In my experience, job descriptions are usually generalized with a list of tasks that an employee may or may not need to do. I’ve worked jobs that said in the job description “must be able to lift 50+ lbs”, and while working there I never actually had to lift or carry anything. My conclusion to this is that employers or human resources prefer to add something to a job description than not, in the case that someone may need to perform said task. Reasons for this could be to cover their own end in case an employee objects to doing something because it is “not in their job description.” In reality, job descriptions should be carefully written and analyzed routinely as Job Worth Doing: Update Descriptions says “updating job descriptions should be an ongoing process anytime something significant changes.” They recommend that a job description be updated at minimum yearly; however, growing organizations may need to do this more often. Other good practices are to update them when doing employee performance reviews or when hiring for a position.
“Updating job descriptions should be an ongoing process anytime something significant changes.”
Job worth doing: update descriptions
Some challenges with developing and maintaining job descriptions are that often the person writing it or someone in human resources has never performed the role and may not know exactly what the job entails. To overcome this challenge, it may be helpful to observe an incumbent since they will be a good source of information about what they do in their role. Additionally, their supervisor should be able to provide details about the importance of the job that can be outlined in the job description.
Some challenges due to not having a job description are, that employees will be unaware of what their responsibilities at work truly are. Moreover, managers will have a hard time hiring if they don’t have a guide and are unsure which skills a candidate needs to make their hiring decision.
Reference
Tyler, Kathryn. Job Worth Doing: Update Descriptions. The basic job description is the foundation of nearly every HR function. SHRM Better Workplaces Better World. 2013. Retrieved from: https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/Pages/0113-job-descriptions.aspx
