Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) research is a framework used to understand the underlying motivations behind why customers choose a product or service. It answers a deceptively simple question: What “job” is the customer hiring your product to do?

In JTBD terms, a "job" isn’t a task on a to-do list – it’s a goal or desired outcome your customer is trying to achieve. For example, someone doesn’t buy a drill because they want a drill; they buy it because they need a hole in the wall. The real customer need lies in the result they’re trying to achieve, not in the product itself.

JTBD vs. traditional market research

Traditional market research often focuses on customer preferences, product features, or demographic segments. While useful, this approach can miss the real context of a customer’s life or decision. JTBD research, by contrast, centers on behavior and outcomes. It uncovers the “why” behind the choice, revealing unmet needs and emotional drivers.

Here’s how JTBD differs from more traditional methods:

• Focus: JTBD centers on goals and motivations, while traditional research may focus more on opinions or satisfaction ratings.
• Perspective: It starts from the customer’s point of view, using real-world context to understand their struggle.
• Application: JTBD insights often lead directly to product innovation opportunities or customer experience improvements.

Understanding customer jobs in everyday scenarios

To make this clearer, consider this (fictional) example: A busy parent regularly buys smoothies in the morning. Traditional market research might highlight flavor preference, brand loyalty, or price sensitivity. JTBD research digs deeper to uncover that the parent is actually hiring the smoothie to save time, reduce hunger, and allow them to parent on the go. This reveals opportunities to design better packaging, optimize portability, or provide energy-boosting ingredients.

Core elements of JTBD research

Effective JTBD research typically includes:

• Customer interviews that explore context, motivations, and desired outcomes
• Behavioral observations that go beyond what people say to what they do
• Analysis frameworks that cluster jobs into categories like functional, emotional, and social jobs

By narrowing in on the job – rather than the product – businesses can unlock more meaningful insights. It’s not about asking, “What do customers like?” It’s about asking, “What are they trying to get done?”

Understanding why customers make choices is one of the most valuable insights a business can have. That’s precisely why the Jobs to Be Done framework plays such a crucial role in shaping modern business strategy. While surface-level preferences can change, customer motivations – and the "jobs" they need to get done – tend to remain consistent. This stability makes JTBD a powerful foundation for long-term growth.

Aligning your offer with real customer needs

Market research and traditional segmentation often focus on what customers look like or what features they say they want. But preferences can be misleading. Jobs to Be Done research uncovers what actually drives action – the customer’s intent. This means you can align your offerings more precisely with what people are trying to accomplish, leading to better customer experiences and stronger brand loyalty.

For example, if you're redesigning a fitness app, instead of asking, “What features should we add?” JTBD prompts you to ask, “What job are users hiring this app to do?” Maybe it’s building confidence before returning to the gym, tracking small wins to stay motivated, or managing time more efficiently during workouts. Each of those insights would lead to different product decisions.

Fueling product innovation and differentiation

By zeroing in on the jobs customers are trying to get done, you can unlock entirely new ways to solve their problems – even in well-established markets. That can give your product real differentiation, not just more features. JTBD insights often highlight gaps in the market where current solutions fall short.

Businesses that integrate Jobs to Be Done into their product development process are better positioned to:

• Innovate based on unmet needs rather than guesswork
• Build solutions that create meaningful value
• Differentiate from competitors on purpose, not just price

Making strategic decisions with confidence

JTBD is not just for product design. Its insights inform larger strategic decisions – from marketing messages to go-to-market strategies and service offerings. When you know the real reason customers choose your product, you can communicate more clearly, invest in the right features, and prioritize resources around what matters most.

This helps avoid the common pitfall of launching ideas that meet internal assumptions but miss the customer mark. Instead, you get a strategy grounded in reality, focused squarely on what drives customer behavior.

Why it matters now more than ever

As customer expectations evolve and markets become more crowded, understanding the deeper "why" behind customer behavior isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity. In a world flooded with data, Jobs to Be Done helps leaders cut through the noise and focus on what truly matters for business growth.

For business leaders seeking clarity, relevance, and long-term value, JTBD research can be a game-changer. It's a blend of user research, behavioral insight, and strategic thinking – all working together to help your business meet people where they are, and grow in the right direction.

Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) research can be most valuable when you're looking to better understand customer behavior and uncover the real motivations driving their decisions. But not every business challenge requires this type of research. So, when should you bring JTBD into your strategy toolbox?

Key Moments to Leverage JTBD

JTBD is especially effective when you're facing questions about why customers choose a product or service – or why they switch. Unlike traditional research methods that often focus on surface-level preferences, JTBD digs deeper into functional, emotional, and social drivers. Here are a few common scenarios where JTBD can shine:

• During product development: When you're launching a new product or iterating on an existing one, understanding what job customers are hiring it to do can radically improve design and usability.
• To uncover market opportunities: JTBD research can help identify unmet or underserved needs in your target audience, revealing whitespace for innovation.
• To diagnose stagnation: If sales are flat or customer churn is rising, JTBD can provide insight into what your current solution is lacking from the user’s point of view.
• To improve customer experience: By mapping real customer jobs, teams can realign experiences around what truly matters to users.

JTBD vs Traditional Research – When It Matters

Traditional market research often asks customers what they like or want. JTBD takes it a step further by asking: “What were you trying to accomplish when you chose this product?” This difference helps surface underlying needs customers may not be able to articulate themselves.

For example, a customer doesn’t just “want a drill” – they want to “hang a picture frame quickly without damaging their wall.” JTBD exposes these core motivations, enabling more innovative thinking and sharper targeting.

Aligning JTBD with Your Business Goals

JTBD research works best when your goals align with long-term customer understanding and product innovation – not just quick fixes or benchmarking. If your team is ready to explore why customers behave the way they do, rather than just measuring what they do, JTBD can offer sharp insight that traditional surveys or focus groups might not uncover on their own.

Used the right way, this research method empowers business leaders to prioritize with clarity, build more human-centered solutions, and ultimately fuel meaningful business growth.

To bring the Jobs to Be Done framework to life, let’s explore how JTBD research translates into practical, change-driving insights. These examples are fictional but inspired by common business scenarios. They’re meant to show how JTBD uncovers customer needs that traditional methods might overlook.

Example 1: Quick-Service Restaurant Chain

A regional fast-food company wanted to understand why lunchtime traffic was declining, despite high customer satisfaction scores. Traditional surveys showed people liked the food and service. But JTBD research revealed a deeper issue: the job customers were actually hiring lunch to do was “recharge and feel relaxed” between tasks. The chain’s noisy, fast-paced atmosphere wasn't supporting that emotional need.

Insight-driven Action: By redesigning seating areas for better comfort and ambiance, introducing calming music, and offering combo meals labeled “Recharge Bundles,” the business saw a positive lift in lunchtime visits.

Example 2: Home Cleaning Subscription

A direct-to-consumer home cleaning service assumed that customers wanted convenience. However, JTBD interviews showed the real job was “feel in control of my space” – a reassurance-driven motive.

Insight-driven Action: The company redesigned notifications and dashboards to emphasize consistency, reliability, and control (not just speed). This helped reduce subscriber churn and increase satisfaction.

Example 3: Personal Finance App

An app identified its main job as “track spending.” But through JTBD research, they uncovered a stronger job: “lower financial anxiety.” While users wanted to track, what they truly needed was a way to feel calm and in control.

Insight-driven Action: The team added features like goal setting, stress indicators, and AI-driven coaching tips to help users feel supported. Engagement and daily app usage rose substantially as a result.

The Power of Reframing Customer Needs

In each of these examples, JTBD shifted the perspective from features to outcomes – uncovering ways to align more closely with what customers are really trying to achieve. This kind of insight can transform product development, messaging strategies, and user experience across industries.

Instead of asking what customers like, JTBD asks: “What problem are they solving? What job are they hiring us to do?” That simple shift can unlock entirely new ways to grow your business.

Adopting Jobs to Be Done doesn’t require overhauling your entire research strategy. You can start small – even a few conversations can reveal powerful insights. The key is knowing how to approach the method and when to bring in expert support.

1. Define Your Business Question

Every great JTBD project begins with a clear, goal-driven question. Instead of asking, “What features do customers want?” reframe it to: “What job are they trying to get done when they choose our solution?” This shift in language leads to richer, more actionable insights.

2. Identify the Right Customers to Interview

JTBD typically involves one-on-one user research with recent buyers, current users, or even customers who switched to competitors. Target people who have recently “hired” or “fired” a product. Their decisions are fresh, and memories of the motivations behind them are easier to uncover.

3. Use the Right Interview Techniques

JTBD interviews focus on storytelling. Instead of asking hypothetical questions like “Would you use X feature?”, the researcher guides participants through a specific purchase or usage event. The goal is to understand the context, triggers, and desired outcomes of real behavior.

Good JTBD interviews explore:

• What happened before customers looked for a solution
• What they considered (and dismissed)
• Why they chose your solution (or didn’t)
• What success looks like – emotionally and functionally

4. Turn Insights into Action

Raw data isn’t enough. The next step is clustering quotes and patterns into core jobs, and identifying priority opportunities. These jobs might inform product decisions, marketing messages, or customer experience enhancements.

5. Consider Bringing in a Partner

JTBD sounds simple – uncover the real reasons people choose something – but conducting the interviews and interpreting findings takes practice. Many business leaders choose to partner with a full-service research firm like SIVO Insights that can build a structured approach and deliver clear, focused outcomes.

At SIVO, we make the complex feel clear. Our expert-led research methods are designed to get to the heart of consumer behavior and uncover the beliefs and needs driving customer decisions – turning those insights into business growth strategies.

No matter where you start, even a single job uncovered can help orient your team toward what truly matters to your customers.