Why It’s Important to Know EXACTLY What Your Job Title Entails

CareerMarch 15, 2021

Job titles and descriptions serve as a way for applicants and eventual hires to have a clear idea of what kind of responsibilities and tasks an employee can expect. However, a lot of workers don’t actually know their exact job roles and it’s become a problem for companies.

Unclear Roles

Top Resume | Unclear job descriptions and structures usually become a problem when a company grows in size

As Kaseya executive John Durant observed through his own experiences, most people he spoke with only described the kind of work they do through job titles, which he thinks are poor indicators of what an employee actually does. In some cases, people would only tell him their reporting structure sharing which person they answer to.

These encounters are a telling sign, according to Durant, that employees might not feel that connected to the company or organization they work for. He also laments how workers remain unaware of precisely what their colleagues do in the workplace despite today’s companies having their organizational structures being easily accessible.

The Costs of Confusion

Reddit | Durant warns leaders of their team turning into Milton, a character in the film ‘Office Space’

Having a team of members with a vague understanding of their specific role in the big picture can set back a company in many ways. For starters, being unaware of one’s job beyond the title can lead to confusion, poor morale and overall inefficiency on the job.

Other inefficiencies resulting from this root problem can also come in other forms such as people continuing to work on things that are no longer important or individual responsibilities becoming even vaguer. When these things happen, it’s up to the leaders to find ways to enhance workplace efficiency and facilitate communication to address the problem.

Addressing the Issue

Future Learn | Managers are also encouraged to demonstrate their understanding of their own job title to set an example

After collecting insights, address this collated information either through one on one conversations or group meetings. Ask people to prepare a sort of elevator pitch for their job title to help other members get a better idea of what each other are doing.

Encourage them to describe it in detail and help them better understand the responsibilities that come with it. Having these regular meetings will help one’s team members work better either as an individual or as a group.