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Re: Effective Job Descriptions posted by William Walker , Mar 06, 2018, 10:34 AM

It is very difficult to make a job description that will never be misinterpreted, (probably impossible). Ensuring that a job description is not misinterpreted lies in the content of the job description as well as in the framing of it by the employer. In terms of content, a correctly executed job analysis will ensure that the actual content of the job description is consistent with the duties of the job. Given enough time and writing, every job duty that the job is responsible for can be listed so that an applicant will know exactly what he’s getting in to.

However, there are often limitations to how much can be written in a job description, or how detailed that description can be for every task. Framing is a tool that an employer can use to help an employee look at a job from the correct viewpoint. Framing is a communication theory that basically states that how an item is presented to the audience influences how the audience processes that information. Using Professor Brainard’s example, if I were to present a manager position as being very autonomous, holding a great deal of authority, or being integral to the coordination of everything in the business, then an applicant will likely interpret the position as having a great deal of power despite what it says in the job description. On the other hand, if I were to present the manager position as having authority over only a few specific things, or having to answer to an upper manager then the applicant is likely to process the job as having less power. Given this, HR professionals should be trained on how they present job descriptions so that the presentation can be accurate to the content of the description.