The elements of job design

Job design defines the way in which people go about their working lives and positions their expectations of what is required of them.  Perceptions will also be influenced as to how they contribute to the organization’s goals and vision.  Interactions with colleagues will be governed and channeled and formalizing the flow of communication between different parts of the operation.  It helps to develop the culture of the organization: its shared values; beliefs and assumptions and should be viewed as the central aspect of the design of any transformation process.

Delivering a service on a continuous basis involves a whole range of different tasks which need to be divided between all role players in the operation.  The different task allocations will depend on your job design approach.  One operation might include a repetitive task to encourage simplicity and efficiency.  Or allocate a wide variety of tasks to each staff member to reduce monotony.

Sometimes the sequence of tasks is dictated by the design of the service or the sequence is determined by the desire to avoid mistakes. A standardized sequence of tasks is designed largely to prevent errors in the process.

Some jobs can be performed effectively in more than one place.  However, different locations could also mean different task allocations.

Instead of allocating a well defined set of tasks to each person in the operation, a larger set of tasks are allocated to a group of people.  This group might choose, or be guided to, a flexible task-sharing, or a task-rotation, pattern of working.  The success of this group depends on its size and its interactions with other groups and individuals.

Very few jobs do not involve interaction with tools, equipment, machines or facilities.  Inappropriate positioning of the hardware elements could result in an ineffective interface even though the task is well defined.

The conditions under which jobs are performed could have a significant impact on personnel’s effectiveness, comfort and safety and not the details of the tasks themselves.  Typical decisions include determining lighting intensity, noise control or air quality.

There is a difference between allocating tasks and encouraging autonomy depending on what the job implies.  Allocating the responsibility for the effectiveness implies that the staff can also modify the way a task is performed.

The decisions in the elements of job design have implications for the skills and capabilities which staff will need to perform their jobs effectively.  The skills necessary might include simple manual skills, monitoring and measurement skills, scheduling skills or even problem-solving skills for improving the job.