This week’s blog is focusing on job descriptions. While there may be some challenges with maintaining and developing job descriptions, they are incredibly important parts of a job.

A job description includes job identification, job summary, task statements, and working conditions (lecture 4). This gives employees and potential employees an outline of some of the main things this role includes. Employees will know what their title is and the tasks they are expected to complete. This eliminates confusion that may happen if one’s tasks are not clear and ensures that all business functions are accounted for in someone’s role. This helps prevent being under or overstaffed because you know who is working on what parts to keep things moving. Additionally, job descriptions can be used in the case of a legal problem because you can show what an employee in that role should and should not be doing. This is one reason why it is so important to make sure that you are maintaining these descriptions and not using the same ones from decades ago. In fact, job descriptions should be updated at least once a year (Tyler).

By not having a job description, people do not know what they are supposed to be doing and you have no protection is a complaint is put in. You also have a harder time ensuring people are qualified for their roles. While it is not suggested to not post job descriptions, having a bad one may be worse than not having one at all (Tyler).

While job descriptions are helpful for those who are current employees of a company, they are even more beneficial in finding future employees. Potential workers are looking for a job description that appeals to them and will not be too difficult or too easy. They want something that will be rewarding and will have some diversity to it.

Developing and maintaining job descriptions can be challenging due to the fact that the work may be changing or that you don’t want to put anything in there that is not accurate. Ensuring that a job description is both accurate and appealing can be difficult but it is one of the most important aspects of a company’s work.

Keeping job descriptions accurate and up to date are great ways to protect yourself, your company, create interest around a job, and ensure those you hire are qualified for the right role.

Swift, Michele. “Week 4 – Learning Materials”

Tyler, Kathryn. “Job Worth Doing: Update Descriptions”. SHRM, 2013, https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/Pages/0113-job-descriptions.aspx.