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Human Resources Blog

By Susan M. Heathfield, About.com Guide to Human Resources since 2000

Why Effective Job Descriptions Make Good Business Sense

Friday July 18, 2003

Writing job descriptions comes with the territory when you're working with a small, growing company of 160 people. I've recently written job descriptions for a Chief Financial Officer, a Documentation / Training Specialist, a Production Team Leader and a Maintenance Specialist. I'm not a fan of traditional job descriptions ...

They can forever limit a person's potential to contribute, if you're not careful. They can become a straight jacket and an excuse for the oft heard, "But it's not my job ..."

On the plus side, the act of writing a job description helps people zero in on exactly what they need from a position. It helps them clearly define the outcomes they desire when they hire a new person. All people in a department can see how they interact with each other's functions.

Find out the pros and cons about job descriptions. See Why Effective Job Descriptions Make Good Business Sense.

More Job Description Resources.

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