Job descriptions revisited

On social media, job descriptions are treated like dinosaurs: passe, cumbersome and dead.

However, this is not the case. They are alive, kicking  and widely used to recruit, albeit the hype that this is not so.

The truth is that the approach to job descriptions need to undated, revamped and drastically modified in order to be relevant. Their elimination just adds more chaos and anxiety to organizational pathology.

So in this brief post, I want to share a few ideas on how to redesign traditional job descriptions to be more real.

Here are suggested components for Job Description, Next Release.

  1. Where are the areas of overlapping ownership between your job and other jobs?
  2. What are the trade offs which need to be balanced?
  3. What are the major difficulties that you need to face to be accepted  professionally and socially by clients, peers, staff and management?
  4. When push comes to shove, this (x) is what will make what will make your boss happy.
  5. Here are the people and resources we can provide you to learn, and if if it’s not enough, then you need to teach yourself.
  6. We expect you to be “up and running” by a certain date. If it takes less time, great; if it takes much longer, it ain’t gonna work.
  7. Everything I have told you is correct as of today, Tomorrow it may change. If it does, let’s talk about it. Don’t use this job description as a fig leaf, but don’t ignore it. It is a working document, a work in progress.

 

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2 thoughts on “Job descriptions revisited

  1. I would add too something to the effect that certain characteristics are often needed but cannot always be predicted or known – ‘fit’ can be are personality or work style even more than skills.

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