Job descriptions should give a brief overview of the role, how it relates to your company vision, a list of key responsibilities, requirements and qualifications.
TIME SPENT DEVELOPING JOB DESCRIPTIONS HAS SEVERAL PAY-OFFS:
- Job descriptions assist in making sure your staff duties align with your company vision
- They allow you to make informed hiring decisions by developing recruiting strategies that clearly outline to applicants their role and responsibilities
- When conducting interviews, job descriptions should form the foundation for the development of interview questions
- Job descriptions can also be used to determine areas in need of training and development when expectations or requirements are not being met
- Having clear job descriptions also allows for a basis on which to develop compensation plans that ensure jobs are being compensated in ways that reflect their levels of responsibility and qualification in the organization
- Finally, when used as a means to communicate expectations, job descriptions can also be used as a basis for performance management. For the employee, having a clear job description allows them to understand the responsibilities and duties that are required and expected of them
JOB DESCRIPTIONS TYPICALLY HAVE THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS:
- A high-level summary of the key duties
- Identification of the values that should be demonstrated by all staff
- A detailed list of the responsibilities
- A description of the experience, knowledge, skills and abilities required
- A list of any special working conditions or minimum physical requirements – e.g. must be able to lift 20 pound
Each task, function or responsibility should start with an action verb that describes the activity in a way that clearly indicates what is expected.
SOME EXAMPLES OF ACTION VERBS ARE:
- controls
- coordinates
- develops
- evaluates
- inputs
- maintains
- operates
- schedules
- supervises
- trains, and so on
By having a list of up-to-date job descriptions for all your positions, you will have the foundation to develop many key HR programs to drive the success of your business.
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