Preparing a Job Description

Creating an Effective Job Description for Successful Hiring

Being clear from the beginning about the duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required for the position you are looking to fill will make each step of the hiring process easier. A job description is an effective tool for identifying job requirements and detailing information that will form the basis for a job posting and ultimately your hiring decision.

Guidelines on how to create an effective job description:

• Use a clear job title
• Provide a brief summary of the role
• Identify the reporting relationship for the position, who the position reports to, and who reports to the position
• Identify the main duties and responsibilities of the position
• What are the most critical or important functions
• List the daily, weekly, monthly and annual tasks or responsibilities of the position
• Use descriptive verbs to identify the skills required (e.g. manage serving staff, resolve customer complaints, coordinate deliveries)
• Be specific about the qualifications, skills and experience needed (e.g. educational requirement, customer service experience, certifications required, number of years of experience)
• Identify soft skills required (e.g. able to solve problems with staff and guests tactfully and efficiently)
• Specify to what degree the candidate needs to possess the required skills or experience (1-2 years of experience in a serving position)
• Be realistic and be open. Consider transferable skills and experience
• Provide an overview of working conditions, physical and psychological demands of the job (e.g. able to lift up to 10kg, required to stand for long periods of time, repetitive nature of tasks, overtime requirements)
• Be sure that all physical requirements are bona fide, necessary in order to do the job successfully, and if not, do not list them

Having a clear job description will help your new employee understand their responsibilities and duties and also provides the Employer with a basis for evaluating job performance.

Resources:

• Job description template
• Sample Job Description – Bartender
• Sample Job Description – Cook
• Sample Job Description – Front Desk Agent
• Sample Job Description – Restaurant General Manager