How does job enlargement occur?
Job enlargement happens when businesses reexamine the tasks associated with jobs within their organizations to see how they can be added to some roles to boost productivity while reducing tedious tasks in other roles. Companies implement models for job enlargement for a variety of reasons, including reducing boredom to boost employee satisfaction and retention.
In order to keep employees motivated in their careers, employers use job expansion. It’s simpler to incorporate the company’s innovations into its short- and long-term goals when employees have the opportunity to develop and adapt to new responsibilities in their jobs. It’s crucial to find a successful way to integrate new processes into the workplace culture as a company evolves over time, creates new technologies, and seeks to design new systems and ways of working. This is why job enlargement can be so helpful. It provides avenues for employers to improve the working environment and develop their staff members’ capabilities over time.
What is job enlargement?
The combination of job duties at the same level within a company is known as job enlargement. The implementation of job enlargement expands the range of each employee’s responsibilities and tasks.
Employers can raise employee interest and engagement in work by combining tasks. Employers and employees benefit from effective job expansion strategies because they increase productivity and morale. The number of tasks that are assigned to a person increases when they are using a job enlargement model. This method gradually redefines the job by elevating employee responsibilities and expectations.
Examples of job enlargement
The best way to comprehend job expansion is to look at some examples that could occur at work. Below are three examples of job enlargement in the workplace:
Example 1: Adding smaller tasks to help an employee improve their skills
The best task combinations can help managers expand the skill sets of current employees and give them more versatility. For instance, a worker on an assembly line might be required to complete additional product assembly tasks before their work is transferred to the following stage of development. Over time, the employee increases their effectiveness in their position and strengthens their time management abilities.
Example 2: Horizontal job enlargement
To ensure that all of their staff members are working to their full potential, managers or team leaders may also use horizontal job enlargement. When a manager adds more tasks to a worker’s workload, this is known as “horizontal job enlargement.” For instance, the business decides to increase output to 40 claims per day after an agent processes 20 claims per day. Although there is more work to do, the position level and nature of the work remain the same. The employee might be qualified for future benefits like promotions or raises if they consistently demonstrate that they can manage this increase in tasks.
Example 3: Training
For employees to fully understand their roles, employers occasionally offer internal training programs or hire outside training specialists. Companies may use more seasoned employees as coaches or mentors for new hires after training. Because collaborative leadership enables those who take on such responsibilities to develop skills they can use in higher-level positions, coaching or mentoring is a successful method of job expansion.
Advantages of job enlargement
Job expansion has some significant advantages for both managers and employees. Some of the biggest advantages include:
Increased employee engagement
It frequently results in greater job satisfaction and longevity for those on your team to work on a variety of projects. When workers stay longer and are happy in their jobs, businesses see a better return on their investments. It is simpler for workers to remain focused on their current tasks when their jobs are varied.
Work flexibility
Successful job expansion increases work flexibility because employees can complete more tasks than before. Task flexibility can result in job advancement, greater satisfaction, and increased productivity.
Positive challenges
The new challenges posed by projects and tasks excite employees about their work in a way that they never have before. Employees have the opportunity to use a variety of skill sets and be creative in ways they may not have been able to use before the expansion thanks to the variety of work.
Training opportunities
Many employees will not require additional training as a result of job expansion. However, the need for training depends on how each company uses horizontal methods to increase the number of jobs. Managers may offer extra training that enables staff to develop crucial new skills if a company decides to combine job tasks that are unrelated to one another.
Individual growth
Job expansion aids in the development of stamina and the capacity to perform better under pressure. The best candidates for a supervisory position may be chosen by the company based on who is eager to accept additional responsibilities and successfully complete them. When working well under pressure, employees who exhibit essential leadership qualities can show that they are prepared for future promotions.
Development of soft skills
Another benefit of job expansion strategies is the chance to develop soft skills like self-discipline. A challenge worth pursuing is using new skills to enable innovative work methods and systems. Time management, organization, communication, and innovation are additional examples of soft skills an employee could acquire through job expansion.
Disadvantages of job enlargement
There are some drawbacks to job expansion, so it’s crucial to have a plan in place in case these circumstances do arise. Some disadvantages of job enlargement include:
Possibility of lower morale
Employees who are given increasing amounts of work for the same salary and in the same position may eventually become demotivated. Consider providing your team with incentive programs and pay increases as job responsibilities rise to counteract this effect.
Temporarily slower production
The cost of training new employees and the impact on output during the transition period come with job growth. However, to better control the cost of training, think about internal training that specializes in instructing staff members how to use efficient coaching and support. A system like this can also help you spend less time preparing your staff for increased workloads.
Job creep
Job creep, or the continual addition of work-related tasks without adequate means to effectively balance them, is a common drawback. Job creep over time may cause some people to become dissatisfied with their jobs. You can create systems of support to pace job tasking procedures and promote collaboration among teammates who perform similar roles to prevent job creep.
Increased stress
For employees, having too many tasks can occasionally be stressful and overwhelming. Managers can schedule a time for staff to socialize or just unwind to reduce stress related to work. Using team-building techniques can increase morale and foster a collaborative workplace environment.
Job Enlargement and Job Rotation
FAQ
What is an example of job enlargement?
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An enlarged job can motivate the worker in the following ways:
- Variety of Tasks: …
- Enlarged and Meaningful Work Modules: …
- Optimum Utilisation of Abilities: …
- Worker Paced Control:
What is job enlargement and job enrichment examples?
Examples of job expansion For instance, a worker on an assembly line might be required to put together more pieces of the final product before moving on to the next stage of development. Over time, the employee increases their effectiveness in their position and strengthens their time management abilities.
What are the differences between job enrichment and job enlargement?
A definition. Job enrichment is a process that involves giving existing jobs new components to make them more motivating. Jobs can be made more fulfilling by adding new tasks (also known as job enlargement), diversifying skill sets, giving them more meaning, granting autonomy, and providing feedback.
