Why Job Descriptions Still Matter

Posted by Mathew French

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3 February 2022

Job Descriptions are the foundation of defining employee roles and responsibilities. Despite the changing nature of work and the necessity for adaptability when roles change rapidly to meet the needs of unexpected circumstances like those faced in the workplace during the last couple of years, Job Descriptions still matter. Ensuring employees understand their Job requirements sets them (and your organisation) up for success. If your organisation needs tools to automate the distribution of Job Descriptions throughout the employee lifecycle, this week's HR Blog is for you.

Here's Why Job Descriptions Still Matter

When everything else is in flux, Job Descriptions provide definition and clarity. For People & Culture Managers, Job Descriptions serve as the blueprint for the actions Employees take when working towards their individual as well as organisational goals. Job Descriptions are the foundation for hiring decisions and conducting performance reviews, in addition to all manner of HR-related activities. No matter what the context, Job Descriptions are still used as a reference point by HR Managers repeatedly.

Let's take a deeper dive into some of the reasons why Job Descriptions still matter:

  • They provide legal and compliance protections because the Job Description can clarify why a candidate was selected (or not) for a position.

  • They provide organisation wide consistency about how each role fits in operationally and contributes to the overall strategy of the business. This enhances engagement and enables Employees to understand the value of their own and other employee contributions in the business.

  • They provide a foundation for an egalitarian approach to performance management. When roles and responsibilities are articulated clearly, it’s much easier to measure Employee success and ensure that targets are being met.

  • They delineate boundaries regarding employee responsibilities, which helps to make sure that new employees (and existing ones) aren’t doing more than what they’re compensated for and workloads are distributed fairly.

  • They validate employee compensation/pay. By specifying all the duties and requirements of each role, you provide context regarding how and why a role is compensated in a certain way.

  • They support employee training and development requirements by providing written documentation for each role and  and any training required to fulfil those role requirements.

  • They make it easier for employees to align personal goals for career progress with the requirements of a job. Job Descriptions serve to introduce prospects to the role at hand and also enables them to plan how they can take those responsibilities a step further within the organisation if that's their goal.

  • Ultimately, they provide a clear understanding of what the duties and responsibilities for a particular position are. This is helpful not just for applicants interested in the role, but also for management to better determine the full suite of skills and actions needed to achieve organisational goals.

Subscribe-HR just added more ways in which HR Managers can quickly and easily include Job Descriptions at the right step of the Employee journey, including:

  • New Job Description Library in the Activation Hub.

  • Add Job Description from Library in a Vacancy Requisition.

  • Add Job Description from Library in a New Vacancy.

Plus, we released enhanced functionality back in September that enables you to quickly and easily add Job Descriptions to Onboarding Welcome Packs.

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If you spend too much time sharing Job Descriptions manually and you want a way to automate it then take a look at the video below, it could transform the way you work!

 

Get Started Today With a No Obligation Free Trial

If you work for a mid-sized organisation in Australia or New Zealand, you can use Subscribe-HR's suite of 13 codeless, cloud HR software solutions to seamlessly manage every touchpoint of the employee journey, from the first hello, to the final goodbye.

Want to try it out? Get started right away using our 7-day FREE trial, which gives you no obligation access to the full functionality of the Subscribe-HR platform. 

Get instant access to our out-of-the-box, templated functionality to get up and running quickly, then use our powerful and flexible configuration tools to adapt your unique, HR process into Subscribe-HR.

Use our simple, step-by-step wizards to set up your organisation, your job description and then submit your job requisition. This is the crucial first step in creating a flexible #HRspine that improves the flexibility, efficiency and effective management of employee information 

You'll be amazed by how fast and easy it is to set yourself up.

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Topics: hr software, Codeless cloud HR software, Job Description, Video snapshots, Discovery sessions, HR Software interface

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