A construction client came to us this year to update their position descriptions. Understandably, they wanted to keep costs down, so they asked us to cut one line item from the project: the PD template. “We already have templates,” they told us.
We took a look. What they had were dot-point lists of duties, and no two were built the same way. Going by the file dates, most hadn’t been opened since the day they were written.
This is more common than most business owners realise. A position description gets created once, filed away, and never looked at again, not because anyone’s being careless, but because nobody’s ever shown them what a PD is actually for.
The questions that changed the project
We started asking a few simple questions. One was: who does this role report to?
“The directors,” we were told. There are four directors.
That single answer told us a lot. If a performance issue comes up, which director actually owns that conversation? If a decision is challenged later, can the business point to a clear decision-maker, or does the employee quietly learn which director will give them the answer they want?
It’s a common issue in construction businesses specifically: many run a project-specific organisational chart (built for a tender) alongside their real, day-to-day org chart. Both serve a purpose, but when position descriptions aren’t clearly tied to the actual reporting structure, that gap becomes a real problem, not just a paperwork inconsistency.
Why the structure matters more than most businesses think
This particular client is ISO-accredited, and that changed the stakes considerably. For them, documentation consistency isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s what protects their accreditation, and that accreditation is what lets them keep tendering for the work that runs their business.
Once we looked properly, we found roles with no position description at all, and PD titles that didn’t match the organisational chart. Both are the kind of small, easily-missed gaps that can matter a great deal when documentation is under scrutiny in an ISO audit.
A dot-point list nobody opens isn’t protecting a business. It’s documentation for documentation’s sake. A position description built with intention does something different, it protects the business, gives the team clarity, and holds up when it’s tested.
What a good position description actually does
A well-built PD isn’t just a duties list. Done properly, it should:
- Clearly define reporting lines, with genuine accountability (not “the directors”)
- Separate what’s in the PD from what belongs in policies, procedures, or contracts, and be clear about where each of those lives
- Connect to the processes it should support: probation reviews, performance conversations, and, if it ever comes to it, WorkCover matters
- Reflect the actual structure of the business, not a version that’s drifted out of date
- Support psychosocial health and safety, by making expectations and boundaries around a role clear rather than left open to interpretation
- Reduce overall business risk and help the business meet its employer obligations
Once we walked this client through an example of what we build, they understood the value straight away, and the template went straight back into scope. Not because we made a sales case for it. Because they could finally see what it was protecting.
If this sounds familiar
You don’t need to be across the detail of HR documentation, that’s not your job. You’re focused on running and growing your business.
But if it’s been a while since anyone looked closely at your position descriptions, it’s worth asking a few of the same questions we asked this client: Do your PDs actually match your organisational chart? Is it clear who each role reports to? Would your documentation hold up if it were tested?
If you’re not sure, it’s worth a proper look, not a guess. Get in touch and we’ll tell you honestly where you stand.