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From Templates to Transformation: Rethinking Job Descriptions in the Age of BPMS
Reflections on the Handbook of Model Job Descriptions
The Handbook of Model Job Descriptions by Barry Cushway is a comprehensive compilation of job descriptions derived from various organizational structures and industries. While its intent to provide practical templates is commendable, modern organizational management must address the critical limitations inherent to such collections.
- Loss of Uniqueness through Aggregation
The handbook's strength lies in its extensive aggregation of job descriptions. However, this strength doubles as a weakness, as the aggregation process generalizes diverse organizational structures and fails to account for each company's unique attributes. Such generalized descriptions may not reflect the nuanced demands of specific organizational contexts or industries, limiting their applicability. - The Foundational Need for an Organization's Activity Model
Before crafting job descriptions, it is vital to comprehend an organization's activity model and its underlying business processes. As outlined in the article "Rules on how to create an organisational structure", an activity model acts as the blueprint for aligning roles with the company's objectives. Without this understanding, job descriptions risk becoming disconnected from the strategic goals and operational realities of the organization. - Responsibility as a Function of Authority Matrices
Responsibility delineation within job descriptions should stem from well-defined matrices of authority and responsibility, such as RACI matrices. The article "How to create a RACI responsibility matrix" highlights the importance of these frameworks in ensuring clarity and accountability. The handbook, however, simplifies these complexities, potentially leading to role overlaps or ambiguities. - Job Descriptions as Outputs of BPMS
In modern practice, job descriptions should be viewed as outputs of an organization's activity model, generated and maintained through Business Process Management Software (BPMS). These tools ensure that job descriptions are dynamic, integrated with operational data, and reflect real-time organizational needs. Static resources like the handbook can inadvertently mislead readers into relying on outdated or misaligned job role templates.
From the lens of Spiral Dynamics, the reliance on resources like the Handbook of Model Job Descriptions reflects the priorities and needs of the early BLUE stage of development. At the early stages of BLUE, such books address the need for structure and clear guidelines. However, as organizations mature within the BLUE stage, they progress to documenting business processes using tools like MS Visio and begin considering BPM systems for deeper operational alignment.
Further evolution to GREEN and YELLOW highlights the importance of collaboration and systemic thinking. In these stages, job descriptions are seen as part of a broader, integrative framework that connects individuals to the organization’s holistic purpose and fluid processes. Feedback from process participants becomes particularly valued at these stages, ensuring that necessary changes to workflows are identified and implemented. BPMS tools enable real-time collection of such feedback and allow for simulation modeling to test and refine process adjustments.
While the Handbook of Model Job Descriptions offers valuable starting points, its utility is inherently limited in contemporary organizational contexts. Companies are better served by developing and maintaining an activity model supported by BPMS tools, which can dynamically generate job descriptions aligned with organizational goals and workflows. From a Spiral Dynamics perspective, the reliance on static templates is indicative of earlier stages of organizational development, and moving beyond them represents a critical step toward adaptability and systemic alignment.
The fact that a prominent community like Global HR Resources promotes such books in its posts, as seen here, suggests that many companies and HR professionals are only beginning to approach the BLUE stage of development. This highlights the ongoing journey for many organizations toward deeper process understanding and operational maturity.
By embracing dynamic, technology-driven approaches, organizations can ensure their structures and processes remain relevant, effective, and aligned with their evolving needs while fostering feedback-driven continuous improvement.
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