Job Crafters
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Job Crafters
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Customise your work day to make your job more engaging and fulfilling​
IMS Quick Reads
Almost two decades ago, a Michigan university professor and a colleague from Yale began to study the behaviours of lower level paid staff working in a hospital. They found that among the janitors and cleaners and cooks, certain individuals eclipsed the rest in how they approached their working day. They were ‘job crafters’, and they pushed out the boundaries of their job descriptions to include actions or responsibilities that made their job more meaningful.
Ever heard of the Fred Factor? Fred is a postman. Not just any old postman, but an extraordinary one. Fred understood that it was possible to go beyond the basic requirement of the job – delivery mail – by providing incredible service, personalized to each of his customers. He did it so well that someone wrote a best-selling book about him. Fred is a great example of how a seemingly ordinary job can be executed with passion and purpose. Because job crafting is an initiative driven by you, it also helps increase ownership of your tasks and gives you a greater sense of control over your work day.
The real beauty of job crafting is in its universality: no matter who you are or what you do, you can create opportunities for professional fulfillment. We think it’s time to get creative and fall in love with your job this Valentine’s day.
Customise your work day to
make your job more
engaging and fulfilling
IMS Quick Reads
Almost two decades ago, a Michigan University Professor and a colleague from Yale began to study the behaviors of lower level paid staff working in a hospital. They found that among the janitors and cleaners and cooks, certain individuals eclipsed the rest in how they approached their working day. They were the ‘job crafters’, workers who pushed the boundaries of their job descriptions to include responsibilities that made their job more meaningful, to them.
Ever heard of the Fred Factor? Fred is a postman. Not just any old postman, but an extraordinary one. Fred understood that there could be more to his job than delivering mail, by looking at how his responsibilities could benefit the whole community. He provided incredible service, personalized to each of his customers, and he did it so well that someone wrote a best-selling book about him. Fred is a great example of how a seemingly ordinary job can be executed with passion and purpose. And because job crafting is an initiative driven by you, it also helps increase ownership of your tasks and gives you a greater sense of control over your workday.
How do you craft a job you love? Start by changing how you perceive your own role within a wider context. Next, look at your current workday and identify opportunities to include activities that allow you to grow, improve your skills, or manage side projects. You can be creative, but prepare a business case to present your ideas to your manager. Chances are, they'll be impressed by your initiative and keen to work on how your ideas can benefit the business.
The real beauty of job crafting is in its universality: no matter who you are or what you do, you can create opportunities for professional fulfillment.
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