Regularly assessing job knowledge is important for optimal workforce management. A worker’s knowledge of a job should match the required performance, and discrepancies should be investigated and corrected. Collective bargaining agreements and government regulations may limit redefining job positions or relocating workers. Training in job knowledge can also be mandatory and regulated by authorities.
Job knowledge is an understanding of a variety of responsibilities specific to a job, as well as an ongoing ability to keep pace with changes in job functions. Knowledge of the collective work of the staff of an organization or a company is an HR asset of immense value in the market. Sometimes referred to as “intellectual capital,” a worker’s knowledge of a particular job should closely match the actual job performance required.
There are productivity benefits to regularly assessing professional knowledge within an organization. Job responsibilities can evolve incrementally over time, as new procedures and technologies are integrated into the workflow for a particular job position. HR management may not be aware that a dribble of defined responsibilities and tasks has occurred. Formally tracking those changes that occur in each job position is a necessary part of optimal workforce management. Managers who monitor the quality and accuracy of job knowledge also have a strong foundation from which to fairly evaluate job performance against company benchmarks.
In assessing a worker’s job knowledge, the goal is to evaluate how well the existing job description matches the tasks assigned to the worker. If there is a significant discrepancy between performance expectations and actual duties and activities performed, HR managers or personnel will likely investigate the reason for the discrepancy. They can take corrective action, which could involve additional training, reassigning duties, rewording the job description, or terminating the position or worker, or both.
At times, management may be held back from freely redefining a job position or relocating a worker due to existing provisions in contracts negotiated with organized unions or government regulations. If the worker is covered by a collective bargaining agreement with a union, a mismatch between the job description and the actual job functions may lead to action by the union to insist that the mismatch be corrected. For example, if an employee is responsible for inspections that involve climbing ladders or handling hazardous materials, specific safety knowledge might be covered by safety regulations. A company may not be legally free to ask another worker to fill in for that employee.
Training in job knowledge can also be mandatory and regulated by government authorities. If a worker takes responsibility for completing a task that may fall under government-mandated safety regulations, but also lacks the certification or training required by those regulations, the employer may face fines or other penalties. Many consider it a company’s ethical responsibility to fairly and accurately match a job description with the required job knowledge.
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