Have you hired new employees only to find that they don’t have the skills or experience for the role? That they don’t like the workplace culture or don’t enjoy the role? Are you feeling deflated due to staffing conflicts and turnover? We have the solution and it starts with an exhaustive, yet effective Position Description (PD).
What is a Position Description?
An effective position description informs an employee of key job responsibilities and defines workplace standards, acting as an exemplar of expectations and as an evaluation criteria for performance. It is a crucial document that impacts upon multiple areas of HR, assisting in the development of:
- Recruitment materials;
- Training programs;
- Performance review goals; and
- Regular review and adjustment of employee role verse responsibilities, wages, hours and entitlements, to remain compliant with national employment standards.
Adjustment and Review
Each role within your business should have its own unique position description, not only specific to the position but also aligning with the specific employee undertaking the role. Position descriptions NEED to be evolving documents that are regularly adjusted to reflect changes to employee role, objectives, and responsibilities. Becoming careless within this can be a costly repercussion if an unfair work claim is made. For example, an employer may be made to back pay (with interest), if it is determined that an employee has been fulfilling a role beyond set ‘position description’ expectations deemed as above skill level and therefore underpaid.
It is recommended that position descriptions are reviewed:
- Within annual performance reviews, ensuring that the expectations of objectives and responsibilities still align with the employee’s workload and future ambitions or career projection;
- When objectives of a role are no longer necessary and need to be removed from an employee’s position description, or when these objectives have been transferred to another employee;
- When substantial or significant change are made to workplace operations impacting upon employee roles; and
- At least every 2 years (even high performing), to maintain workplace culture, and employee satisfaction and retention rates.
Assurance HR Management can correspond with you to draft and finalise well rounded position descriptions for your employees. The time poor employer can complete a brief questionnaire that will allow us to draft an appropriate position description on your behalf. If you would like to receive further information about such services, contact Adrian our HR specialist on 1800 577 515 for a free consultation.
