I found that there were several challenges to developing and maintaining job descriptions within the reading. However, there were three that stood out to me, the first being failing to keep job descriptions up to date. Then, issues regarding what the job truly entails due to an employee manager disconnect. Finally, legality and compliance risks can be difficult to navigate through.
It’s important to keep job descriptions updated because neglecting to do so can lead to outdated information that doesn’t truly reflect the presented role. Therefore, in order to overcome this challenge it would be beneficial to establish a policy where job descriptions are updated and reviewed annually. The reading Definitive Guide to Recruiting in Good Times and Bad emphasizes the importance of keeping job descriptions up to date as they believe it is crucial in recruiting the right candidates for company needs (See Appendix for direct quote).
Oftentimes HR managers might have not worked the job they are creating the description for therefore, this can lead to a disconnect between what they believe the roles of the job are and the reality of the job roles. In order to combat this challenge HR managers might want to include insight from employees and other day-by-day managers in order to get a more accurate picture of the roles of the job. The article Jobs Worth Doing: Update Descriptions emphasizes this point as it acknowledges the need and the want for these employees and managers to participate in the development of these descriptions (See Appendix for direct quote).
Job descriptions that are written poorly or outdated can lead to legal risks, this is especially true when it comes to complying with labor laws such as The Fair Labor Standards Act and the Americans With Disabilities Act. Therefore, to ensure the legality of job descriptions HR should make an attempt to audit job descriptions or at least use a template to assist with the matter. The article Jobs Worth Doing: Update Descriptions emphasizes this point as they elaborate on the type of issues you might encounter if these descriptions are inadequately out together (See Appendix for direct quote).
Sources
Fernández-Aráoz, C., Groysberg, B., & Nohria, N. (2009). The Definitive Guide to Recruiting in Good Times and Bad. In Harvard business review (Vol. 87, Number 5). Harvard Business Review.
Kathryn Tyler. (2013). Job worth doing: Update descriptions. SHRM.
Appendix
Infrequent updates
“What specific capabilities will this job require over the next few years? Will the focus be on growth or on engineering a turnaround? Does it require someone who is fundamentally an entrepreneur, a manager, or a leader?” (Fernandez-Araoz, 2009).
Employee Manager Disconnect
“‘Employees can vouch for what they actually do and should have input into their descriptions,’ McCarthy agrees. ‘However, the manager must also be a part of this process to ensure that the responsibilities and requirements are aligned with actual activities.’” (Tyler, 2013).
Legality Issues
“With the compliance environment and legal implications, the stakes are a lot higher for job descriptions to be crystal clear with essential responsibilities. If you have a measure of performance that doesn’t appear on the job description and you have a case brought against you… there could be punishment.” (Tyler, 2013).
