Jobs to Be Done: Customer Motivation Framework
Jobs to Be Done is a framework that helps teams understand what customers are trying to accomplish by analyzing the underlying motivations, context, and competing solutions in customers' lives, rather than focusing on traditional demographic segments.
What Is It?
The Jobs to Be Done framework, popularized by Clayton Christensen, shifts product development thinking from "who is the customer?" to "what job is the customer trying to accomplish?" Rather than building products for predefined customer segments, this framework helps teams discover the functional, emotional, and social "jobs" that drive customer behavior.
When a customer "hires" a product or service, they're doing so to make progress on something they're trying to accomplish. Understanding these jobs—rather than static demographic profiles—reveals why customers make choices and what would make them switch to alternatives.
The framework recognizes that customers don't want products; they want solutions to problems they're trying to solve. A person might hire a drill to complete a home renovation, but the real job is "creating a comfortable living space." Understanding the true job reveals better solutions and reveals why customers behave the way they do.
Quick Reference
Core Features
- Functional Jobs: What does the customer need to accomplish? (tangible, measurable outcomes)
- Emotional Jobs: How does the customer want to feel? (aspirations, avoiding negative feelings)
- Social Jobs: How does the customer want to be perceived? (status, identity, relationships)
- Context Matters: Jobs exist within specific circumstances, not universal to all customers
- Progress-Focused: Focuses on what customers are trying to get done, not who they are
- Competing Solutions: Identifies what customers currently use to make progress, including non-obvious competitors
- Motivations & Barriers: Uncovers push (problems with status quo) and pull (attraction to solutions)
When to Use
- You're entering a new market or launching a new product
- Customer needs are not well understood
- Demographic segmentation isn't driving successful products (unlike User Personas which work when segments are clear)
- You want to understand why customers choose competitors
- You're trying to innovate beyond incremental improvements
- You need to justify product investments to stakeholders
- You want to predict how customers will respond to new features
When NOT to Use
- You need quick decisions (use Empathy Mapping for faster alignment)
- You have only a few potential customers to interview
- Your market has extremely low complexity
- Customers can't articulate their motivations
- You lack resources for in-depth customer research
- You're optimizing existing products with tight deadlines (use Voice of the Customer instead)
Key Strengths
- Reveals True Motivations: Uncovers why customers actually make decisions, not why they say they do
- Reduces Product Failure Risk: Understanding jobs significantly improves product-market fit
- Competitive Advantage: Identifies opportunities competitors haven't discovered
- Guides Innovation: Sparks ideas for entirely new solutions to customer jobs
- Stakeholder Alignment: Gives clear language for communicating customer needs across organizations
Key Weaknesses
- Time-intensive research process (2-4 weeks vs hours for Empathy Mapping)
- Requires skill in conducting customer interviews
- No guaranteed accuracy—customers may not articulate jobs clearly
- Research interpretation requires subjective analysis
- Implementation gap—understanding jobs is only the first step
How It Works
| 1 Primary Input | Specific customer behavior or choice (why did they buy this product?) |
|---|---|
| 2 Data You Need | In-depth customer interviews (30-60 min each), context about their situation, alternatives considered |
| 3 Primary Output | Clear job statement (functional, emotional, social), success criteria, barriers and motivations |
Comparison with Related Frameworks
Jobs to Be Done is a strategic research framework. Here's how it compares to other customer understanding methods:
Jobs to Be Done vs User Personas
User Personas focus on who customers are, while Jobs reveals what they're trying to accomplish. Personas describe demographics and behaviors; Jobs uncover underlying motivations. Use Jobs for innovation, Personas for execution.
Jobs to Be Done vs Empathy Mapping
Empathy Mapping captures what users think, feel, say, and do at a moment in time. Jobs reveals the deeper "why" behind their progress. Use Empathy Mapping for quick alignment, Jobs for strategic direction.
Jobs to Be Done vs Voice of the Customer
Voice of the Customer systematically collects stated needs and requirements. Jobs interprets hidden motivations. Use VOC for continuous improvement, Jobs for discovering unarticulated needs.
Jobs to Be Done vs Customer Journey Mapping
Customer Journey Mapping shows the "what" and "where" of experience; Jobs reveals the "why." Use both: Jobs to understand needs, Journey mapping to optimize experience delivery.