Overcoming Challenges October 23rd, 2021
Developing and updating job descriptions is a part of business that previously felt mundane to me. Our readings this week forced me to take another look at just how important they can be when it comes to finding valuable talent. In the article titled “Job Worth Doing: Update Descriptions”, it that caught my attention that a company can be potentially sued for not including a required work task in their public job description. As I say that, it sounds silly to not realize that liability but that’s a great example of how many facets there are in the business world that make a difference. The challenge of keeping descriptions up to date and accurate could be overcome by routinely surveying current employees on their day-to-day tasks. It could also be beneficial to set up a system where the responsibility to update the job descriptions goes through a review process in order to consider more than one opinion. Like the article states, even if job requirements have stayed the same, it’s important to consider how the wording and design is taken into account. If a description is dated multiple years, it may be obvious to applicants and that attention to detail could defer someone from being interested in applying. To overcome that obstacle, there should be at least an annual review of the description with research-backed data that shows updated ways to catch a potential applicant’s attention. Over-all I can see the benefit in including current employees in the process but also comparing similar role details with other companies in order to keep the description current and not relying on one specific example. Developing and maintaining job descriptions may be regularly overlooked but making it a regular part of employee reviews and not catering the description around a specific individual could make a positive impact on attracting the right kind of candidates and avoiding potential lawsuits.
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