101 ways to job craft for 2024
In 2023 we shared a blog post highlighting 101 ways we’ve seen people job craft. It was our most visited page of the year, and people still ask us for examples of job crafting, so we thought you’d want some more for 2024!
For anyone who is new to job crafting, it is essentially about making small tweaks and changes to your job that make it a better fit. Typically we experience people job craft in 5 different ways: Wellbeing; Purpose; Skill; Relationship; and Task Crafting.
We have collected some of our favourite examples from teams and individuals we have worked with to bring job crafting to life.
These are personal examples, so they may not apply or be relevant to your circumstances. However we know that people appreciate some inspiration when they set out on their job crafting adventures.
Fancy kicking off 2024 in style with guided job crafting? Well, you’re in luck, our Job Crafting Challenge starts 15th January and entries are open until the end of the month.
Don’t miss out!
Wellbeing crafting
Wellbeing crafting is enhancing and maintaining our physical and mental health through the work we do.
Examples:
Adjusting working hours in the winter so I’m spending more time working in the light
Taking annual leave around bank holidays to extend the long weekends to a full week off
Doing 10 minutes stretching at lunchtime after being sat down all morning
Switching my phone and email notifications off in the evenings
Doing an exercise class once a week with colleagues to hold us all accountable
Changing my working hours to start earlier so that I could prioritise exercise in the afternoon after finishing work
Arranging one walking meeting a week
Listening to my favourite podcast before starting work to put me in a good mood
Introducing a ‘fake’ commute to help start and end the day
Trying a standing desk
Saying no to requests that I enjoy doing but don’t have the time for
Moving to a condensed week in order to have a day off work mid-week
Getting into a routine of leaving the office on time (e.g. leaving the office with a buddy)
Bringing more nutritious snacks to work
Planning out my lunch breaks for the following week and blocking them out in my diary
Setting a timer to take a break from my desk at least every hour
Trying to keep one day a week meeting-free
Treating myself to a lie in once a week - starting and finishing later that day
Taking the stairs instead of the lift
Listening to my favourite album whilst working on a project
Purpose crafting
Purpose crafting is reframing how we think about our work in general including the value and significance it brings to us personally and others.
Examples:
Reflecting on the value I want to bring to others through my work in 2024
Saying no to requests that don’t align with the core purpose of my role
Considering how I can bring my coaching skills and tools into conversations outside of work, to support friends with career goals and challenges (this also allows me to further develop my skills - i.e. skills crafting)
Writing down three things I appreciate about my work and sharing with a colleague / friend / family member etc.
Defining who I want to be professionally in 2024 and sharing this with others (e.g. on LinkedIn / Teams chat)
Re-framing the importance and value of tasks I don’t look forward to (e.g. taking time to cost out proposals in detail is a way of looking after the business and saving my future self the same task)
Make a daily / weekly list of the best interactions with customers / clients
Sharing my passions at work (e.g. starting a running club)
Volunteering for projects that I find meaningful (e.g. working with charities, mentoring junior colleagues, etc.)
Setting up a fun competition with colleagues (e.g. who can get the most engagements on social media, plan the most sustainable work trip)
Finding new and innovative ways to gather feedback from stakeholders at the end of projects
Identifying at least one event for the year I would like to attend focused on a subject I am passionate about - make a business case for attending and share back key takeaways with colleagues
Reframing work travel as an opportunity to explore new places
Becoming a company advocate or champion for something I care about (e.g. inclusion, sustainability)
Surveying service users to better understand their needs and how my work can add value
Asking to be invited to more client-facing meetings to understand the impact of my work from their perspective
Reflecting each day on the person that I have helped the most
Creating a case study after completion of each project and sharing this externally (e.g. on LinkedIn)
Volunteering to arrange the next team social event
Exploring the impact of my role on the wider organisation
Skill crafting
Skill crafting is developing, refining and focusing on new skills.
Examples:
Researching what the most desirable skills are for 2024 and setting a goal to develop in one area
Taking a strengths assessment to better understand my top strengths and how I can maximise my use of these at work
Asking if I can record an online call to watch back for my own learning
Keeping up to date with industry news and thought leadership
Saying yes to a scary project
Learning a new skill (and teaching others)
Asking to shadow a colleague doing a specific task
Attending a lunchtime webinar
Asking for constructive feedback from someone I wouldn’t usually ask
Finding reliable sources of aggregated news on specific topics
Subscribing to email alerts for new articles on a specific topic
Finding an opportunity to present to a new group (e.g. to enhance public speaking skills)
Offering to arrange a lunch and learn for the team
Taking the lead in a team meeting (e.g. to develop leadership skills)
Setting a goal of writing 5 blogs each quarter and asking for feedback on how my writing has improved
Buddying with a colleague in a different team to learn more about what each other does
Listening to a work-related podcast whilst getting ready for work
Joining a LinkedIn community
Each team member sharing something new they’ve read / learned each week in a team meeting / 1:1
Experimenting with a new digital tool (e.g. using AI)
Relationship crafting
Relationship crafting is shaping how we relate and engage with others, including building and adapting our relationship with co-workers.
Examples:
Setting up calls to chat with colleagues on a Friday afternoon when I’m feeling disconnected
Setting up a Teams group for people with similar interest to me
Writing a thank you note to a colleague at the end of each week to express my gratitude
Starting a meet-up for new parents returning to work
Going to a networking event and sharing contact details with at least one new person
Asking for support to address a challenging working relationship
Offering to mentor a new colleague
Organising a team away day
Setting a goal to initiate one new conversation each week
Popping into someone else’s office to see how they’re doing
Scheduling informal 1:1 check-ins with direct reports to compliment more formal 1:1s
Scheduling regular (i.e. monthly) calls in advance with colleagues to reconnect
Setting a goal to learn something new about each team member
Setting up a coffee scheme that pairs colleagues from across the organisation at random to meet for coffee (online or in person)
Allowing time for informal “chit chat” before meetings
Spending less time with people that can drain my energy levels
Grabbing lunch with a colleague from a different team once a month
Car sharing
Asking someone about their passions outside of work
Arranging to check-in with a new starter to see how they are getting on
Task crafting
Task crafting is tangibly changing aspects of how we undertake our work including re-designing, adding or removing tasks.
Examples:
Rewarding myself with a small treat when I’ve done a task I don’t particularly enjoy
Mapping out my week so that there’s a balance of tasks that I enjoy and look forward to
Asking colleagues to delegate tasks that I enjoy but noticed I was missing from my work ‘plate’
Consciously aligning tasks to business goals as a source of motivation
Keeping a receipts purse in a convenient place so that business receipts don’t get lost
Protecting the first hour of the week to plan my tasks for the rest of the week
Recording voice notes for colleagues
Only checking emails during specific times
Finding ways to channel a strength e.g. bringing competition into everyday work
Doing the hardest task first thing when energy is at its highest
Experimenting with voice-to-text software for faster email, report and content writing
Doing admin on a Friday when the mood is more positive
Limiting non-essential meetings
Using the pomodoro method for time management
Delegating or swapping tasks that don’t play to my strengths
Experimenting with new tools to make existing tasks more fun, effective, etc.
Calling a colleague rather than emailing
Working collaboratively using Google Docs instead of Microsoft Word
Scheduling meetings for the afternoons to keep mornings free for focused work
Shortening all meetings by 10 minutes
Job crafting example number 101:
Write down 3 good things at the end of the working day. You can note these somewhere or share them with someone (we share ours as a team on LinkedIn every Friday).
We hope that you found these examples inspiring and that you can try out job crafting for yourself.
Don’t forget to get your name down for our Job Crafting Challenge starting 15th January. Entries are open until the end of the month.
Happy crafting!
What we’ve learned from 2 years of the Job Canvas
Do you find that your job has different cycles and changes during the year?
I had some time away from client delivery this summer to focus on internal business projects (you know the ones that struggle to make the top of the priority list?)
I was curious to understand whether there had been any changes to how people were using the demo Job Canvas since I last analysed the data for our Job Canvas 1 year Anniversary Event nearly a year ago.
Through this initial analysis we were pleased to learn that the Job Canvas had global reach (29% users were outside the UK); it was being downloaded by at least one new person around the world every week; and that people’s motivations for using it were varied. In fact, people’s ideas for its implementation positively surprised us!
“We’re looking for a more engaging way to attract new volunteers, giving a clear definition of the role, whilst avoiding the traditional, dry job descriptions.”
- HR specialist, non-profit organisation
This summer I delved back into the data, interested to see what had changed, and what this might tell us about the world of digital HR tools. Here’s what we’ve learned:
1. Usage has doubled
There are now almost 3 new people every week using the digital Job Canvas. And these users remain varied in terms of location, sector and job role.
We are proud of how far the Job Canvas has spread, and appreciate everyone who is curious enough to try it out (we’ll talk more about curiosity shortly).
For us, this indicates that there is still a real desire to explore and utilise digital HR tools, regardless of sector or geography.
2. Motivations for using the Job Canvas are even more varied (and have evolved)
We counted over 20 unique motivations expressed by people wanting to use the Job Canvas!
Interestingly, the most common reason this year didn’t even make the top 5 last year: Curiosity. This is a Tailored Thinking value, so we were pleased to see it cited as a motivation by 24% of people who were interested enough to try out something new (you’ll never know unless you try…)
Naturally, people typically gave multiple reasons for using the Job Canvas. Exploring tools to support innovative approaches to the future of work; finding a better alternative to traditional job descriptions; and seeking a tool to enable more quality coaching conversations all featured highly.
“I’m working on strengths-based leadership to equip leaders for the future. The job canvas enables adaptability, flexibility, creativity and change - all things we need right now."
- Director, wellbeing institute
3. Job Crafting is gaining more traction
We were thrilled to see a small number of people interested in a tool that supports job crafting, and encourages more strengths-based conversations at work.
We know first-hand the value of job crafting for individuals, teams and organisations, and have used the Job Canvas to bring job crafting conversations to life. For example, encouraging teams to reflect on their core purpose, reframing how we view challenging relationships at work, and finding opportunities to play to our strengths.
In fact, this article and my data analysis of job canvas usage, came about from a conversation with Rob, centred on my own personal Job Canvas, about how I could meaningfully craft my passion for data analysis into my role.
4. The HR challenges are real
Most of all, it was interesting to hear HR folk talk about their current challenges. For example, providing employees with flexibility, role clarity, and opportunities for personal growth, as well as supporting organisational priorities such as agility, employee retention, and values-led behaviours.
“We are exploring ways to help provide clarity to employees whilst also allowing for flexibility and personal growth.”
- VP HR, technology manufacturing company
These are priorities you probably recognise, and let’s be honest, they aren’t going away anytime soon. The Job Canvas can help tackle these challenges by centring the purpose of a role or team, and capturing precisely what a role entails. It helps teams work with confidence and clarity in the now, whilst recognising the natural evolution and growth of roles over time.
If you’re looking for new and innovative ways to tackle your people priorities, or would value external support through times of challenge, we’d love to hear from you. Email us: [email protected]
You can read more about what we offer in this PDF, and play with the Job Canvas yourself via this webpage.
About the author
Charlotte Axon is a Lead People Scientist at Tailored Thinking, and self-confessed data enthusiast. Charlotte has worked on projects focused around employee engagement, inclusion and values, in her capacity as a facilitator and data cruncher / report creator. She is always on the look-out for projects like these which play to her strengths of listening, individualisation, analytical thinking and contextualisation.
Why is it so easy to see what is going wrong at work, rather than what is going right?
Why Coaches should be paying close attention to job crafting
Job crafting is a process that involves making intentional changes to the design of one's job in order to increase job satisfaction, engagement, and motivation. The practice has been gaining popularity in recent years as a tool for individuals to create more meaningful and fulfilling work lives. However, job crafting is not just a personal development tool – it can also be a powerful coaching technique.
If you're looking to help your clients achieve greater job satisfaction and fulfilment, learning how to teach job crafting could be a valuable addition to your toolkit.
Here are some reasons why:
Job crafting is a proactive approach to career development
Job crafting is an approach to career development that puts individuals in the driver's seat. Rather than waiting for their employers to make changes or searching for a new job, job crafters take action to redesign their current roles to better align with their strengths, interests, and values. As a coach, teaching your clients how to job craft can help them take a proactive approach to their career development and feel more in control of their professional lives.
Job crafting can increase job satisfaction and engagement
Research has shown that job crafting can lead to increased job satisfaction and engagement. When individuals have more control over the design of their jobs, they are more likely to experience a sense of autonomy, mastery, and purpose – all factors that contribute to greater satisfaction and engagement at work. By teaching your clients how to job craft, you can help them create more fulfilling and enjoyable work experiences.
Job crafting can lead to better performance and productivity
When individuals are more engaged and satisfied in their work, they are also likely to perform better and be more productive. Job crafting can help individuals identify tasks and responsibilities that play to their strengths, allowing them to perform at a higher level. Additionally, job crafting can help individuals find more meaning in their work, which can lead to increased motivation and productivity.
Job crafting can promote employee retention
In today's competitive job market, employee retention is a top concern for many employers. By teaching your clients how to job craft, you can help them create more satisfying and fulfilling work experiences, which can lead to greater loyalty and commitment to their current employers. This can benefit both the individual and the organization by reducing turnover and improving morale.
Overall, learning how to teach job crafting can be a valuable addition to any coach's toolkit. By helping your clients take a proactive approach to their career development, increase their job satisfaction and engagement, improve their performance and productivity, and promote employee retention, you can help them create more fulfilling and enjoyable work lives.
Click here to find out more about job crafting and how Tailored Thinking bring this to life in organisations.
How job crafting can create a unique employer brand for your organisation or clients
Attracting the right people into the right jobs is a bigger and more important task than many of us realise. In today's competitive job market, organisations need to have a strong employer brand to attract and retain this top talent. A positive employer brand can help build trust with stakeholders, differentiate the organisation from competitors, and support business objectives by attracting and keeping talented people. You can play a vital role in improving your company and client's employer branding efforts, and job crafting is a powerful tool that can help achieve this goal.
What is employer branding?
Employer branding is how the company comes across as an employer of the whole employee experience. In order to make them stand out to impress and recruit the best talent, they should brand and market themselves honestly and with integrity, in the same way they brand and market themselves to customers. It describes an employer's reputation as a place to work, and their employee value proposition, as opposed to the more general corporate brand reputation and value proposition to customers.
What is job crafting?
Job crafting involves allowing employees to customise their roles to better fit their skills, interests, and values. This can increase employee engagement and satisfaction, leading to better performance and retention rates. By encouraging job crafting, organisations create a positive company culture that supports employee wellbeing and growth and as a result, they become a very attractive employer. We know that job crafting improves employee experience, job satisfaction, wellbeing and company performance, therefore, it should be shouted about to improve employer branding.
Here are five ways you can use job crafting to improve employer branding:
Begin with encouraging job crafting: to allow people to craft their roles to better fit their skills, interests, and values because this increases employee engagement and satisfaction, leading to better performance and retention rates. You could help colleagues and clients to develop processes and procedures that support job crafting, such as regular check-ins, feedback sessions, and goal-setting exercises.
Carry out a brand audit: Once you’ve embedded job crafting, conduct a brand audit to assess the current employer branding efforts. Reviewing online presence, consider how do people know that job crafting is being used in the company? How do they know that this is a company who cares about employee experience?
Develop an employee value proposition (EVP): Develop an EVP that articulates what makes the organisation unique and attractive to potential employees, making it stand out from competitors and attract top talent. Here, job crafting enables employees to align their roles with the EVP, creating a more cohesive and compelling employer brand.
Communicate the benefits: Communicate the benefits of job crafting by highlighting the positive impact on employee engagement, wellbeing, and growth, as well as the potential benefits for the organisation, such as increased innovation and creativity.
Measure the impact: Measure the impact of job crafting on employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention rates, as well as on the overall employer branding efforts. This can help identify areas for improvement and develop strategies to address them.
Here at Tailored Thinking, we’ve had the pleasure of working with some amazing employers who consistently encourage job crafting, and we would recommend them to prospective employees wholeheartedly. This is what employer branding is all about.
Your role as a people development professional, coach, or consultant, is to help your clients and colleagues succeed. A huge part of that success is determined by who their employees are and so they must attract the best. Job crafting plays a major role in a positive employee experience and improves both productivity and success. It’s been named as a vital tool in the future of work.
Click here to find out more about job crafting and how Tailored Thinking bring this to life in organisations.
5 Ways Coaches and Consultants Can Help Improve Their Client’s Employer Branding Using Job Crafting
As competition for top talent continues to increase, many organisations are looking for ways to improve their employer branding to attract and retain the best employees. You could play a critical role in this process by helping your clients use job crafting to improve their employer branding efforts - the way an employer comes across to the potential talent pool, allowing them to attract the top talent.
Job crafting is the process of redesigning an individual's job to better align with their skills, interests, and values. By encouraging job crafting, coaches and consultants can help clients create a more engaged, aligned, and innovative workforce, which can positively impact their employer branding.
Here are some ways that you can use job crafting to improve your client's employer branding:
Empower employees to customise their roles: Encourage clients to allow employees to customise their roles to better fit their skills, interests, and values. By giving employees more autonomy over their work, they are more likely to be engaged and satisfied, which can positively impact employer branding.
Promote organisational alignment: By encouraging employees to craft their roles to align with their personal values and goals, you can help create a more aligned and cohesive workforce. When employees feel connected to the organisation's mission and vision, they are more likely to speak positively about their employer, which can improve employer branding.
Use job crafting as a recruitment tool: Help clients use job crafting as a way to attract top talent. When organisations encourage job crafting, it sends a message to potential candidates that they value employee autonomy, engagement, and creativity. This can help attract job seekers who are looking for a supportive and empowering work environment.
Encourage innovation and creativity: By allowing employees to craft their roles, you can encourage innovation and creativity in the workforce. When employees feel empowered to experiment and try new things, they may develop innovative solutions to organisational challenges, which can help the organisation stand out in the marketplace.
Develop a supportive culture: You can help your clients develop a supportive culture that encourages job crafting. This includes creating opportunities for employees to learn new skills, providing resources to support employee development, and recognising and rewarding employees who take initiative in crafting their roles. By creating a supportive culture, you will help their clients build a more engaged and innovative workforce, which can positively impact employer branding.
Coaches and consultants can play a valuable role in helping their clients improve their employer branding through job crafting.
By empowering employees to customize their roles, promoting organisational alignment, using job crafting as a recruitment tool, encouraging innovation and creativity, and developing a supportive culture, coaches can help their clients create a more engaged, aligned, and innovative workforce, which can positively impact employer branding.
Click here to find out more about job crafting and how Tailored Thinking bring this to life in organisations.
101 examples of job crafting
People curious about job crafting often ask for examples of how others have crafted their jobs. Job crafting, for anyone that doesn’t know is making small tweaks and changes to a job to make it a better fit for the individual.
Part of the work and research we do in job crafting is to uncover and share job crafting examples from ‘in the wild.’
Here are 101 examples of some of the weird and wonderful ways people have personalised, shaped and crafted their jobs.
All of these examples are based on a person’s own context so some of this may not apply or be relevant to your personal and professional circumstances. See this list as a source of inspiration rather than a source of ideas to copy…
Task Crafting
Task crafting is tangibly changing aspects of how we undertake our work including designing, adding or removing tasks.
Examples:
Protect the first 30 minutes of the day to focus on specific tasks
Only respond to emails between 9am-11am or 4pm-5pm
Do the hardest task first thing when energy is at its highest
Experiment with voice-to-text software for faster email, report and content writing
Do admin on a Friday when the mood is more positive
Limit non-essential meetings
Use the pomodoro method for time management [look it up!]
Record voice notes for colleagues
Delegate or swap tasks that aren’t enjoyable or don’t play to strengths
Say no to requests that don’t align with the purpose of the role
Find ways to channel a strength e.g. creativity into everyday work
Strategically structure the work day
Experiment with tools like Slack or Teams for effective comms
Ask to start a workplace Team group for those who enjoy more social time
Call a colleague rather than email
Work collaboratively using Google Docs instead of Microsoft Word
Hire someone to do specific and expert tasks e.g. finances
Get involved in more client facing meetings
Schedule all meetings for the afternoons to keep morning free
Shorten all meetings by 10 minutes
Skill Crafting
Skill crafting is developing, refining and focusing on new skills.
Examples:
Shadow a colleague doing a specific task
Say yes to a scary project
Learn a new skill or piece of knowledge
Take a course or programme on an area you want to improve
Attend a lunchtime webinar
Ask for help on a difficult subject
Watch YouTube videos to improve a skill
Ask for constructive feedback
Find an opportunity to speak to a group (e.g. to enhance public speaking skills)
Organise team social events (e.g. to utilise planning skills)
Experiment with different meeting styles
Set a goal of writing 5 blogs each quarter
Listen to a podcast related to work on the commute
Delegate 15 minutes before work to focus on a new/current skill
Each team member shares something new they’ve read / learned each week
Ask to gain experience one day a week in a different team
Experiment with a new digital tool (e.g. to get better at presentation design)
Follow a top tips page on a specific topic on social media
Enquire about arranging a lunch and learn for colleagues
Set a goal to learn 5 new things about a topic
Purpose Crafting
Purpose crafting is reframing how we think about our work. in general including the value and significance it brings to us personally and others.
Re-frame the importance and value of tasks you enjoy less (e.g. doing finances shows your care for the business)
Make a daily list of the best interactions with customers / clients
Volunteer for projects that you find meaningful
Write a blog post about what you love about your work
Share your passions at work (e.g. start a running club)
Attend a conference on a subject you are passionate about
Become an advocate or champion for something you care about (e.g. inclusion, sustainability)
Survey service users to better understand their needs and how your work can add value
Volunteer to support new starter induction events
Get involved in client facing calls to understand the impact of your work
Learn more about the people your role is helping
Explore the impact of your role on the wider organisation
Reflect each day on the person that you have helped the most
Write down the purpose of your role before every work shift
Say no to tasks that don’t align with your role purpose
Ask for feedback on projects (to see how you have made an impact)
Create a petition for a recycling bin at work
Reframe work travel as an opportunity to explore new places
Meet with customers of projects you have delivered in the past
Create a case study for every new piece of work and share this externally
Relationship crafting
Relationship crafting is shaping how we relate and engage with others, including building and adapting our relationship with co-workers.
Examples:
Write thank you notes to colleagues at the end of each week to express gratitude
Pop into someone else’s office to see how they’re doing
Start a breakfast club
Organise a team away day
Schedule informal 1:1 check-ins to compliment more formal 1:1s
Set up a random coffee scheme that pairs colleagues from across the organisation to meet for coffee
Allow time for informal “chit chat” before meetings
Spend less time with people that can drain your energy levels
Grab lunch with a colleague from a different team once a month
Start a book club
Offer to mentor a new colleague
Ask someone about their passions outside of work
Chat to someone about something non-work related
Seek support to address a negative relationship
Recognise and praise a colleague when you see it
Walk to the coffee shop together as a team
Make connections with clients to foster a relationship
Set a goal to learn something new about each team member
Arrange to catch up with a new starter
Connect with someone from a different team
Wellbeing crafting
Wellbeing crafting is boosting our physical and mental health through the work we do.
Example:
Go for a 15 minute walk at lunchtime
Mindful walking up and down the corridors to collect patients
Switch your phone and email notifications off in the evenings
Arrange walking meetings
Watch 10 minutes of Netflix at lunch time to switch off
Have a coffee break in the garden
Yoga before work
Introduce a ‘fake’ commute to help start and end the day
Use a standing desk
Say no to non-critical work requests
Get into a routine of leaving work on time (e.g. leave the office with a buddy)
Take a tactical nap
Bring nutritious snacks to work
Ensure you take regular breaks
Cycle/run to work
Try having one day a week that is meeting free
Treat yourself to a lie in once a week - start and finish later that day
Take the stairs instead of the lift
Listen to music whilst working on a project
Get away from the desk at lunch time
Job crafting example number 101:
Write down 3 good things at the end of the work day.
Can you guess which type of job crafting this is? 5 gold stars if you can!
We hope that you found these examples inspiring and that you can try out job crafting for yourself.
For more information on job crafting please click here or email us if you fancy a chat at [email protected]
Happy crafting!