Understanding KRA vs. Job Description: Can You Help Clarify the Differences?

Understanding the Difference Between KRA and Job Description

What is the difference between KRA and Job Description? Please help.

Regards,
Vishal Setia

The Difference Between Job Description and KRAs

- **Job Description (JD):** It provides a broad description or picture of any job.

- **Key Result Areas (KRAs):** These are very specific to the organization's short-term and present goals.

Regards, Lokkesh

Understanding Job Descriptions and KRAs

A job description entails the day-to-day tasks that you perform during your working days. It provides a step-by-step breakdown of your responsibilities.

Key Result Areas (KRAs)

KRAs are the targets you are expected to achieve by the end of the month, quarter, or year. These indicate the results you have demonstrated in your performance and the benefits accrued to the company. During performance appraisals, you are required to document your performance or achievements for specific months or quarters, which are referred to as KRAs.

Understanding Job Description and KRA

A job description is a detailed picture of your job, consisting of specific activities. It may be referred to as a job profile and includes KRAs, i.e., key responsible areas. KRAs are the important functions or responsibilities that are primarily expected from you.

Understanding the Role of Job Descriptions and KRAs

A job description (JD) can be used to define the duties and responsibilities of a particular job. Along with the job specification, one can get a clear picture of the position. JDs are not changeable unless new responsibilities are added to the job position.

On the other hand, Key Results Areas (KRAs) are fixed in measurable ways, and they may be linked with performance appraisals. KRAs are changeable after reviews.

Regards,
S. Sethupathy Excellent HR Services.

Understanding JD and KRA

JD stands for Job Details, whereas KRA represents Key Result Areas used in the performance management system.

Regards,
Akhilesh Kumar, Durgapur

JD stands for the overall picture of the position or designation. Job descriptions are fixed.

KRA

KRA represents the tasks assigned or expected from the designation. Key result areas are flexible.

Regards

In simple words, a job description specifies your responsibilities and day-to-day duties while you hold a specific post in the company. Out of these daily responsibilities and duties, a few can be measured or quantified. This is known as the key result areas, which denote the accountability of the post towards the organizational goals. Let me provide an example.

For instance, if your role is in room maintenance, your job is to maintain a room. Job descriptions may include tasks such as:

1. Brooming at least thrice a day.
2. Changing the sofa and furniture covers.
3. Sweeping the floors twice a day, and so on.

The key result areas (KRAs) for this role could be:

1. Dusting Management
- Broom the floors thrice a day, ensuring 0% dust level.
- Use brooms of three standard sizes to reach the inaccessible areas, adhering to 100% quality standards.

2. Floor Management
- Sweep the floor at equal intervals with proper disinfectants.
- Maintain timeliness - sweep hourly, daily, or weekly.
- Ensure whole floor coverage - 0-100% accuracy.

Understanding Job Descriptions and Key Result Areas (KRAs)

A Job Description includes all job performance curriculum, including the reporting process and other obligations towards the job. In Key Result Areas (KRAs), specific points from the JD are considered, expecting actual output from the employee based on their performance. KRAs are always performance-based and hold employees accountable. Evaluations may occur on a monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, and yearly basis.

When deciding on job descriptions, the team considers and observes the daily actual job responsibilities to prepare the JD. However, in KRA, the expected final output post-recruitment for a particular position is considered.

Regards,
Ashok