A job description is a series of versions. Only one is open at a time: version 1 while it is first written, then a new version each time the published one needs changing. Publishing locks a version. When the next one is published, the earlier one becomes superseded and stays readable.
What the states mean
| State | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Being written. The people working on it can change it |
| In review | Submitted, and waiting at a stage of its workflow, for example In review: Review (stage 1 of 2). Nobody can change it |
| Approved, not yet published | Every stage has approved it. HR can publish it |
| Published | The version everyone reads |
| Superseded | An earlier published version, kept for the record |
| Discarded | A draft nobody wanted, kept read-only until its purge date |
Who sees what
Everyone with access reads published and superseded versions. A draft, or a version in the workflow, is seen only by:
- the person who started it, and its named contributors;
- the approvers of its current stage, and the people who decided its earlier stages;
- HR administrators and the JD administrator.
Archived job descriptions
An archived job description has been taken off the published list. Its versions are kept until their purge date, seven years by default. Published versions and the audit trail are always kept.
Was this helpful?