Maintaining competitive pay can not happen with outdated job descriptions

Joshua Kiernan

Published March 13, 2023

Table of Contents

Workplace requirements, skills, and certifications are dynamic. Technology is changing rapidly. Ensuring competitive pay is dependent on understanding the skills needed now for each role in your organization.

Coworkers in a meeting
Coworkers in a meeting

As businesses grow and evolve, so do the roles and responsibilities of their employees. However, many companies continue to rely on outdated job descriptions when determining pay, leading to a host of issues that can ultimately hurt the company’s bottom line. Here are a few reasons why maintaining competitive pay can’t happen with outdated job descriptions.

1 – Outdated job descriptions don’t accurately reflect the modern workforce

The job market is constantly evolving, and so are the skills and qualifications required for different roles. An outdated job description may not accurately reflect the skills and qualifications needed to perform a particular job today. This can result in underpaid employees who are overqualified for their positions, leading to dissatisfaction and high turnover rates.

2 – They don’t account for new technology and processes

Advancements in technology and changes in processes can significantly impact job duties and requirements. An outdated job description may not include these changes, leaving out critical skills that are needed for an employee to perform their job tasks. In some cases, these new skills may require a premium on wages. Outdated job descriptions will not only fail to attract that talent but will also have managers inaccurately pricing the role, making its compensation uncompetitive.

3 – They can’t account for individual differences

Every employee is different, with unique skill sets, strengths, and weaknesses. An outdated job description may not account for these individual differences, leading to disparities in pay and job satisfaction. Employees who feel they are not being fairly compensated for their skills and contributions may become disengaged, leading to decreased productivity and a higher risk of turnover.

4 – They may violate fair pay laws

Outdated job descriptions may not accurately reflect the skills and qualifications required for a job, leading to pay disparities between employees. This can potentially violate fair pay laws, putting the company at risk of legal action and damaging its reputation. It’s important for companies to regularly review and update job descriptions to ensure compliance with fair pay laws and avoid potential legal issues.

It’s critical to keep job descriptions up to date

Companies should regularly review and update job descriptions to accurately reflect the modern workforce, account for new technology and processes, and recognize individual differences in roles. Failure to do so can lead to decreased productivity, increased turnover rates, and legal issues that can ultimately harm the company’s bottom line.

Looking for an easy way to update job descriptions and manage job description versions? Try Mosh JD free today.

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Joshua Kiernan Co-Founder and CEO
Josh Kiernan has spent over 15 years helping HR and compensation teams simplify tasks with technology; saving them time so they can focus on what they care about most. At Mosh JD, he leads the effort to simplify job description management so HR teams can maintain hundreds of accurate job descriptions without thousands of hours of work.

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