Jobs with Multiple Tasks Are More Satisfying

There is a reason that jobs where the worker does one task or a few repetitive tasks over and over again have such high turnover rate (and often low pay)-they just are not desirable jobs. Several studies and polls have shown that workers in the United States WANT to be challenged and stimulated on the job and the highest levels of satisfaction are reported for jobs where employees are asked to perform multiple tasks at various complication levels.

Early in the twentieth century, there was a move toward the atomization and routenization of jobs. This meant that for the sake of efficiency and supposed productivity, one worker did the same task over and over again-as in a factory setting. While this might have been initially efficient, it did not make for workers who were particularly happy in their jobs. The truth is, individuals are much happier in work that challenges them, gives them autonomy and where they can do multiple tasks to contribute to the overall goals.

Individuals feel more committed and satisfied with jobs where they can see and feel how their efforts fit into the overall picture. When people get to use a variety of skills and develop their problem-solving and other abilities on the job, they report a much higher level of satisfaction in the work. This satisfaction means that they are more committed to the company and its productive goals as well.

For those who have a say about the job descriptions and work distribution, consider how you can combine work tasks to make a more stimulating and complicated job. You might actually find that you can save money by hiring fewer workers by combining work tasks in different ways. While it may require greater skill and/or education from workers, the overall satisfaction and efficiency may be higher. Depending on the industry or the type of work the company does these more complicated jobs can be a boost to productivity.

Of course, the tendency in recent years has been to simplify and create jobs that require less in terms of skill level but does this really make for a satisfied work force? Workers identify more with work that stimulates them and where they are able to use a variety of diverse skills to get the job done.