This blog discussion will go over the complexity of developing and maintaining job descriptions. Job descriptions are used mainly for providing a narrative or description of a job’s tasks, duties, and responsibilities. Even though to most of us these job descriptions do not seem to hold any significance, they are actually vital to creating a balanced workplace.
Developing and maintaining these job descriptions is more complex than one might think. Instead of one person or department creating the job descriptions, it is the entire company. As stated by Kathryn Tyler in Job Worth Doing: Update Descriptions, “Creating and maintaining job descriptions should involve employees, managers, and HR. Each person has a role, often with overlapping responsibilities”. This quotation reveals the importance of creating job descriptions as a team. Without employees giving first hand experience or managers developing the structure or HR providing support, then job descriptions would be inaccurate and create disconnect.
This leads us into the problems a firm might face if job descriptions are not developed or maintained correctly. When people do not feel like their job description matches the work performed it can create feelings of dissatisfaction in the workplace. This also can create a problem of prematurely adjusting a job description around an individual and not the job itself. That’s why it is important to discuss these issues straight away between all parties involved.
From personal experience, I know the importance of these issues. I have had a job where I was hired to do construction tasks and duties but instead my time was used in building and moving office furniture around. I think if I had communicated with my manager and HR department on the issues with my job description, my compensation or duties would have been changed due to my skill set.
Overall, I think the way to prevent these issues from happening is to keep an ongoing system of updating job descriptions. Also, I think talking with your employees and managers involved with that certain job can help clear any confusion about job descriptions.
Sources:
Tyler, K. (2013, January 1). Job Worth Doing: Update Descriptions.
Swift, M. Week 4 Learning Materials
