will help with overall wellbeing.
Will you give job crafting a try?
Have I persuaded you to explore job crafting as a career activity? I hope so! Let me know in the comments how you find job crafting helps with unlocking your enthusiasm for your job, or exploring how you can use your strengths in your role.
I am a Registered Career Development Practitioner with the Career Development Institute and a Strengths-Based Practitioner. You can contact me on kath@careerswithintent.com if you would like to work with me on an aspect of your career journey, or would like to support team members with their career development.