‘Responsibility creep’ is a term that’s been gaining traction lately, but it’s not a new concept.
Simply put, it refers to the gradual expansion of an individual or organisation’s duties, beyond an original scope or mandate.
On an individual level, responsibility creep manifests as an accumulation of tasks and obligations that stretch you, and divert your focus from core objectives.
From a broader business perspective, responsibility creep can divert focus from agreed strategies, affecting existing roadmaps, new features and product releases. All of these can hinder innovation and competitiveness in the market.
For entrepreneurs, it can mean succumbing to the allure of quick expansion into new territories, hopping on market trends or prioritising unexpected investor or board demands.
Regardless of your status, both forms of creep can lead to overextension and dilution of what a person, team or company is trying to achieve.
Danger zone
While taking on more responsibilities may seem like a natural progression for growing businesses, this comes with its fair share of risks.
Expanding responsibilities without adequate resources can strain employees, finances and infrastructure, all of which jeopardise the overall health of the business.
It’s also a compliance issue. With the additional tasks that come with responsibility creep, this can expose the business to risk and potential fines for non-compliance should a regulatory change be missed or unknown.
One of the most common consequences of responsibility creep is employee burnout, brought on by excessive workloads. Though obviously, the associated productivity drops, retention rates and hiring struggles also have a clear business impact too.
To mitigate the risks associated with responsibility creep, there are many measures leadership can take, including giving regular reminders of the company’s core mission, appointing an advocate for them in the C-suite, and reviewing goals quarterly.
However, if a company founder is a loose cannon, and/or is easily distracted, this can be a losing battle for employees at all levels. If this sounds like your organisation, it could be time to find somewhere new.
The Tech Funding News Job Board is full of tech roles across all industries and experience levels, many with leading global companies, such as these three.
Software Engineer, Electronic Arts, United Kingdom
Electronic Arts, makers of The Sims and Skate, is hiring into a remote position as it seeks a Software Engineer to join its platform engineering and infrastructure support team. Reporting to the technical director, the successful candidate will work in collaboration with experienced teams that have collectively built and progressed backend services for more than two decades. You’ll need at least five years’ active experience in cloud computing, two years experience using Kubernetes, hands-on experience crafting CI/CD pipelines and assets, plus be proficient in Golang, alongside other criteria. See more here.
Software Engineer, ubs, London
Global wealth manager UBS is hiring a Software Engineer to work with its core platform engineering team in Pune, India, and to collaborate with colleagues in Poland, Switzerland, the UK and U.S.. You’ll be building, maintaining and hosting open, inner-sourced platforms, products and libraries for Risk & Finance. It’s seeking T-shaped professionals who have deep expertise in core technologies, but who are also open to learning new technologies. React, TypeScript, NodeJS, HTML, CSS, data visualisation libraries, microservices, 12Factor patterns and effective unit testing are all a must. There is an assessment on application. Find out more here.
Senior Software Engineer, Autodesk, Cambridge
If you’re interested in the digital transformation of manufacturing and construction, then Autodesk has the role for you. Help create a platform company by building cloud services, applications and components as a Senior Software Engineer working in an Agile development environment, in a Scrum team, and engage with colleagues around the world. With 1,000 developers across the company, it’s a culture that is challenging, rewarding and collaborative. Its tech stack includes: BREP modelling, mesh modelling, JavaScript, C++ 17, Node, Docker, Python, AWS, Artifactory, CMake, Jenkins, and Ansible. Strong experience is C++ is required, as is a first-class or upper-second degree in computer science, mathematics, engineering, or a related technical field. Apply here.
Want to see more? Explore the Tech Funding News Job Board to find your next opportunity
This article is part of a partnership with Amply. For partnering opportunities, contact [email protected]m or [email protected].
