The job description for the last role I had during my career at Nike directly influenced my acceptance of the job. Had there not been a job description that was clear in the job’s responsibilities, accountabilities, and duties I would not have taken it- I was fortunate to already have a job at Nike that I truly enjoyed. I was in a position to accept a new job only if I had the confidence that the job could provide opportunities for learning and career growth. The job description gave me this confidence.
My experiences in doing the job closely matched the job description.
The job description was to develop and lead the global commercial strategy for the 2016 Rio Olympics across all category business units and geographic operating units. The Rio Olympics was a project that lasted approximately 18 months. The degree of similarity between the job description and the job experience was high. At the conclusion of the Rio Olympics, I was asked to remain in the job and apply the same KSAOs that were developed for the Olympics to other global business priorities. Examples included new product launches, Nike’s partnership with Apple on the Nike-Apple Watch, and the 2018 World Cup.
So, while the strategic framework of the job remained aligned with the initial job description over time the specific initiatives and tasks of the job evolved.
3 responses to “Job Descriptions”
Hi Eric –
How wonderful to hear that you have had a good experience with Nike and how well written job descriptions have influenced your career. I think that well written vs. poorly written job descriptions can absolutely impact the quality or type of applicant that applies for the position.
Thank you for sharing this.
Kirsty
Hi Eric,
I have not had much experience with job descriptions but it was great to hear about your positive experience with Nike. I think a job description is so important in the initial stages of getting and keeping a job and completely agree that over time these tasks can evolve but do you think if these jobs evolve so should the job? like a promotion?
Hi Eric,
It’s always great to read the insight you have gained over your long career. Your experience helped me understand how important writing job descriptions can be. If one is taken ample time to develop and write, the employee shouldn’t encounter any big surprises while working that role. While working on the project for the Rio olympics, was there a particular task that you were surprised you were doing more or less? Sometimes it can be hard to gage which tasks are done more frequently than others just by looking at the job description.
Great post!