Job postings and job descriptions are not only crucial when recruiting and hiring, but they also set up job expectations, tasks, and performance goals for current employees as well. More importantly, job descriptions help HR management forecast training needs, performance evaluations, and compensation. It is quite important for HR management to revisit and update job descriptions, even if that is the last thing HR wants to do.
A job description can be a legal defense for HR and the company when an employee decides to go against the firm or file a grievance. The description should include all performance measures and responsibilities listed for that particular position and how it will be evaluated. It is treated as guidance for a position. Managers who oversee a position are responsible for keeping it updated under the supervision of HR managers, as HR managers oversee the entire company, making sure that each position aligns with the core values of the company.
According to the article “Job Worth Doing: Update Descriptions,” by SHRM, descriptions can be used as a benchmark when an employee exceeds the qualifications listed. Descriptions are not only a contract between an employee and manager, but they should also prepare an employee for a particular job and serve as a source of motivation. Managers and HR managers are responsible for improving employee motivation, developing employees to acquire and equip themselves with new skills so they can climb the career ladder. A decent description should clearly state objectives, emphasizing KSAOs—Knowledge, Skill, Ability, and Other Characteristics. While knowledge and skills can be learned and taught on the job, ability is innate and refers to aptitude, which cannot be taught. Meanwhile, the descriptions should have evaluative measures to assess for a manager whether an employee is ready to be promoted.
References
Tyler Kathryn, (2013, January 1). Job Worth Doing: Update Descriptions, SHRM. https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/hr-magazine/job-worth-update-descriptions