Most readers are, of course, familiar with the typical cadence of employee recruitment: a company has an existing job position they need to fill due to departure of the previous job holder, and they solicit applications from a pool of potential applicants. Or the company may have created a new position for an emergent need, attempting to fill that role through the same general process of soliciting applications from potential applicants.
In either case, the company starts with an open position and then looks out into the labor market to find an applicant who would be a good fit.
But sometimes the process is reversed. In some cases, a company comes across an individual whose skills, personality, connections, or other traits make them so appealing as a potential employee that the company will create a position just to find a role for that person.
A Sign of the Central Importance of Talent in the Modern Economy
If there was any doubt about the crucial importance of human talent in today’s competitive, complex, and global business market, the fact that employers are willing to invent roles for stellar individuals should put a major dent in that doubt. The practice of bespoke job roles for such individuals demonstrates just how crucial individual contributors can be to even the largest organizations.
“The primary advantage of creating positions for specific individuals lies in the ability to attract and retain top talent that can drive innovation, growth, and competitive advantage for the organization,” says Shubham Singh, an HR professional with Demand Sage. “By customizing roles to fit the strengths and aspirations of key individuals, companies can foster a sense of ownership, purpose, and loyalty, leading to higher levels of engagement and performance.”
Avoiding Skills Misalignment and Lost Engagement
Another crucial advantage of creating bespoke positions is the ability to create as much alignment as realistically possible between employee and job function. As Jessica Bane, Operations Director at GoPromotional notes, creating a custom position for an outstanding individual, “leverages the unique skills and potentials of the individual.” Those skills might remain dormant if the employee is simply fit into an existing standard role. Creating a role particularly for an employee, Bane says, is “essentially offering them a sandbox to unleash their creativity and expertise, allowing the organization to benefit from their unique capabilities and vision.”
This alignment is not only beneficial once the candidate has accepted a role with the business and is engaged in their work but also during the recruitment phase. Most readers have probably seen or even applied and interviewed for roles they can take on, but that they aren’t necessarily in love with.
Particularly with top talent, passion for a role is essential in bringing out an employee’s best work and effort. As Bane notes, bespoke job roles, “serve as a strategy to attract top talent, demonstrating that the company values its unique abilities and is flexible to adapt. This can significantly boost the company’s reputation as an innovative and employee-centric organization.”
Despite the benefits, though, there are some drawbacks to be aware of.
Drawbacks of Bespoke Job Roles
Custom-created job roles for top performers are relatively rare in the business world, despite the advantages just discussed. That may be because there are some important drawbacks to consider before moving in this direction.
Budget Constraints
Creating a job role outside of an existing opening for a stellar individual is most likely not within the budget of most organizations or departments, which are focused on meeting existing needs. Many corporate budgets are so tight there’s just no room to get creative and make up a new position just because a particular individual seems like they could be a great addition to the company.
Moreover, the types of individuals most likely to inspire the creation of a bespoke job role tend to fill high-skill or high-seniority roles and carry correspondingly high compensation expectations.
Team Cohesion
Another risk with creating bespoke job roles is the impact on existing employees who may feel slighted or undervalued when a hot-shot outsider is brought in and given special treatment. “It can potentially disrupt the existing team dynamics and hierarchy, if not properly managed,” Bane points out. “Team members may feel overlooked or undervalued, leading to reduced morale or even attrition.”
Singh adds that such practices can also create “perceptions of favoritism or inequality among existing employees, as well as the challenge of justifying the resource allocation and long-term sustainability of these tailored positions.”
Best Practices
Despite these challenges, there are certainly instances where it makes sense to create a bespoke job role for the right person, and there are some best practices to follow when doing so.
“To navigate these complexities effectively, best practice steps include conducting a thorough analysis of the organization’s strategic priorities, talent needs, and existing capabilities before committing to creating a tailored position,” says Singh. “Additionally, transparent communication with stakeholders, including employees, leadership, and external partners, is crucial to ensure alignment and mitigate potential concerns about fairness and equity.” Singh also recommends establishing clear performance metrics and expectations for the new role, along with regular reviews and feedback mechanisms. This, Singh says, “can help mitigate the risks associated with creating positions for specific individuals while maximizing the potential benefits for both the individual and the organization.”
The practice of creating bespoke job roles for uniquely talented individuals underscores the evolving dynamics of the modern workplace and the premium placed on exceptional talent. While this approach offers significant advantages in terms of innovation, engagement, and competitive edge, it also presents challenges that require careful consideration, and the practice might not be right for every organization. Budget constraints, the potential for disrupting team cohesion, and the need for equitable treatment among employees are valid concerns that organizations must address.
However, by adhering to best practices such as conducting thorough strategic analyses, maintaining transparent communication, and setting clear performance expectations, companies have a better shot at harnessing the potential of custom-created roles while avoiding the pitfalls.
Lin Grensing-Pophal is a Contributing Editor at HR Daily Advisor.