The results of the survey conducted between 1 November and 31 December 2023 are now in and there are some interesting findings.
Below is a summary. (You can You can download the full report and findings here)
- While it is evident that job descriptions are used widely, their effectiveness frequently falls short of what is required.
- The relevance of the job description may also be questionable because of its inherent shortcomings or failure of the users to deploy it properly.
- Managers have an important role to play in communicating what is expected of people. This includes the assigning of work to teams.
Here are the scores for the 6 questions (Using a rating scale of 0 = very untrue to 10 = very true)
- Although we use job descriptions the main emphasis is on managers conveying what is expected of people on a day to day basis. Score = 8.35
- The job descriptions provide jobholders with a clear and unambiguous understanding of what is expected of them. Score = 6.65
- Job descriptions are very specific and customised for each jobholder without compromising by using “off the shelf” generic documents. Score = 5.82
- The procedure for communicating the job clearly differentiates between things that have to be done in a pre-defined way and where personal discretion can be exercised for achieving an objective. Score = 5.35
- Job descriptions include the assigning of shared (team) goals and objectives as well as defining what is expected of individuals. Score = 4.82
- Each manager and jobholder jointly review the job description and update it at least once a year. Score = 4.88