Why do companies use job descriptions? Aren’t they nearly always outdated? And when it gets down to brass tacks, isn’t the only accurate bullet point:
- Other duties as assigned
Of course, if you don’t have a job description it makes it tough to negotiate a salary. But I think that might feel than the way you feel when it looks like you’ve been the victim of a job description bait & switch. In advertising, an example of a bait & switch is when you see an ad for a $400 mattress, but when you get to the store, there’s no such thing. Only $800 mattresses are available. They baited you into the store, and then they switched the product. A job description bait & switch is when a company advertises a job based on the current job description, but, when you start working, it feels like “who moved your job” instead of “who moved your cheese.” You soon realize your doing a completely different job than what you expected.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had a job description match what I actually ended up doing at a company. Sometimes the differences have been small, and sometimes I haven’t even recognized the job. My favorite example is the one where the job description said I’d travel 10%, when I actually travelled 50-75%. That’s a lot more garbage than I agreed to. And typically, I’d think “you’re not paying me enough for that. That’s not what we agreed to.”
You could argue that if I was told the truth in the interview, I’d likely have still taken the job and for the same salary. But that’s not the scenario. What I agreed to is not what I have. It’s a bait & switch and I feel cheated.
When things change, garbage happens. You look at the company and think “that’s not what I agreed to. You people cheated me.” Now, the GarbageFactor™ has been triggered, and you don’t even have 30 days under your belt yet. The easiest way to quantify the GarbageFactor™ is with money. When you go through a bait & switch, you think ”you’re not paying me enough…” to put up with this garbage. Sometimes we speak up, sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we get compensated for the difference, most of the time we don’t. In tough economic times like these, many of us choose not to make waves so we stay off the radar. Right now we’re focused on job survival. But enough garbage, and when this economy opens up again, your feet will do the talking if your mouth doesn’t. You’ll be on a job hunt.
When we’re not given correct information, we feel cheated. Distrust begins. The company created this situation from day one, and it all could have been easily prevented. How is it with this type of garbage going on in the workplace, employers act like they have no idea why employees become disgruntled, demoralized, and disengaged? Are they for real?
Note to employers: Be honest. It’s a great strategy. Start with your job description.
Until your employer get’s it, here’s a solution. Write the correct job description yourself. Don’t get caught up in “it’s not my job to write.” Do you want it right or not? Get it written. Then bring it to your boss (pleasantly) and let him or her know it’s now up to date. Ask your boss to have HR or Personnel to review for any salary administration changes that need to take place. You may not get a change in pay, but at least you and your boss agree on what your job is.
Oh, and be sure the first bullet on that job description reads accurately. We all know our main responsibility is:
- Other duties as assigned.
