Is it usual practice to write your own job description 8 months into working for a small business?

Answer 1

In fact, many small companies do not even have job descriptions. I'm a business consultant, and I always recommend that companies get employees involved in creating their own job descriptions. Frankly, wouldn't you prefer to be involved?

Answer 2

I have see it done when a small business opens up a new position, a combination, many times, of tasks previously worked on by others. This is a 'meld' of different duties. The person works in the slot for a while until the position takes on its own 'life'. The former performers of the various tasks are now free to work on other/growing portions of the business. So, after a month or two (or three or four) the 'new' person writes down an outline of what he/she has been doing on a regular basis - tasks, procedures, coordination with others, etc.. It will be worked on later but it gives the incumbent some assurance that he/she will not be rated/evaluated on performance of tasks that are not assigned to the position and gives the incumbent a management-approved list of tasks that must be accomplished. It gives management some assurance that ALL tasks are being covered on a regular basis.