Employee Perspective
โI thought I was doing the right thingโฆโ
โDuring my interview, they said attitude more important, I’ll be trained on the restโ
โI joined, had no idea what my actual role was, one day was doing sales support, the other day handling customer service, next, stock take.โ
โI asked what my KPI was, boss just said, โJust be proactive.โ, huhh??”
โThen, I got scolded for not following up with clients. No one told me that was part of my job!โ
โI wanted to do well but am totally lost. I gave up trying.โ
๐A good attitude alone isn’t helpful if expectations are invisible.
Employer Perspective
โWe want team players who can adapt!โ
“We value flexibility”
โI want someone with the right mindset”
“JD too rigid, small company, everyone does everything.โ
โDonโt have time to write fancy JDs and all that.โ
โItโs more important they fit the culture.โ
“Seng Mok Lah!”
๐ฅHey! While attitude is important, no JD creates bigger problems later
๐คทStaff donโt know whatโs expected
๐งฑAccountability becomes unclear
๐คMiscommunication leads to friction, frustrations
๐Performance becomes hard to measure
๐โFlexibleโ starts to feel like โchaoticโ
The solution isn’t to remove flexibility > it’s to create clarity.
Even a simple 1-page JD provides a compass.
โ What to include in a basic JD
1๏ธโฃ Key responsibilities (5 – 7 bullets)
2๏ธโฃ Main KPI or success indicators
3๏ธโฃ Reporting line & collaboration relationships
4๏ธโฃ Work schedule or shift expectations
5๏ธโฃ Must-have skills vs nice-to-have
A real case with a client.
A fresh grad with great attitude was hired but no JD.
Within 3 months, I started getting requests for PIP advice.
I said “Wait a minute, let’s see what’s the root problem, no JD“
Together, we setup a clear JD, add a tracker & periodic 1-to-1’s
Within 2 weeks, performance improved, why? CLARITY.
Frustrations at all angles, staff, manager, management, all subsided.
Now the incumbent is thriving! and Happy all around!
You see, the effects of creating simple JDs and performance trackers makes:
โญNew hires onboarded faster
๐ฃ๏ธFewer repeated questions
๐คManagers give better feedback
โค๏ธEmployees felt more in control
๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ง๐ต๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต๐
๐Attitude gets them in the door.
๐Clear expectations help them succeed once theyโre inside.
Letโs stop expecting people to โfigure it outโ in silence.
A JD; Job Description isnโt bureaucracy; it’s a basic art of respect and trust.
I am Kevin Goh, Empowering People & Businesses | Building Modern HR for the Evolving Workplace
#HRMythBusters #Leadership #FutureOfWork
This article originally appeared on LinkedIn by Kevin Goh โ Director. You can read the full post here. Adapted and shared with permission.
