If job descriptions developed for internal use are well developed and detailed they can be a great aid to organizational analysis, help workers better understanding their role, duties, and responsibilities, greatly assist managers and provide objective criteria to aid in recruiting and hiring, job assignment, and performance evaluation. Objective and detailed job descriptions also can provide a defense to a variety of employee allegations based on purported violations of various EEO, wage-and-hour, and other laws related to the firms recruiting, hiring, promotion, training, disciplinary, discharge and other practices.

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In contrast, overly detailed and rigid job descriptions can sometimes lock workers into a specific niche and foster or justify their failure to work more cooperatively with the broader team of workers assigned to achieve particular firm goals. One expert in U.S.-Japanese intercultural counseling writes that, for managers in Japan, where group and teamwork is emphasized from the earliest school years, “one of the most horrifying things that an employee can say is ‘that’s not my job’” (Kopp).

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In addition, there can be a tension between the more objective and functional job descriptions designed for an internal audience (management, workers within the firm) and the more subjective and contextual job descriptions published to an external audience when recruiting. Among other problems, the descriptions in published job postings may result in a bias toward hiring leaders on the basis of ‘wish to have’ rather than ‘need to have’ skills and backgrounds. Moreover, if posted/published job listings are overly attractive rather than specific and objective, HR may have to sift through many unqualified applicants, and these too-rosy job description may set up the eventual hires for disappointment, thereby affecting job performance and retention rates.

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Sources:

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Kopp, Rochelle. “Why Do Japanese Avoid Detailed Job Descriptions?” 15 Dec. 2011. Japan Intercultural Consulting. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.

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Pavur Jr., Edward J. "Use Job Descriptions To Support Leadership." Psychologist-Manager Journal 13.2 (2010): 119-122.

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Stybel, Laurence J. "Managing The Inner Contradictions Of Job Descriptions: A Technique For Use In Recruitment." Psychologist-Manager Journal  13.2 (2010): 105-110.

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