HBR Guide to Motivating People (HBR Guide Series)

CHAPTER 16

Let Employees Personalize Their Jobs

by Vivek Bapat

We live in an increasingly personalized society. We choose individualized playlists instead of radio stations. We self-select our news sources and our TV shows. Our cars have infinitely adjustable seats and telescopic steering. Everything is geared just for us.

Then we have job descriptions.

In most corporate structures today, recruitment for a position generally means starting with a formal list of tasks—the standardized job description—and hiring someone who can make a convincing case that they would perform each one.

As time goes on, people get stuck in these predefined roles, and, if growth opportunities aren’t available, they disengage. Although concerned leaders try to address ...