Introduction

Abstract

The job description—like the performance review—is a relic of the last century. Yet we still cling onto this antiquated Human Resource Management (HRM) tool in the hope that it aids employee performance. But we get frustrated with the job description, don’t we? We are constantly tinkering with its format and content, hoping to make it more reflective of the work people are supposed to do in the organization. Instead of fiddling with the job description and asking how can we make it be more effective, we ought to be asking a better question: Is it still relevant? The answer is no, the job description is not relevant; it’s past its “use by date.” It’s time to assign it to the industrial dustbin and replace it with something else. But what? What can we replace the antediluvian job description with?