What is your answer when people ask you: “What do you do?”

Have you tried to compare your answer with what is written in your job description on your file in the Human Resources (HR) Department? Are they the same? Of course, whether HR has a job description for you is another big question.

It is important that you know what you are supposed to do. I bet, many people seem to be doing a tremendous job but a lot of them don’t have job descriptions, many of them do not do even know half of what is contained in their job descriptions (JD) if they do have the JD.

Today, we want to kick-start a debate that will help close these gaps.

The first point is for the HR people to ensure that staff have JDs. Everyone needs to have a JD. Of course, some HR people will argue that this is the responsibility of the line managers but I think HR people are accountable for ensuring that all line managers draft and put in place JDs for all their staff. Without central coordination of HR, and left to line managers alone, you can be rest assured that no JDs will be done.

HR needs to set the tone, raise the expectation and push everyone to ensure that JDs are done and completed. In fact, some line managers may not even know how to write a JD. HR needs to come in and help them, teaching them how to do and sharing with them sample or example JDs.

It is important that the process of developing the JDs is consultative. You need inputs from all key stakeholders. There is need for inputs from the line manager, from the people that the role player for the JD works with and most importantly, you do need the inputs from the role player himself or herself. If you are doing a JD for a job that is vacant, it may help to talk to the previous holder of the job.

While getting inputs from those involved in the work by the role player is important, do not forget that a JD should not simply write down what the role player is doing or has been doing. A good JD should be focussed on what the job should be responsible for, not just what is happening.

It is quite possible that what is happening is not correct. Therefore, if you just document what is currently happening, chances are that you will document a wrong JD.

Once the JD is completed, checked and signed-off, it becomes the ‘Bible’ by which the role player must do his or her job. The JD should be the minimum of what you do. Ideally, the JD is the complete list of what you should essentially do. But, in practice, that is the minimum because there will always arise necessary actions that will need your attention and your involvement. That is why most JDs include a statement “You shall also do any other relevant work as assigned to you by your line manager from time to time.”

The JD should be a living document. As time goes, conditions change, requirements change and companies evolve. Therefore, JD cannot remain static or constant. JDs need to be regularly reviewed and updated so that they remain current, relevant and effective. HR needs to put in place processes for periodic reviews of the JDs for everyone.

It is important that you know exactly what is contained in the JD and that you plan your work to satisfy the expectations in the JD. If you have a good and up to date JD and you work according to that script, you should turn out to be a great worker, an effective performer.

You will be a valuable member of staff because the JD will be designed on the premise of adding value to your organisation.

Today, we have discussed the importance of having a job description that is current, alive and relevant. We have also discussed the importance of executing your job per the script of your job description. Good luck as you adopt an approach that centres your work on the job description!

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