Before this week, I thought of job descriptions as something companies create once and then forget about. After going through the lectures and readings, I realized how important job descriptions actually are and how many problems come from not keeping them updated. A job description isn’t just a hiring tool, it sets expectations, guides performance, and shapes how employees experience their role.
One major challenge with job descriptions is that jobs evolve faster than the documents that describe them. As organizations grow, adopt new technology, or respond to labor shortages, employees often take on new responsibilities that never get reflected in the job description. According to SHRM, outdated job descriptions can lead to misaligned expectations, legal risk, and difficulty recruiting the right candidates because applicants don’t fully understand what the job really involves (SHRM, n.d.).
The reading First, Break All the Rules also helped me see this issue differently. Buckingham and Coffman argue that great managers focus on matching roles to people’s talents, skills, and knowledge rather than forcing people to fit rigid job designs (Buckingham & Coffman, 2016). If job descriptions don’t reflect what the role actually requires or what talents matter most, it becomes harder to place people where they can succeed.
One way to overcome these challenges is to treat job descriptions as “living documents.” Managers should regularly review them with employees, especially during performance check-ins or when roles change. Another solution is focusing job descriptions on outcomes and core responsibilities instead of long lists of minor tasks. This makes roles more flexible and allows employees to adapt without constantly rewriting the description.
Overall, I learned that keeping job descriptions current is not just an HR task but it’s a management responsibility. When done well, job descriptions support better hiring, stronger performance, and higher employee engagement.
References
Buckingham, M., & Coffman, C. (2016). First, Break All the Rules.
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Job worth doing: Update job descriptions.