What is role redesign?

Role redesign is an essential function wherein an organization’s tasks and responsibilities are rearranged for better alignment of roles with the changing environment inside and outside the organization. Organizations are rapidly adopting this tool to shape the changing roles and build a future-ready workforce who will move the organization forward.

In this article, we have touched upon the factors that can initiate a role redesign, its process, and the benefits of role redesign.

When will your organization need one?

You will find yourself wondering when should my organization opt for role redesign or do, I even need one. Well, here are a few instances that indicate a need for role redesign.

1. Access risk and red flags in audits: Roles play an important part in the smooth functioning of any organization and are granted directly or indirectly. However, in cases where there is a lack of visibility of probable risk within the roles, the team fails to recognize which role contains critical access. Here mitigating visible risk also becomes an arduous task, and the company relies on red flags in audit reports to identify risks.
2. High volume request access: When roles are not defined, then even to perform a small task, a user has to frequently request access to a system. While it may be useful at some level, it can get tiresome and frustrating, therefore hindering productivity. If you are receiving a high volume of request access, then it is time to consider role redesign.
3. Segregation of duties (SoD) violations: If your company is facing frequent SoD violations, then your sensitive data is at risk. Therefore, to secure data, you need to consider role redesigning. The new roles will clearly state who can have access to what data based on their well-defined level of the job.
4. Change in organizational structure: If the organization is planning for restructuring, then role redesigning will be a primary function.

Role redesigning – A 5 step comprehensive approach:

Role redesigning can be an overwhelming and arduous task, especially for a larger organization. Nevertheless, at times it might be the only arrow in your quiver, so your team needs to be aware of the basic steps. Here is a five-step comprehensive approach to guide you.

1.  Identifying a need for change: While you plan for a role redesigning, identify why there is a need for change and what is it. For instance, if your organization is shifting from handling operations manually to digitally, then that is a good reason to opt for role designing. Additionally, evaluate the external environment and what roles may stop being relevant shortly. If your organization relies on those roles, then it is role redesigning time.
2. Conducting individual job analysis: Once you know what roles to redesign, critically analyze the role, its requirements, challenges, and importance within the organization. Furthermore, study how the role is executed currently and what can be done differently to get similar or better results.
3. Evaluating core competencies: Core competencies are a set of skills and values that every individual in the organization should have. they are not specific to any level or nature of work. Understand what they are, and evaluate them. When role redesigning is initiated, then these values are likely to change.
4. Job redefining: After considering all the above factors, the jobs and the roles will be redefined. At this stage, the primary stakeholders will play an important role in approving the changes. Again, the employees will also be evaluated, and, their unique skillsets will be considered to create a person-job fit for optimum satisfaction.
5. Implementing role redesign: It is the last and final stage of the role redesign process. The workforce is informed of the changes at this stage, and new roles are implemented. It is important to remember, that some members may require training and assistance to perform their tasks more efficiently. Transparent and empathetic communication is the key to a successful role redesign and transformation.

Benefits of role redesign:

Now that you know when and how to deal with role redesign, let’s take a look at how it can benefit your organization.

1.  Role redesign saves your workforce from boredom and burnout by saving the trouble of repetitive work. It adds variety to work and opportunities for individuals to scale up.
2. Role redesign creates an agile and future-ready workforce that can adjust as the external environments continue to evolve. An agile workforce with a multitude of skillset is better at handling crises than those with limited roles.
3. Every organization’s internal climate demands a change from time to time. Periodic role redesign prepares the workforce to accept larger changes, and orienting the members became a less daunting task.
4.  Role redesign also increases team efficiency. Managers are constantly striving to create more value through their teams. Role redesign helps individuals direct their energy towards tasks that yield more value than those that do not fulfill the team’s or organization’s goals.

In Conclusion,

The world is changing, and so are the jobs. Job redesign is one of the tools in the organizational development toolkit. When applied well, it aids in creating a job that aligns with business goals and the external environment, while also fitting with the skills and capabilities of the employee