Challenges of Developing and Maintaining Job Descriptions

“Despite the importance of job descriptions, very few HR professionals have a regular policy for updating them” (Tyler, 2013).

In my personal experience, I have found that the job descriptions of positions that I have worked in do not exactly match the duties that I actually fulfill. I would say that this is largely due to companies not updating the job descriptions on a regular basis. Keeping job descriptions up-to-date in essential, yet often sidelined due to other pressing demands in the human resources (HR) department. As Jill Bidwell, HR generalist at Sauer-Danfoss states, job descriptions ultimately are the “mother of all HR processes” (Tyler, 2013).

Job descriptions are critical for various reasons: goal setting, defining of roles, recruitment, performance evaluations, and safeguarding the alignment with company objectives (2013). However, the maintenance of these descriptions can be challenging due to the evolving nature of roles within the workplace, as well as the time needed to manage updates. Some suggestions I have for improving this short-coming include: treating job descriptions as “living” documents, include management and employees in the process, and being proactive in the way that job descriptions and actual duties are matched.

Firstly, conducting job descriptions as “living” documents can prevent them from being outdated in that they are consistently being updated throughout time- versus only being looked at when they are needed for hiring or for other purposes. Secondly, involving employees in the process of updating these descriptions may bring a fresh perspective considering employees are most familiar with the day-to-day operations of their roles. Lastly, being proactive in addressing the inconsistencies between job descriptions and the actual duties will create an environment of open communication amongst employees, management, and HR.

Overall, a combination of regular viewings, collaborations, and open communication surrounding these documents and their updates can mitigate the issue of outdated -and ultimately incorrect- job descriptions.