Duties and Responsibilities: What’s the Difference?

When reading a job description, you often see the terms “duties” and “responsibilities” used interchangeably. However, these terms have distinct meanings that affect how job roles are structured and evaluated.

In this guide, we’ll explain the difference between a duty and a responsibility, provide examples of job duties and responsibilities, and help you write clear job descriptions that attract the right candidates.

What Are Duties and Responsibilities?

Duties and responsibilities outline the expectations of an employee’s role.

• Duties are the specific tasks or activities required in a job. They are often repetitive, measurable, and part of the daily workflow.
• Responsibilities are broader obligations that involve accountability, decision-making, and managing various aspects of a role.

Understanding duties vs. responsibilities helps employers create effective job descriptions and enables employees to meet expectations more efficiently.

What Are Duties?

Duties are the specific tasks assigned to an employee. These are the clear-cut, regular tasks that need to be completed.

Duties are often quantifiable and can be outlined as step-by-step processes. For example, an administrative assistant’s duties might include filing documents, scheduling meetings, and responding to emails.

Since job duties are usually tangible and measurable, they can be listed in a checklist format in job descriptions.

Job Duties Examples

Here are the detailed examples of job duties for three different positions:

1. Customer service representative:

• Respond to customer inquiries via phone, email, or live chat.
• Provide information about products or services.
• Handle and resolve customer complaints or issues.
• Process orders, forms, applications, and requests.
• Maintain records of customer interactions, transactions, comments, and complaints.

2. IT support specialist:

• Install, configure, and update hardware and software for end-users.
• Troubleshoot software and hardware failures and resolve network issues.
• Provide technical support to users in person or via remote-access systems.
• Maintain the daily performance of computer systems.
• Respond to IT tickets for various tech issues, logging conversations and problems in the IT support database.

3. Human resources manager:

• Recruit, interview, and hire qualified job applicants for open positions.
• Conduct employee onboarding and organize training and development initiatives.
• Oversee employee benefits programs and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.
• Manage employee records and documentation.
• Address employee concerns and conflicts, providing mediation when necessary.

What Are Responsibilities?

Responsibilities have a broader scope and cover areas where an employee is accountable. They imply a level of trust and the expectation that the employee will manage certain aspects of their job with discretion.

Responsibilities usually require higher decision-making and oversight. For example, a project manager’s responsibilities might include overseeing a project’s scope, managing the budget, and ensuring deadlines are met. You will find examples of job responsibilities and roles in the related article.

This helps ensure that all aspects of their roles are being met effectively, improving accountability and performance management.

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What’s the Difference between a Duty and a Responsibility?

The key difference between a duty and a responsibility is the scope of what each entails. Duties are specific tasks or functions that an employee must complete. Responsibilities, on the other hand, are broader and involve a higher level of accountability and judgment. Think of duties as the building blocks that make up responsibilities. For example, a single responsibility may encompass several related duties.

By Natallia Slimani