The expert presents a work method that is becoming popular in the world, increasing the motivation of employees | Business

Ieva Daubaraitė-Palmquist, training partner and consultant at the training and business consulting company “Grand Partners”, claims that strict job descriptions, although they provide clarity and structure, can sometimes hinder work – they are often the reason why employees do not realize their abilities.

To prevent this from happening, according to the expert, it is worth looking into the job crafting model and applying its principles. But how to do it properly?

Company photo/Ieva Daubaraitė-Palmquist

What is job content design?

I. Daubaraitė-Palmquist points out that job content design is not a typical top-down approach to job creation. On the contrary, it gives employees the opportunity to actively reorganize their roles themselves.

“This unique approach allows them to identify tasks and interactions that best match their strengths, motivations and passions.” Unlike a prepackaged job description, job content design allows employees to personalize their work experience, which leads to greater responsibility, engagement, and ultimately, better fit for both the individual and the organization. The employee himself creates guidelines for work tasks based on his strengths,” the expert explains.

She adds that the success of work content design is almost universal: “In the Netherlands, Buurtzorg nurses create their own work schedules and care plans, increasing patient satisfaction and improving their work outcomes.” American company Best Buy empowers employees to customize their roles through collaboration, resulting in happier employees and increased sales. India-based Infosys tailors “learning journeys” to employee interests, boosting motivation and project completion rates. Even Volkswagen uses work content design, allowing employees to volunteer for special projects, thus fostering innovation and a more dynamic work environment.”

It’s important to find a balance

According to I. Daubaraitė-Palmquist, when there is no flexibility at work and employees strictly follow their job description, it can have a negative impact on the entire activity.

“This arrangement completely discourages employees from proposing new ideas that are not related to the described tasks, and therefore, ultimately, innovation is prevented. In addition, unforeseen problems may remain unsolved if employees do not resolve to solve them, fearing that they will exceed the limits of their duties,” the expert notes.

She continues that in such an organizational culture, talented and passionate people often feel demotivated because their work is strictly limited to a pre-defined to-do list: “Imagine a marketing team that is only involved in creating social media content – ​​a talented writer may not bother to research blog posts. , if not clearly mentioned in the job description. Similarly, a sales representative focused on closing deals may miss opportunities to identify new customer segments or build deeper relationships with existing ones if these activities are outside of their defined responsibilities. Striking a balance between clear expectations and flexibility is key to fostering a dynamic and engaged team.”

Lack of motivation or laziness?

According to the education expert, when working according to strict requirements and not using their strengths, employees often lack motivation, and this can be confused with laziness. However, the difference, although hardly noticeable, exists between them.

“A vigilant manager can spot several red flags. For example, constant struggle and frustration with tasks that others find easy may indicate that an employee is not utilizing his or her natural strengths. This frustration can manifest as negativity, complaining, or dependence on others for help. Despite seemingly similar efforts, the quality of his work may suffer – errors, missed deadlines or lack of attention to detail may occur,” says I. Daubaraitė-Palmquist.

Another signal that can betray that an employee is not using his strengths is apathy, lack of initiative or doing work without real interest. Difficulties in mastering new concepts or adapting to changed responsibilities can also indicate that work does not meet needs.

“It is important to pay attention to the fact that insufficient involvement of an employee or difficulties can negatively affect the entire team, because colleagues constantly have to replace him. If a person suddenly achieves excellent results after being transferred to another position, it may indicate that the previous position did not suit his strengths. However, these signs can also appear due to other factors, so it is very important to communicate openly”, continues the expert.

Benefits for both the employee and the organization

The education expert is convinced that when working in one’s area of ​​strengths, mastery and efficiency flourish, tasks are completed faster and more accurately, which increases overall productivity. According to her, solving problems becomes like a dance and not a fight, because it is easier to find creative solutions to challenges with the help of existing knowledge.

“Motivation and satisfaction, when an employee empowers his strengths, becomes an inspiration to move forward, making work more fulfilling and enjoyable. Success often comes along with it, which further strengthens self-confidence, improvement and continuous growth. This is not a “lonely” pursuit – when each team member contributes to their strengths, the collective effect becomes a multiplier that encourages teams to achieve extraordinary results”, points out I. Daubaraitė-Palmquist and adds that a positive side effect is possible – and better mental health .

According to the expert, strengthening existing strengths creates a solid foundation for further learning and skill development, thus unlocking even greater potential. This benefits more than just the individual, as employees who play to their strengths are more likely to stay engaged, reduce turnover and make the organization more stable. “This means that the employer can offer greater value to the employee as well – by highlighting his strengths, he becomes a valuable asset and is therefore more competitive,” says the education partner.

How to enable employee strengths?

According to I. Daubaraitė-Palmquist, revealing the potential of employees starts with empowering their strengths. First, she recommends conducting interviews and assessing each employee’s unique skills and talents.

“If you assign tasks to employees based on their individual abilities, it is likely to increase their motivation.” In addition, training and various mentoring programs help to improve in the professional field”, the expert names the measures and adds that important events and achievements that reveal the strengths of employees should be celebrated.

“A team environment also helps to increase motivation, so it’s great if managers are able to find pairs of colleagues whose members complement each other’s strengths.” In such an environment, it is also easier to share knowledge, teach others and thus build self-confidence, and constructive feedback is useful not only for strengthening strengths, but also for weakening weaknesses. Thus, empowering the personal strengths of each employee is a benefit for the entire organization,” concludes I. Daubaraitė-Palmquist.