Designing a 'Good Job'
The National Fund’s Job Quality Initiative works with community and business leaders to improve the quality of American jobs. In partnership with its network of regional collaboratives, the National Fund is researching and promoting hiring, training, and workforce practices that improve firm competitiveness and job quality.
What does a quality job look like? The below graphic offers an array of components that can be used to create a dynamic definition. It is more of a menu than a mandate. Every element may not be relevant for every job, business or its workforce. When considering how to re-design a job, employers should consider their unique culture and needs and discuss interventions with frontline workers to identify the most impactful changes. This framework was developed by National Fund Senior Advisor Steven Dawson and originally published in Now or Never: Heeding the Call of Labor Market Demand by the Pinkerton Foundation.
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Numerous factors—wages, supervision, benefits, culture—contribute to a good job and each worker or companies might value a different set of items; however, the National Fund seeks to isolate specific practices that improve the conditions of workers and the performance of companies. The Job Design Framework seeks to outline the various elements of a good job.