HR Myth #8: We hire based on Attitude. JD? "What's that?Apa tuu?!"

Employee Perspective

“I thought I was doing the right thing…” “During my interview, they said attitude more important, I'll be trained on the rest”

“I joined, had no idea what my actual role was, one day was doing sales support, the other day handling customer service, next, stock take.”
“I asked what my KPI was, boss just said, ‘Just be proactive.’, huhh??"

“Then, I got scolded for not following up with clients. No one told me that was part of my job!”
“I wanted to do well but am totally lost. I gave up trying.”

😔A good attitude alone isn't helpful if expectations are invisible.

Employer Perspective

“We want team players who can adapt!”
"We value flexibility"
“I want someone with the right mindset"

"JD too rigid, small company, everyone does everything.”
“Don’t have time to write fancy JDs and all that.”
“It’s more important they fit the culture.”
"Seng Mok Lah!"

💥Hey! While attitude is important, no JD creates bigger problems later

🤷Staff don’t know what’s expected

🧱Accountability becomes unclear

😤Miscommunication leads to friction, frustrations

📉Performance becomes hard to measure

🔁“Flexible” starts to feel like “chaotic”

The solution isn't to remove flexibility > it's to create clarity.
Even a simple 1-page JD provides a compass.

✅ What to include in a basic JD

1️⃣ Key responsibilities (5 - 7 bullets)

2️⃣ Main KPI or success indicators

3️⃣ Reporting line & collaboration relationships

4️⃣ Work schedule or shift expectations

5️⃣ Must-have skills vs nice-to-have

A real case with a client.

A fresh grad with great attitude was hired but no JD.
Within 3 months, I started getting requests for PIP advice.
I said "Wait a minute, let's see what's the root problem, no JD"

Together, we setup a clear JD, add a tracker & periodic 1-to-1's
Within 2 weeks, performance improved, why? CLARITY.
Frustrations at all angles, staff, manager, management, all subsided.
Now the incumbent is thriving! and Happy all around!

You see, the effects of creating simple JDs and performance trackers makes:
⭐New hires onboarded faster
🗣️Fewer repeated questions
🤝Managers give better feedback
❤️Employees felt more in control

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁

👉Attitude gets them in the door.
👉Clear expectations help them succeed once they’re inside.

Let’s stop expecting people to “figure it out” in silence.

A JD; Job Description isn’t bureaucracy; it's a basic art of respect and trust.

I am Kevin Goh, Empowering People & Businesses | Building Modern HR for the Evolving Workplace
#HRMythBusters #Leadership #FutureOfWork

This article originally appeared on LinkedIn by Kevin Goh – Director. You can read the full post here. Adapted and shared with permission.