The job description is a concise, complete, organized outline and description of the tasks, priorities, and time allocations of a particular position, often accompanied by designation of the competencies and skills required by the work. But, rather than merely describing the manner in which a job is being done at the moment, it should describe the manner in which the job should be done. Job descriptions can be created prior to a position being activated or can be produced for existing jobs (often with a combination of incumbent self-report, supervisor input, and administrative contributions and control). They can be the result of extensive job analysis or they may be less formally prepared. But, in their most complete forms, job descriptions are one of the most valuable tools Human Resource (HR) managers possess and, if properly executed, published, and comprehended, can be of equal value to managers and employees throughout the organization. While sometimes thought of as little more than a "to-do" list or a set of constraints, the properly prepared job description has great flexibility. It can and should be used in everything from job design and recruitment to performance evaluation and employee development.
The importance of job descriptions is recognized by most management experts and job descriptions (as well as related processes such as job analysis and competency identification) are treated as prerequisites to the implementation of change initiatives within organizations (such as Total Quality Management (TQM) or reengineering). Yet the full potential of job descriptions is seldom exploited because too few managers know how to use job descriptions; too few organizations know how to prepare them; and too few Human Resources personnel know how to integrate them into the working life of their organizations as effective tools. Instead most companies pay little attention to what is perceived as a routine task to be attend...