Why role charters outperform job descriptions

Most job descriptions start to age the day someone steps into the role. They’re written for hiring, not for the reality of day-to-day work. 

Responsibilities shift, priorities change, and before long that neatly drafted job description feels more like a relic than a guide.

That gap between what’s written and what actually happens causes friction in terms of unclear accountability, overlapping responsibilities, and endless debates over who owns what.

Role charters close that gap. Unlike static job descriptions, they’re living documents that set out clear responsibilities, decision rights, and success measures. 

They can create alignment, reduce conflict, and give people a real sense of ownership.

In this article, we’ll explore why traditional job descriptions fail in dynamic companies, and how role charters reduce overlap and conflict.

Why job descriptions fail in dynamic companies

Job descriptions and role charters serve very different purposes. 

Job descriptions are written for recruitment. They’re outward-facing, designed to attract candidates by outlining required skills, qualifications, and broad responsibilities.

In contrast, role charters are written for execution. They’re inward-facing, designed to guide the person in the role by defining what they truly own day-to-day, how decisions get made, and how success is measured.

A role charter may include things you’ll never see in a job description, such as:

• Decision rights. For example, final approval authority on marketing budget decisions up to £50,000.
• Boundaries. Responsibility for customer onboarding, but not technical training. 
• Key metrics such as accountability for reducing onboarding time from 14 days to 7 days by Q4.
• Interfaces. For example: works directly with Finance for revenue reporting; collaborates with Sales on lead quality.

By contrast, a JD is more likely to include things like: 

• ‘3+ years’ experience in B2B marketing.’
• ‘Strong written and verbal communication skills.’
• ‘Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.’

The problem is that too many organisations stop at job descriptions. Once someone joins, the document quickly becomes outdated and irrelevant. 

As priorities shift, the description often doesn’t evolve with the role.

That’s why JDs so often fail in dynamic companies. 

The static nature of job descriptions means they don’t adapt to the changing needs of the business, while broad wording leaves too much room for interpretation.

Without something more concrete, teams are left with blurred boundaries, duplicated work, and unproductive debates about who owns what.

Job descriptions get people in the door, but clear role charters help them succeed once they’re inside.

What is a role charter?

A role charter is a simple but powerful tool. Think of it as the operating manual for a role, a concise document that goes beyond tasks and titles. 

It should spell out three essentials:

1. Responsibilities. What the role actually owns day-to-day.
2. Decision rights. What the person can decide independently vs. where they need alignment.
3. Success measures. How progress and impact will be judged.

Unlike job descriptions, charters should evolve. They should be written for clarity, and designed to work across teams to assist alignment. 

“Clarity is the foundation of psychological safety. People can’t contribute if they don’t know where they stand.” - Organisational design expert Amy Edmondson.  

Role charters keep teams aligned on who does what, how decisions get made, and what success looks like.

How clear charters reduce overlap and conflict

Role confusion can be costly. Research from Gallup shows that unclear expectations are one of the top causes of disengagement, with Gallup data showing that only 45% of US employees know what is expected of them at work. 

Role charters tackle this head-on by:

• Defining boundaries. 
• Clarifying ownership. 
• Reducing duplication. 
• Improving collaboration.

For example Atlassian introduced ‘team playbooks’ that act as living guides for how teams operate. They differ from role charters, but the principle is the same: alignment reduces friction and speeds up progress.

Without clear charters, you pay the price in wasted time, duplicate effort, and team frustration.

Practical tips for writing a role charter that works

Writing a role charter doesn’t need to be complex. The goal is clarity, not bureaucracy. 

Here’s how to get it right:

1. Keep it short. One page is enough. Anything longer won’t be read.
2. Be specific. ‘Owns customer onboarding metrics’ is sharper than ‘improves onboarding.’
3. Spell out decision rights. Make it clear where autonomy lies, and where collaboration is required.
4. Define success. Link responsibilities to measurable outcomes.
5. Review regularly. Update charters every quarter or after major shifts.

As Harvard Business Review notes, clear accountability for decisions ‘is the single most important factor in strategy execution.’ Role charters put accountability in black and white.

Summary

Job descriptions may help you hire, but they won’t help you operate. In today’s fast-changing businesses, clarity is currency.

Role charters are the missing link which bridges the gap between hiring documents and the reality of daily execution. 

If you want to scale without chaos, start with charters. Create them for your leadership team, test them, and expand from there. The difference in clarity, speed, and accountability will be obvious.

Vestd specialises in employee share schemes that align founders, leaders, and teams for the long run. Find out more here.