The value of job descriptions can be extremely beneficial when used to their full potential. Many organizations don’t value job descriptions enough because managers aren’t aware of their many uses. How would your organization respond if asked about how you value them? Do you have job descriptions? Are they up-to-date? Are they legally compliant?
What makes job descriptions a problem? If you’ve ever written one, you know they can be a bear to write. What should and should not be included? How do you keep them concise, effective and legal?
Job descriptions can be viewed as basic organizational building blocks which are absolutely vital, detailing who does what for whom in an organization. Taken together, the descriptions form the architectural plan of your organization. They also form the basis of both your hiring and performance management. Your employment ads are basically job descriptions dressed up to attract talent. And your performance appraisals measure achievement on the job as it was originally described.
A recent article on work.com offers the following suggestions on key elements that need to be in any good job description:
- Identifier. The description should list the job title, location, department and to whom the employee reports.
- Key responsibilities. This is just what it sounds like—what the employee will actually be doing (or for management jobs, who and what will be managed). To comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), essential responsibilities must be listed separately, so that a person with disabilities can qualify for the job (with or without a reasonable accommodation) even if he/she can’t do other, lesser tasks.
- Qualifications. The description should include the skills, experience and/or education required or requested. Experts say to widen the candidate pool, focus this section on what you actually need. If the person doesn’t need a degree, don’t demand one. In fact, requiring a degree when it’s not needed may even be seen as discriminatory toward some population groups that generally have low college attendance.
- Terms. This includes work schedule, salary or pay grade and any special benefits.
- Special requirements. For example, the ability to do heavy physical work or the need to spend a lot of time on the road.
In this day and age, it’s wise to have your job descriptions legally reviewed. The reason: a rejected candidate can always call them as evidence in a discrimination case. Anything in the description that hints at a preconceived desire to eliminate or favor candidates due to race, color, age, gender, religion, national origin or disability would work against you.
A crucial factor in the success of any job description program is the procedure for keeping descriptions up to date. Changes in jobs take many forms and occur for a variety of reasons. In order to keep job descriptions up to date, consider setting up a formal review program.
For a free resource on starting or updating job descriptions, visit online.onetcenter.org. This is a very helpful resource developed by the United States Department of Labor. IBI
