20.07.2026 Sabrina Ludwig 1824

Promoting Job Crafting as a Manager in 5 Steps

Layoff numbers are rising, and with them, uncertainty among employees. Through job crafting, managers can transform fears of layoffs into energy for growth and increase engagement and productivity within their teams. Leadership coach Karoline Weber explains in five steps how you can systematically introduce job crafting to your team.

Text: Karoline Weber, Career and Leadership Coach | Editor: Sabrina Ludwig

What does "job crafting" mean?

The term "job crafting" comes from occupational psychology and refers to actively shaping one's own tasks without changing jobs or positions. Instead of waiting for changes to happen, you take control of your own development.

Studies show that more and more companies are cutting jobs

Reports of restructuring and job cuts in the German economy are on the rise. As early as the end of 2025, the ifo Employment Barometer clearly showed that an increasing number of companies are planning to cut jobs or adjust their workforce structures.

Reports of significant job cuts in the industrial sector alone underscored this trend in 2025 and painted a challenging picture for 2026 as well.

Concerns about job security are growing

For employees, this means, above all, a great deal of uncertainty. Concerns about job security are growing, and the question “Do my skills still make me a good fit?” is becoming increasingly urgent.

As a manager, how can I foster stability within my team?

In this environment, your role as a leader is changing. It’s no longer just about managing performance, but about actively creating stability and pointing the way forward.

This is exactly where job crafting can be used as a leadership tool. Instead of passively reacting to changes, you can work with your team members to proactively shape their roles and responsibilities.

Would you like to foster psychological safety in your team? Read the article: 10 Tips for Psychological Safety in Teams

Job Crafting as a Leadership Tool

Job crafting is a way to adapt valuable skills to new requirements, retain employees within the company, and give them an active role in shaping change. In this way, uncertainty is transformed into an opportunity for growth.

The 3 Dimensions of Job Crafting

Job crafting means that employees proactively tailor their work to their strengths, interests, and values.

This occurs along three dimensions:

1. Task Crafting (Designing Tasks)

Employees change the scope or nature of their duties. 

For example, they take on new responsibilities that align with their strengths and/or passions, or delegate tasks that others on the team can handle better.

2. Relational Crafting (Building Relationships)

The way we collaborate is being adjusted. For example, responsibilities for specific points of contact may be reassigned because a colleague gets along better with Person X from Marketing than you do, so you take on a different point of contact instead ; or communication within the team is being structured more deliberately, for example through regular retrospectives.

3. Cognitive Crafting (Shaping Perception)

This shifts the perspective on one’s own work. By explaining the broader context, employees come to recognize the greater purpose of their work and their contribution to the company’s success, which can greatly enhance their sense of purpose: “I’m not just a call center agent—I’m also a problem-solver and a customer satisfaction representative. The quality of my work has a direct impact on our company’s image.”
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The business case for job crafting is compelling

The business case for job crafting is compelling: Companies and leaders who promote it benefit from:

Practical Checklist: How to Actively Promote Job Crafting in Your Team

The role of leaders, therefore, is not to dictate ready-made solutions, but to create a framework in which team members can become “job crafters” themselves. The goal is to strike a balance between the company’s objectives and the legitimate interests of individuals.

The role of the manager here is that of a coach who recognizes potential and facilitates its development in a way that promotes personal growth.

5 Steps: How to Turn Your Employees into “Job Crafters”

1. Raise awareness of “job crafting”

Actively discuss job crafting with your team if you notice any uncertainty or dissatisfaction, or if you see that individual team members are already taking steps to make proactive changes.

Make it clear that you’re open to working together to further develop roles and responsibilities. Let them know: “Your job isn’t set in stone.”

2. Listening and Observing

Have regular, open conversations. Ask questions that encourage reflection: “Which of your tasks give you energy, and which ones drain it?”, “Where do you see untapped potential in your role?”, or “What problem within the team would you like to solve?”

3. Create space

Whenever possible, allow for autonomy in performing tasks or collaborating with other departments.

Support employees who want to try out new approaches or launch small, independent projects that contribute to team or company goals.

4. Delegate with a Focus on Resources

When assigning tasks, consider not only capacity but also strengths and interests. A thoughtful approach to task assignment can boost motivation across the entire team and increase efficiency, even when resources are limited.

5. Convey Meaning

Establish a clear connection between daily tasks and the company’s overarching purpose. Help your team recognize the important contribution each individual makes to the bigger picture.

Job Crafting as a Challenge for Companies

Especially during times of change, it is unrealistic to redesign each employee’s workspace individually. 

However, it is possible to introduce all employees to the concept of job crafting. To this end, it is essential to recognize job crafting as a corporate resource and to integrate it conceptually into corporate policy. 

Similarly, HR and talent development should support managers in guiding the process using specific guidelines and tools. 

Conclusion: Job crafting helps support teams through change

Job crafting is an extremely effective tool for ensuring motivation, employee engagement, development, and performance during times of change.
By encouraging and empowering your team to actively shape their own work, you are directly investing in the resilience and future viability of your department.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About Job Crafting

1. What is job crafting?

Job crafting means that employees proactively tailor their tasks, collaboration, and perspective on their work to their strengths, interests, and values—within the context of their existing job.

2. Why is job crafting particularly important during periods of job cuts?

During restructuring and workforce reductions, job crafting creates stability: Employees continue to develop their skills, feel they have more influence over their work, and are more likely to remain with the company.

3. What are the three types of job crafting?

Task Crafting: Adjust the scope and type of tasks (more of what’s manageable, less of what drains your energy).

Relational Crafting: Redesigning Collaboration, Interfaces, and Communication Channels.

Cognitive Crafting: Seeing your own role in the broader corporate context in a new light and experiencing it as meaningful.

4. As a manager, what can I do to encourage job crafting?

• Openly discuss job crafting within the team.
• Listen regularly and ask reflective questions.
• Allow for flexibility and autonomy in carrying out tasks.
• Assign tasks based on strengths and interests.
• Highlight the significance and contribution of each role to the company's success.

5. How does job crafting benefit companies?

Job crafting boosts motivation, innovation, performance, employee retention, and team resilience—especially during change processes.

6. What role does HR play in job crafting?

HR should recognize job crafting as a resource, integrate it into policies and processes, and support managers with appropriate tools, training, and coaching.