Job descriptions are an important part of a company’s culture. They help you communicate what skills are needed to succeed, and impact what type of candidate applies for the role. They set the tone for the type of employee who will thrive in the position you are looking to fill.
So what can you do when someone else in the company is responsible for writing job descriptions for a role on your team or for your department? Or corporate has had the same descriptions for standard roles, but the actual positions have morphed into something different? It can be frustrating if you really want input on job descriptions but it’s not part of your job to write them—but, it doesn’t have to be!
In this post, we’ll show you how to have input on job descriptions without stepping on toes or taking on another job’s responsibilities. Whether you’re a manager or someone else with influence over hiring, read on for some helpful tips!
Communicate with Human Resources if they are responsible for creating job descriptions
Human resources is a great place to start when you’re looking to add input on job descriptions. In most companies HR managers are the ones who create new job descriptions and edit old ones.
Here’s what we recommend: Set up a time with your HR manager to talk about this issue. Be prepared with specifics on the current job descriptions that you would like to see added or changed, and why the change is necessary. Open dialogue about the needs of the position or changes to the current job description sheds light on the growth and needs of the company as a whole—which could open up doors for HR to consider updating their policies surrounding job descriptions—and specifically who has input on these documents.
Be flexible and try to understand the process from their perspective before trying to make changes
It’s important to understand how job descriptions are written in the first place.
When a new position is opening up, there’s usually a lot of discussion about what its responsibilities will be. There are many factors that go into crafting a job description: how much responsibility does this position need? What skills does it require? Will this person interact with customers or co-workers often? You can see from these questions that there are many different elements that go into crafting a good job description. Understanding these elements will help you understand why jobs are written in the way they are and give insight into when suggestions may be rejected by leadership.
To further understand the process you can try having a conversation with the human resources representative, or whomever is responsible for writing job descriptions. Ask them questions like:
- Why did the current description get written in this way?
- What specific challenges does this description address?
- What is the purpose of this description and why did they choose these words over others?
By having these conversations, you can understand the reasoning behind a job description and learn how it will be used to fill positions in the future. You may even find that there are parts of the description that could be changed in order to better reflect your skills and experience
Once you understand the process; If you are still interested in having input on job descriptions, there are several things you can do:
Communicate with your supervisor or HR representative: Let them know that you are interested in having input on job descriptions. Explain your skills and experience, and how they can be of value in crafting job descriptions that accurately reflect the needs of the organization and the expectations for the position.
Familiarize yourself with relevant laws and regulations: Understanding laws and regulations that affect job descriptions, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), can help ensure that job descriptions are compliant and inclusive.
Conduct research: Conduct research on similar job descriptions and positions within your organization or industry. This can provide valuable insight into the key responsibilities, qualifications, and expectations for the position.
Collaborate with colleagues: Collaborate with colleagues who have experience in the position or similar positions to gain their input on what should be included in the job description.
Provide feedback: Once a draft of the job description has been created, review it thoroughly and provide constructive feedback. This can help ensure that the job description accurately reflects the needs of the organization and the position.
Remember, having input on job descriptions can help ensure that they accurately reflect the needs of the organization and the position, and can help attract the right candidates for the job. You can check out our Management Basics Staff Management Course for more support on creating job descriptions and finding the right candidate.
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