In the past I have never really thought about job descriptions. However, after reading over the materials i started to understand just how important they are. They are the foundation of everything involved in HR, from hiring to training, performance reviews and decisions on pay. When job descriptions aren’t clear it can create a lot of confusion for employees, leaving them stranded and unsure on what to do. The article a Job Worth Doing talked about how job descriptions directly connect to nearly all parts of HR and employee management.
I think one of the biggest challenges with job descriptions is keeping them updated and accurate with time. The world changes with time and so do jobs, however the descriptions often remain the same. Which can cause confusion on responsibilities and make it more difficult to accurately evaluate an employees performance fairly. I also think that it can be challenging to make sure the job descriptions are detailed enough without being too overwhelming. Our lectures this week talked about how a great job analysis should be able to outline tasks, duties, and the essential skills or KSAO’s. However, obtaining that information will take time and effort.
Having a poor job description can also cause bigger problems in the long run. As it could lead a company to potentially hire the wrong people, struggle with training them, and face lower productivity because employees aren’t fit for the role or don’t completely understand their role. It can also increase employee turnover as employees may feel confused or a lack of support. It can also make workforce planning more difficult as companies may not have a complete understanding on the roles and skills they need.
To combat these challenges i think that companies should hold job descriptions to a higher value, by checking in and updating them regularly. I also think that by talking to employees and managers companies could make them more accurate to current times. Overall, i think that if companies put a little more effort into job descriptions it can make a big difference in how effecientley they operate.
Citations:
Tyler, Kathryn. “Job Worth Doing: Update Descriptions.” SHRM, 1 Jan. 2013.
” Job Design and Job Analysis.” Course Lecture/Notes, Oregon State University, 2026.
“Workforce Planning.” Course Lecture/Notes, Oregon State University, 2026.