When was the last time you reviewed your company’s job descriptions?

If the answer is “I’m not sure,” you’re probably not alone.

Job descriptions are often created when a position is first established, used during recruiting, and then filed away. Meanwhile, the actual job continues to change. New technology is introduced. Responsibilities shift. Teams are reorganized. Employees take on additional duties. Positions that once required employees to be in the office may now be performed remotely or across multiple locations.

Five years later, the written job description may have very little in common with the job the employee is actually performing.

That can create more than an administrative headache. An outdated job description can become an HR and compliance issue.

Why Accurate Job Descriptions Matter

A good job description does more than help recruit candidates.

It provides a written picture of the position’s responsibilities, qualifications, reporting relationships, and essential functions. Employers may rely on job descriptions when making decisions involving:

• Recruiting and hiring
• Performance expectations
• Compensation
• Exempt or nonexempt classification
• Reasonable accommodations
• Return-to-work discussions
• Physical or scheduling requirements
• Employee development and promotions

When the document no longer reflects reality, it becomes much less useful in making those decisions.

Have the Essential Functions Changed?

One of the most important parts of a job description is identifying the position’s essential functions.

These are the fundamental duties of the job—not simply every task an employee might occasionally perform.

Essential functions can become particularly important when an employer is evaluating a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A written job description prepared before hiring can be considered evidence of what an employer believes the essential functions of a position are.

That’s a good reason to make sure the document is accurate before you need to rely on it.

Has Technology Changed the Job?

Think about how many jobs have changed in just the past few years.

Processes that were once manual may now be automated. Employees may be using new software, AI tools, mobile devices, or cloud-based systems. Paper files may have disappeared. Customer interactions may happen through video calls instead of across a counter.

If technology has eliminated certain responsibilities—or created entirely new ones—the job description should reflect those changes.

Are Employees Doing Work That Isn’t Listed?

Job duties have a tendency to grow over time.

An employee may start managing projects, supervising another employee, handling customer accounts, traveling, performing administrative work, or taking responsibility for an entirely new area of the business.

If those changes become a regular part of the position, the employer should consider whether the job description needs to be updated.

This is also an opportunity to ask a bigger question:

Has the position changed enough that its compensation or classification should be reviewed too?

Does the Exempt Classification Still Make Sense?

An employee’s job title doesn’t determine whether the employee is exempt from overtime requirements.

The employee’s actual duties matter.

If responsibilities have changed significantly since the job description was written, employers should consider whether the employee’s exempt or nonexempt classification still aligns with the work being performed and applicable wage-and-hour requirements.

An updated job description won’t determine classification by itself, but it can be an important part of the review.

What About Physical and Scheduling Requirements?

Physical requirements are another area where old job descriptions can become inaccurate.

Does the employee actually need to lift 50 pounds? Stand for eight hours? Drive regularly? Travel? Work evenings or weekends? Be physically present at a particular location?

Employers sometimes carry requirements forward simply because they’ve always appeared in the job description.

Every stated requirement should have a legitimate connection to the position as it exists today.

The same applies to schedules and work location. If a position has changed significantly because of remote or hybrid work, the written description may need to change with it.

A Job Description Should Describe the Job—Not the Employee

Another common mistake is allowing a job description to evolve around the person currently holding the position.

The document should describe the position itself, including what someone in that role is expected to do, rather than the individual employee’s personality, preferences, strengths, or unique way of performing the job.

That distinction becomes particularly important when recruiting a replacement, evaluating performance, or considering an accommodation.

When Should Employers Review Job Descriptions?

You don’t necessarily need to rewrite every job description every year.

But there are certain times when a review makes sense:

• Before recruiting for an open position
• When responsibilities change significantly
• Following a reorganization
• When new technology changes how work is performed
• When an employee begins supervising others
• When evaluating exempt or nonexempt classification
• When compensation structures are reviewed
• When physical or scheduling requirements change
• When an accommodation request raises questions about essential job functions

Employers may also want to incorporate a periodic job description review into their regular HR practices.

Pull a Few Job Descriptions Today

Here’s a simple exercise: choose three positions in your organization and compare the written job descriptions with what those employees actually do.

You may be surprised by what has changed.

Keeping job descriptions current can help employers make better hiring decisions, establish clearer expectations, evaluate compensation and classification, and respond more effectively when HR issues arise.

A job description shouldn’t be a document you create once and forget.

Need help reviewing or updating your job descriptions? Consult HR Services can help ensure your job descriptions accurately reflect today’s positions and support your organization’s HR and compliance needs.