With society beginning to emerge from the throes of the Covid-19 pandemic, what can we expect from this new world of work, and why should personalisation and job crafting be incorporated into the restructuring process?
One thing is certainly clear - work as we’ve previously known it may be altered forever. The pandemic has demanded trust between organisations and employees - a trust which has yielded incredible business, as well as wellbeing, benefits.
We all perceive the world differently. Difference is what makes us human. However, despite our differences, we possess a desire to feel included and that we belong - this is as true at work as it is elsewhere. Yet it can be challenging for organisations to know where to start with creating diverse and inclusive workplaces. In some organisations the diversity & inclusion (D&I) agenda is perceived as a ‘tick box’ exercise designed to ensure legal compliance. A lack of genuine desire and commitment to create diverse and inclusive workplaces can result in strategies which fail to include the very people they are designed to support. Even in more progressive workplaces managers typically don’t recognise, and therefore make the most of, our diversity. At worst, it is ignored and even stifled.
So we know why job crafting is beneficial for employees and organisations. We know what the different types of job crafting are. But what about the How of job crafting? How do we make job crafting a reality in our working day-to-day? And how do we measure this and the outcomes of job crafting?
A beneficial way of encouraging personal reflection on how work is being carried out is by asking yourself the following six question themes. These questions are designed to stimulate thought, energy and excitement about the aspects of your work you are interested in personalising and crafting further, as well as helping identify opportunities to shift and change.
In our last blog, we presented an introduction to job crafting and focused on the Why of job crafting - why personalising your work matters and the benefits it has been found to bring to employees and the wider organisation. This blog explores the What of job crafting - what the different types of job crafting are - to build a clearer understanding of the forms job crafting can take in the workplace. There are five core types of job crafting.
We eagerly welcome personalization into our lives - whether that is the opportunity to personalise our clothes, tins of chocolate or designing and printing amazing customisable greeting cards online. Being able to tailor things to our own personal preferences, style and values creates meaning and worth for us.
Job crafting enables employees to bring this personalization to the workplace.
A happy, healthy workforce is imperative for the success of any organisation. UK employees will work an average of nearly 85,000 hours in their lifetime [1]- the equivalent for spending approximately a decade working solidly night and day. Looking after our wellbeing and the wellbeing of our colleagues is therefore essential.
