Job descriptions serve the purpose of providing people the information regarding the responsibilities, qualifications, and expectations for a given role within an organization. They provide potential candidates with a clear understanding of what duties, required skills, and experience levels are needed to be successful in the role they are applying for. In my own experience, I don’t have too much exposure to job descriptions given that I’ve been with the same company over the last 5 years and started working with them when I was 16. It wasn’t until just this last year, and through this class, that I’ve better familiarized myself with the importance of job descriptions and how they function. This blog aims to highlight challenges associated with developing and maintaining job descriptions, as well as mitigation strategies for these obstacles.
Accurate and Effective Job Descriptions
One of the challenges that comes with developing and maintaining job descriptions deals with the overall accuracy and completeness of the job description. In order for an organization to effectively source and select their candidates for given positions, they need to ensure the job descriptions accurately reflect the role’s responsibilities, expectations, and KSAOs needed to be successful (Week 4 Learning Materials). If a job description is lacking in clarity and detail, it can pose more challenges for the organization after the hiring process. To mitigate the possibility of an incomplete or poorly written job description, I would suggest strong engagement with employees that are currently in a specific role to provide insights into their day-to-day activities and responsibilities. Another strategy would be to conduct frequent job description reviews to ensure that they are expressing the necessary information for a potential candidate.
Keeping Job Descriptions Up to Date
Transitioning into the next common challenge for developing and maintaining job descriptions, keeping job descriptions up to date is critical. Over time, roles evolve within an organization due to a variety of factors such as technology, work processes, or organizational strategy. When job descriptions are outdated, they are lacking the accuracy in exactly what it is a company is looking for, and all of the responsibilities associated with a specific position. This may lead to confusion and dissatisfaction among new employees. It’s also important to note that outdated job descriptions pose a threat for hiring the wrong candidate, resulting in poor performance. To overcome this challenge, I would suggest regularly gathering feedback on employees and their positions, as well as promoting clear communication when it comes to shifts in expectations, required skills, and responsibilities. Another strategy would be to implement more frequent job description reviews to assess what it is that might need changing, adapting, and revision to ensure job descriptions are up to date. When I’m reading through job descriptions now, I seek clear and detailed information discussing exactly what it is my role would encompass in terms of responsibilities and expectations necessary.
Citations:
- Week 4 Learning Materials and Online Lectures