Beautiful jobs

HR Network logoAn HR Network event

9th May 2013

Job design has shifted from the frankly rather dull: ‘Job design is the process of deciding on the contents of a job in terms of its duties and responsibilities, on the methods to be used in carrying out the job, in terms of techniques, systems and procedures, and on the relationships that should exist between the job holder and his superior, subordinates, and colleagues.’ (Mike Armstrong ‘How to Manage People’, 2011) to an attempt to create jobs that engage, that provide the opportunity to fully apply skills and enthusiasm, and which maximise autonomy. These are the characteristics associated with high performance working. The problem is how does an organisation create these kinds of jobs when there is so much tedious work to be done. In truth organisations have struggled to do so and jobs in the UK have tended to decline in some of these key characteristics such as autonomy and influence. This workshop will explore just how organisations think about job design and do it in practice.

Job design in context
Penny Tamkin: IES

What is job design?
Peter Totterdill: UKWON

Job design in Unipart
Peter Rose: Unipart

The role of the manager in job design
Dr Stephen Harding: Towers Watson

Job design innovation from around Europe
Penny Tamkin: IES