Why should job postings include a Position Description?

Similarities Between Job Description and Position Description:

 • All are prepared by the Human Resources Department to present in the Recruitment Information for a position or when contacting candidates.

 • Both types of information outline the obligations and responsibilities that the employer expects from the employee during the contract term.

 • Both are reference points for assessing training and human resource development needs.

Differences:

Simply put, the Job Description includes the duties and responsibilities you expect from the candidate. The Position Description is more explicit about the role and scope of authority of the position.

Specifically:

Job description: requirements for a position

- Used for job classification and evaluation purposes

- Expected skill level, experience and education level

- Permanent roles and responsibilities of the job

- As a basis for measuring the level of job completion (also a framework for the company to determine the necessary conditions for personnel to perform the tasks, ensuring the grading and salary are built fairly, equals for this position)

- As a basis for determining acceptable and wrong behaviors.

Position description: essential functions of a position

- Show the position and rank of that position in a specific department or in the human resources system

- As the basis for building a system of work tasks, work schedules and access rights

- Serve as a basis for setting performance standards and goals specific to the position

- Set a long-term goal, or possible career development direction of that position in the business or organization

- For human resource work: as a basis for long-term personnel organization chart

This description will also be reviewed annually by management for each employee following performance reviews, and should be shared publicly with that employee so that both parties agree on the current status and goals, spend for the future.

Usually, the Position Description content is used for job postings from middle management and above; and is defined/approved/prepared by the department's senior management. However, the position description information for even "entry-level" jobs will show potential candidates the employer's thoughtfulness, the enterprise's foresight on human resource development as well as the sustainable future that the candidate can get when joining the organization. Having a vision of their own place in the organization, personnel will be motivated to strive and avoid confusion about their roles.