Creative job titles can energize workers

Cable, D (2016) Creative job titles can energize workers. Harvard Business Review, 94 (5). pp. 24-25. ISSN 0017-8012

Abstract

Job titles don't usually generate much excitement. Some organizations, however, see them as a chance to get creative. London Business School professor Dan Cable and two colleagues published a 2014 study on "self-reflective" job titles, and Cable has since expanded his work in the area. The paper took a deep dive into a local chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, whose CEO invited employees to create fun titles to supplement their official ones. Employees described how their new and improved titles made their jobs more meaningful and helped them cope with the emotional challenges of serving families with sick or dying children. The researchers concluded that the initiative reduced stress by helping people focus on the more purposeful aspects of their jobs. Retitling won't work in every organization. The practice has been more common at start-ups and at dominant companies such as Disney and Google. Cable suggests that large companies try it with small units to gauge employee reactions.