Updating Job Descriptions - General - HR in Schools and Academies

5 Updating Job Descriptions

Jenny | 0 Posts

28 Nov, 2018 10:33

Morning All,

I've come to realise that where I work every time there is a recruitment (for support staff) we look over the Job Description and make some very slight variations (very slight) but it means that a lot of our staff have varying Job Descriptions for the same role. Also some staff members haven't seen their JD for at least 10 years! What I really want to do is ensure that all the staff in the same role have the same JD.

Many of our staff push back at very slight changes and we did recently go through the Unions to get one additional responsibility agreed on (even though it was always in the JD, we hadn't actually need to enforce that particular responsibility until recently and the staff were not happy doing it due to it not being worded specifically enough).

The other changes (apart from the above) is really just down to wording variation... no additional responsibilities as such. Also, it's on a new template with our new logo etc.

What is the best way to get all staff to sign new JDs? Do we need to put this to the Unions? Or is it just something we can show discuss with the staff and give them time to read over them/sign and return them? If they have any issues they can speak to us?

Thanks everyone for advice.

Jenny

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Keith | 0 Posts

28 Nov, 2018 10:42

Whats the prize here? What are you hoping to achieve (in business terms rather than tidying up administration)?

If staff can perform very adequately in their roles and not see their JDs for ten years then what difference do you hope it will make having a nice new shinny one?

I know I am in a minority but I think the role of job descriptions is much over played by HR and often has little impact or relevance for day to day management of staff. Useful at recruitment, occasionally useful in disciplinaries (but rarely) but a job creation scheme for much of the rest of the time.

But to answer your question - forget trying to get staff to sign them. Its a pointless waste of effort. Your best bet is to try and establish a good working relationship with the Unions and persuade them this is an administrative tidying up exercise. Then just issue them to staff as a new template for the documents.
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Jenny | 0 Posts

28 Nov, 2018 10:50

In reply to Keith:
Good point. Really it's for 2 reasons. To make sure nothing is overlooked in terms of everyone having the same roles/responsibilities. But yes, the other reason is that its tidying up administration. It irks me that everyone has slightly varying JDs! But may be that's just something I should get over then!
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Anna | 0 Posts

28 Nov, 2018 11:37

In reply to Jenny:
I was trained that it is good practice to always review the job description at the start of the recruitment process. A job may change during the time the holder is in post - particularly these days as technology constantly moves the goalposts.
I would have thought your bigger challenge is ensuring job descriptions are up to date and relevant to the actual work being done, rather than looking for consistency across the board.
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David Perry | 0 Posts

28 Nov, 2018 16:51

Tidy them up by all means. I'm not sure I ever bothered to look at mine. Although I can recall once being ask to go over mine once to see whether it had evolved over the last few years. Which of course it had.
But it doesn't really make much difference - after all jobs change and unless it was a significant change the employee would have no grounds for saying; "I'm not doing that as its not in my job description". (aka Reasonable management request".
FWIW, I recall a case involving, I think, customs staff many years ago, who objected to using the 'new computers' as it wasn't in their job description. The case went to tribunal and they lost, because the tribunal decided that both the method of doing work could and must change also so it would be expected that the jobs change over the years.
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Ella | 0 Posts

19 Dec, 2018 12:41

Hi Jenny
We recently did some tidying up & version control, I sent the updated JDs to all line managers and asked them to discuss the JD with each individual at point of appraisal to ensure agreement and ask their opinion.
Ella
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