" Job crafting , also called job modeling , means becoming the master of one's own pleasure at work. In concrete terms, the employee personalizes the tasks assigned to him to make a tailor-made job that takes into account his expectations, needs, experiences and desires."

The first time I heard these words was during a discussion about the future of recruitment with a friend and lecturer at Hautes-Études-Commerciales, Jean-François Rodrigue. “Jenny, it’s the theory of job crafting *!” I knew that a trend was emerging among startups without necessarily knowing its name. Since 2018, time and time again, good bosses have told me: “here, we recruit a person and then we build a tailor-made position for them” or “here, employees can build their own job based on their strengths.” Without knowing it, these entrepreneurs have experimented with one type of job crafting , by giving their employees the power to shape their job. To better understand what it’s all about, I decided to test this approach within my company: BonBoss.ca inc.

Implementation in three phases

In a traditional approach, an employee joins a job that is associated with a list of tasks and predefined ways of doing things. For the organization, job crafting consists of determining the basis of a position to be filled, but leaving enough flexibility to allow the employee to shape it according to their strengths and aspirations. To achieve this and without letting organizational performance drop, we have adopted this approach:

1. Establish the foundation : Upon arrival, the employee learns about our company's mission, values, vision, and why the position was created. Then, three to five essential tasks are determined and must be mastered. For the rest, the person spends the week learning and observing various projects.

2. Empower : After a week of work, we ask the famous questions: What do you like to do? What did you like less? Depending on his answers, the employee has the power to choose other non-assigned tasks and responsibilities that suit him.

3. Take responsibility : Once the choice is made, the final framework of the position is formalized. The employee then becomes the specialist in the field of expertise and training is offered to him for several days. Everything is then communicated to the rest of the team. The employee is accountable for his choice and the team supports him as needed. As for me, as a manager, I am there to ensure that he masters his art, like a craftsman.

In short, the rule is simple:

• The organization determines the basis of the position to be filled

• The employee shapes his position

• The objectives are up to the company

• The methods are common

• Flourishing is collective

  
  

Here's one way to implement job crafting . In total, there are six ways to tailor a job. This can involve changing the nature of the tasks, adding tasks to your position, redefining the perception of the type of tasks, and more. It's up to you to determine which one works for you.

Benefits for the organization and the employee?

It is clear that job crafting works! At first, I hesitated. Now, the observation is clear: this practice is a real success. The employee is satisfied, valued and his skills are recognized. The team helps each other and I do what any good manager should do: help employees develop and achieve results without micro-managing. In a flash, I said goodbye to the many follow-ups and questions, employees take initiatives and their commitment is obvious. Another observation: their pride. They love their jobs and contribute to our mission with creativity. No need to push them, only encourage them.

Remember this: if people, employees and managers, flourish so quickly, it is because at the beginning, job crafting allowed them to grow by taking ownership of a job in their own way. Then, it is a question of opting for human management… As for the company objectives, they are there!

Job crafting , a key to the future of organizations?

Even though this practice has been around for years, using it consciously can, in my opinion, lead to a highly beneficial change for companies and employees. When everything is evolving and changing at high speed, adaptability and creativity are keys to moving forward together and facing the months to come. And who knows? Employers and employees may be surprised by the power of job crafting, as long as it serves the company's mission.