“Principles and rules are intended to provide a thinking man with a frame of reference”.
Carl von Clausewitz
According to Wikipedia, terms of reference is defined as the contents in a document that guides a group of people who have agreed to work together to accomplish a shared goal. Within the employment realm, an employee does not work in isolation. Their presence in an organization is as part of a team all geared towards a shared goal. One of the documents that guides the employee to understand their position in the company and what role they play in the organization’s success is the Job Description. A Job Description can therefore be referred to as an employee’s terms of reference.
To be relevant, job descriptions should outline the competences expected from the employee in their role. This covers their reporting lines, duties and responsibilities, their skills, knowledge and expected behaviour. In addition, included should be expected deliverables and expected timelines where applicable. This will aid in making the employee accountable for their performance.
Unfortunately, the job description is often treated like last month’s shopping list; discarded once received in a drawer and never referred to again. This is an important document and the action taken from the first time an employee receives their job description will dictate their attitude towards it. From the onset, it should be a document that is explained to them in detail by their immediate Supervisor and should be referred to frequently. Furthermore, it is an important reference point during the formal performance appraisal sessions. This will enable the employee to better understand how to apply the document to track their performance and evaluate if they are working in line with the company’s expectations of them. It will encourage them to refer to the document frequently to ensure It helps in identifying areas of performance that require improvement and the areas that the employee is excelling in.
The job description is also a dynamic document and should be adjusted in line with changes in the employee’s duties and responsibilities in order to remain relevant. Therefore, frequent reviews with the employee will ensure the document remains an effective terms of reference.
