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So I'm in a predicament. I started a new full time job 2 months ago as a receptionist for a medical company. My job description is: answering phones, greeting guests, ordering supplies , and calendar management. Well now I was told they want me to call customers on a daily basis and do a customer satisfaction survey. I know it doesn't sound like a big deal but I had done that before and hated it! I don't want to do that again. My job is reception not customer service rep!!
It hasn't taken effect yet - probably a week or two before this starts. It makes me mad no one even asked if I would be interested in doing that! That's not what I signed up for at all. Do I talk about my concern and not wanting to do it?
I don't blame you for being upset by this. I wouldn't like it either and would feel exactly the same way you do. However, I would try it out for a week or two just to see how it went. If I still felt strongly about it, I would speak with someone. Unfortunately employers leave openings to throw anything on you with that "and other duties as assigned" bit in their description, so I dunno that it's going to do any good to talk to someone. Maybe the customers will get irritated and complain and they'll stop having you do it.
Of course! But in all fairness employers should consider they may lose employees if they hire someone for a job and then change it after the fact.
Mmmm, I disagree with this. The needs of a business change all the time. The duties of good employees change all the time to suit the needs of a business. If you have an employee that refuses to adapt and do what needs to be done, just because it's not what they were hired to do, then that is not a good employee. It would be better for the business to get rid of that employee, and find another one that is willing to work.
When I hired on to my current job, I was hired as a test engineer. Within months, the test lead had to move up to fill the group lead spot, and I was told I was now the test lead, which is a completely different job (organizing a test instead of doing a test). No problem, I did what needed to be done. Then, after the testing was over, the customer needed some hardware changes to the system. So our company needed a systems engineering team. So I became a systems engineer overnight, and learned how to actually do it while on the job. It, again, is completely different from the previous two job duties I had. My goal is to eventually become a program manager, which is again a completely different set of duties. And I am working my way up, by proving myself to be flexible, adaptable, and willing and able to do what needs to be done to get the job done.
If I ever hired someone who refused to do anything that was not written on their original job description, I would fire them immediately. Even if they are very good at what they do. Because if they won't help get done what actually needs to get done, then what use are they?
Mmmm, I disagree with this. The needs of a business change all the time. The duties of good employees change all the time to suit the needs of a business. If you have an employee that refuses to adapt and do what needs to be done, just because it's not what they were hired to do, then that is not a good employee. It would be better for the business to get rid of that employee, and find another one that is willing to work.
When I hired on to my current job, I was hired as a test engineer. Within months, the test lead had to move up to fill the group lead spot, and I was told I was now the test lead, which is a completely different job (organizing a test instead of doing a test). No problem, I did what needed to be done. Then, after the testing was over, the customer needed some hardware changes to the system. So our company needed a systems engineering team. So I became a systems engineer overnight, and learned how to actually do it while on the job. It, again, is completely different from the previous two job duties I had. My goal is to eventually become a program manager, which is again a completely different set of duties. And I am working my way up, by proving myself to be flexible, adaptable, and willing and able to do what needs to be done to get the job done.
If I ever hired someone who refused to do anything that was not written on their original job description, I would fire them immediately. Even if they are very good at what they do. Because if they won't help get done what actually needs to get done, then what use are they?
If moving up is what you want to do that's fine. I'm not interested in moving up. I just wanted a simple low stress job - which is why I took this. Cold calling people is something that will make me to go liking my job to hating it. Guess I should find another job.
Bring it up if you don't like it enough to the point where you can't/won't do it. Then let the cards fall as they may. If they like the work you do they may be willing to keep you. Just be prepared to be job hunting again if you do bring it up.
The needs of a business change all the time. The duties of good employees change all the time to suit the needs of a business. If you have an employee that refuses to adapt and do what needs to be done, just because it's not what they were hired to do, then that is not a good employee. It would be better for the business to get rid of that employee, and find another one that is willing to work.
I agree. I don't think it's realistic to expect a job description to never change or evolve. And then there's always that little caveat at the end of most job descriptions - "Other duties as assigned".
This isn't something that was in my job description. If it was brought up I wouldn't have taken the job. It's along the lines of cold calling - something I never want to do again.
But it's NOT cold calling. They are people who have used the services of your company, and your company wants some feedback from those customers on how they did. So it's not like you are calling people randomly to quiz them.
For the past 2+ years the work I've done on a daily basis had NOTHING to do with my job description. I had far moved on from those duties and responsibilities thanks to volunteering for things, being assigned things outside my scope to help increase my skills and exposure to new things, and a boss who felt I shouldn't settle (I agreed).
The result is that I was promoted recently to a new position within the company, and now my title and job description DO match what I do on a daily basis. My pay increased by 10.5% as well (thanks to a raise and a COL increase that came in at the same time).
So who cares if it's not on your job description. Does your job description say something along the lines of "and other duties as assigned?" If so, then this new task falls under that definition.
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