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Jaap de Jonge
Editor, Netherlands
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Your Employees' Work is Changing: From a Job to Several Roles
We live and work in a very dynamic and competitive world. In order to survive, our organizations are forced to be flexible and high-performing too. This is increasingly influencing the way work and jobs in organizations are set up: instead of 1 job, workers are expected to perform several roles in projects.
Traditionally, the purpose and requirements for a job are described in a 'job description': a structured and factual statement of a job's functions and objectives. It defines the boundaries of the job-holder's authority and includes the job title, department, associated responsibilities, reporting lines, tasks, required experience, knowledge, skills, level and perhaps a clear career path. 
A job description is static, and is reflected in an organization chart (organogram). Both get out of date quickly (although they can be revised).
Over the last decade, work is being organized in a more flexible way:
- Besides their main job/post, employees now perform several roles in projects.
- Due to internet, laptops, smart phones, etc., knowledge workers no longer have to work in 'the office'; they can work anywhere, anytime.
- We no longer judge employees on how good they were in their job, or against their formal job description (if any), but on the demand for their know-how and skills.
- Changed career paths, which are no longer linear and depend on permanent education and personal development
Job descriptions remain valuable- Give an overall view of the job for job holder and immediate line manager
- Basis for HR department to match candidates versus the job requirements
- Basis for performance appraisals
- Basis for job grading
- Basis for organization improvements
- Permanent education and personal development have become crucial for knowledge workers.
- Employees are increasingly rewarded for results; not for "doing their job'.
- Breakdown of functional silos and increased working in roles, spanning various business functions.
- More horizontal mobility between organizations.
For managers and for management as a profession, what are the implications of this transition of workers from having a single job to performing multiple roles?
Adapted and translated from Wilco van Gelderen, 2013, "Ons werk verandert en daarmee ons denken over 'functies', innovatieforganiseren.nl
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Bernard N Owusu - Sekyere
Consultant, South Africa
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Borderless Demand Makes Job Descriptions a Formality
De Jonge is right when he argues there is a whole (...)
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Onyangore Peter Ogendi
Teacher, Kenya
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Are Job Descriptions Now Just Guidelines?
Indeed a job description is now just 'a guideline' (...)
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justice john a
Student (Other), Ghana
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Put it in the Job Description
Job enrichment comes as a result of technical know (...)
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Alan Kennedy
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The Focus is Shifting from Job Description to 'Expectations'
What we see changing is the move from a one dimens (...)
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I Gede Darmawijaya
Teacher, Indonesia
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Avoid that Side Jobs Become the Main Job
Most employees are working based on their job desc (...)
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Ivan Kohlinsky
Management Consultant, United Kingdom
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It Can Be a Win - Win Situation with the Right Mindset and Limits
I agree. Many years ago I set about persuading a c (...)
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Onyangore Peter Ogendi
Teacher, Kenya
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Bringing Out More Talents
We tend to force ourselves in some careers because (...)
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Olli Kansanen
HR Consultant, Finland
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Job / Roles Discussion
Exactly the same question was discussed in 1990 in (...)
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rajat baisya
Professor, India
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The Traditional Job Description is Now Obsolete
I believe that the old system of job description h (...)
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Bantwal Prabhu
Teacher, India
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Management is More Broad Based and Hence Multi-functional
Management today is more broad based too and hence (...)
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Musonda Ernest Kabwe
Zambia
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Employment Still Based on Experience / Curriculum Vitae
Employment is still based on curriculum vitae, sho (...)
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kvssiyer
Consultant, India
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Job Descriptions and Expectations
@Alan Kennedy: Yes expectations are more critical (...)
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Olli Kansanen
HR Consultant, Finland
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Purpose of the Job
In my opinion the most important question is the p (...)
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lenworth grandison
Jamaica
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Implications for Managers, Opportunities for Employees
Jaap de Jonge is spot on in his observations. This (...)
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LEAH LYNDA I. STA ANA
Student (MBA), Philippines
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Borderless Demand and Job Description
Borderless demand makes job description a formalit (...)
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Paul Strodike
Management Consultant, South Africa
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Skills and Competencies more Important than Job Specifications
For strategic workforce planning, it is more impor (...)
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Ayele Abdata
Manager, Ethiopia
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From Specialization to Generalization
Mr .de Jonge's forum topic reminisces us about the (...)
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Jasper Mugambi
Manager, Kenya
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Implications for Managers' Roles
The implication of this is for managers is that th (...)
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Marc Tremblay
Manager, Canada
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Remaining Multi-functional Employees Have to Carry a Heavier Workload
The topic of discussion resonates with me. In Cana (...)
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Richard Mariwa
Manager
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Job-Roles Discussion and Unions
The ongoing discussion assumes the employees are a (...)
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rajat baisya
Professor, India
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About the Pressure by Unionised Staff and Trade Unions
@Richard Mariwa: has raised an issue with respect (...)
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Leticia Olaverria
Accountant, Dominican Republic
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Technology Helps Increase New Roles and Duties
I agree with some of the point of views expressed; (...)
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Sachin Yemul
Student (MBA), India
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Information Technology and its Implications
Day by day IT is evolving and making jobs more cri (...)
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Helen Strong
Business Consultant, South Africa
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Mental Boundaries
The above discussion makes some excellent points a (...)
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rajat baisya
Professor, India
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Working on Mental Boundaries
@Strong has raised a point which we indeed have ex (...)
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Bantwal Prabhu
Teacher, India
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Mental Boundaries and Performance
The trend with management is towards a "more with (...)
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seechurn
HR Consultant, Mauritius
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Recruiting Multi-skilled Employees
I am agreeable to the views expressed by Jaap de J (...)
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Bantwal Prabhu
Teacher, India
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Change is the Watchword of the Future
The only thing that is constant in the world is ch (...)
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kvssiyer
Consultant, India
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Job Descriptions and Organizations Chart
A typical organization chart is the pictorial repr (...)
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David Wilson
Manager, Canada
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Employees with Multiple Roles May Be Beneficial
In my experience, if an employee has only one role (...)
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David Wilson
Manager, Canada
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People Need to Future Proof Their Jobs
I am reading a report from the Brookfield Institut (...)
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Ivan Kohlinsky
Management Consultant, United Kingdom
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We May Have Damaged the Success of This by our Education System
For years business and government has tried to reg (...)
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