Archive | Work Design Research

Here are some tips to help you increase challenge and variety in your job:

Meet with your manager and ask for new challenges and skill development opportunities. Ask for a career counselling and brainstorming session to come up with ideas for moving forward.
Try a rotation program, to learn about the tasks of your co-workers and hopefully alternate your day to day responsibilities with them to improve the variety of your work. They will probably enjoy the opportunity to learn new skills themselves.
Make a list of your job variety in different areas: skills, activities, people interactions, etc. Try to focus on a different area each day.

Given the risks of low stimulating jobs as well as the benefits of highly stimulating jobs, it is a good idea to apply strategies that increase challenge and variety for your employees:

Provide opportunities for job shadowing or job rotation, so your employees can learn something new in a different part of the company.
Check in with your employees to understand if they are sufficiently challenged by the tasks they have been given.
Ensure your employees are allocated a variety of tasks.
Regularly ask your employees what skills they would like to develop that could benefit their role. Be sure to allow time for skill development.
Support your employees if they wish to take part in one of your organisation’s fellowship programs. Some companies offer short-term fellowship programs that last three to six months and may take place in other parts of the country or even offices abroad.