Job Enlargement

What is Job Enlargement?
Adding new duties to an existing title role without a change in the job level is called Job enlargement.
One such example is where the manager is generally entitled to plan his/her subordinate's work. However, in this case, the employee will be planning out his/her own schedule henceforth. Hereafter, performing more duties and diverse tasks in a given current job role of an employee is how Job enlargement is defined.
Job Enlargement and its Importance
A person's awareness of his growing significance within the business is heightened by job expansion because of the expanded range of work being done.
In order for employees to be able to become accustomed to the increased job duties, the organization's management must support the employees in receiving the necessary training.
Process for Job Enlargement
Employee Aspirations and their alignment
If employees aspire to take up more responsibility, only then should the employee be brought into the line of increased work.
Not to forget, increased work also increases stress, even though job enlargement has proved to be a great way of increasing motivation.
Planning Continuity
Employees may be trained with additional duties in their existing role, serving as a step forward towards the new role or promotion.
In addition, job enlargement allows one to identify such employees easily.
Development of Skills
A limited group of competent professionals may be chosen for additional duties if a new set of skills development is envisaged for personnel in line with the firm's overall objective.
Adequate Training Initiatives
Employees may encounter several gaps with new work tasks.
However, these can be quickly filled with the right training programs, enabling them to take on new responsibilities more confidently and with no trouble.
Benefits of Job Enlargement
1. Increase in Team Participation
It is simpler for team members to maintain concentration on their current work when there is diversity in their jobs.
When team members stay longer and are happier in their positions, businesses see a better return on their investments.
2. Flexibility in work
Work flexibility grows when team members can handle more duties. Hence, job enlargement is successfully implemented.
Improved jobs, gratification, and increased production result from task flexibility.
3. Challenges in a positive direction
Team members are more excited about their duties as a result of the new trials posed by new tasks and projects.
4. Opportunities for Training
There is a possibility, that training may not be required for many team members who have undergone job enlargement.
Each company's use of horizontal approaches for employment expansion will determine the demand for training.
5. Development in individuals
With an increase in responsibilities and workload, employees tend to adapt themselves to such a job enlargement environment.
This results in the employees working efficiently under pressure and developing their stamina in accordance with their workload.
6. Earn more money
An increase in pay can also be one of the results of increased duties in a current role.
A special advantage for the employee is higher pay.
Adverse effects of Job Enlargement
Effectiveness can be reduced
Job enlargement results in decreased efficiency and probably stress
One gets better and quick at tasks when one practices them all day, every day.
Decrease in production temporarily
Job enlargement can result in the employee being overwhelmed with the work load which may slow their efficiency.
This ultimately leads to lower production levels for a temporary phase. The element of a steep learning curve comes into play.
Job creep
Job creep can cause employees to get overwhelmed and can make them feel his/her job is impractical.
The constant addition of new tasks to a role result in a rise in burden, also known as job creep
Timestamps
This video is on Job Enlargement and it has the following sub-topics.
0:15 - What is Job Enlargement?
1:05 - Job Enlargement and its Importance
1:28 - Process for Job Enlargement
2:29 - Benefits of Job Enlargement
4:08 - Adverse effects of Job Enlargement