Job design is the number, kind and variety of tasks that a worker is expected to carry out in the course of performing their job.
Fredrick Taylor who identified that there was one best way of doing a job and that worker skills should be matched to the job requirements. It is based on specialisation and is an efficient process that often uses low-skilled, cheap labour.
In more recent times, job design has been expanded to incorporate a more general approach with a greater variety of tasks to be performed by workers. This is sometimes referred to as job enlargement. The main objective of the provision of a wider variety of tasks is to improve worker engagement, satisfaction and ultimately productivity. Managers must, however, avoid simply adding tasks for the sake of it and should recognise that there is some benefit from a specialised approach.
In the past, job specialisation — where production was broken down into distinct tasks that were performed by individual employees — often resulted in employee boredom and dissatisfaction. To counter this effect, 3 job design approaches have been used based on intrinsic rewards— the good feeling that one gets from doing something well.
1. Job rotation. Employees switch, for a period of time, from one job to another. This provides variety and gives employees a more comprehensive view of the organisation or the production process.
2. Job enlargement. Employees are given more things to do within the same job. This provides job variety and a greater challenge for employees
3. Job enrichment. Employees are given more control and independence over how they do their work. This makes the job more interesting and challenging and provides motivating opportunities for self-satisfaction.