There are many benefits to job descriptions. As we have previously discussed, it makes it easier to fill the position and gives your clinic employees or contractors a clear description of what they do on a day to day basis. However, there are also some disadvantages to strict job descriptions. There are some cases in which it is better to eliminate the use of a job description for the good of a practice.

Over the next few weeks we will dive into why overly strict job descriptions can have a negative impact.

1. Assumed limitations
One of the main disadvantages of a strict job description is the limitations an employee or contractor in your clinic may place on himself due to the job description. A clinic employee or contractor may refuse to do other tasks not listed in the job description. This can be frustrating for clinic owners and practice managers and limit the productivity of staff.

2. Updating
Jobs change frequently in any clinic and tasks are added or dropped as new and better ways of working are implemented. A job description must be updated each time a change is implemented. This can involve a large chunk of time when dealing with flexible jobs. An employee’s time may be better spent working on a profitable task rather than updating the clinic’s job descriptions.

3. Reduced flexibility
When your clinic staff have their own job descriptions, it limits the types of work they are willing to engage in. In a clinic without job descriptions, employees & contractors alike may be more willing to help one another out when a section is overwhelmed (such as the reception desk) or when extra help is needed. When employees & or contractors have their own job descriptions, a segregated environment emerges, which can potentially breed conflict between the various parts of the clinic.