Job Descriptions

Whether you are a small or large employer, your people need to know where they fit in the organization and what is expected of them. If an employee doesn’t understand what your expectations are, how can the employee be successful? That is where the job description comes into play. Job descriptions are written statements that define the role of the employee. It describes the duties, responsibilities, reporting relationship and qualifications for a specific job.

If you have job descriptions, remember they are living documents. Don’t just file it away in a filing cabinet. Both the supervisor and employees should refer back to the document as necessary. When an employee is currently performing in the role it is extremely important to obtain their input on the job description. Is it accurate?

On the legal front, it’s a good practice to ensure that job descriptions are current. Any organization is vulnerable to challenge under ADA, FLSA and civil rights legislation if they don’t have a job description that is accurate and current. Update the job description as the employees’ responsibilities change. When you update the job description, look at areas such as: What function has been added/deleted from the job? Is there a new hire that possesses skills that are not tracked in the old description? When a higher level of contribution, such as skill or knowledge, from the position is required; has the educational requirement, licensing, certification needs changed? If there are any changes that are required, advise HR.

During your performance appraisals, take the time to review the job description. Use the job description to set measurable performance goals based on the duties in the job description. Performance Management is an integrated approach to ensuring an employee’s performance supports and contributes to the organization’s strategic aims. Performance cannot be managed successfully via the use of outdated job descriptions (job descriptions that do not list the real, current, functions of the job).

With a job description – employees are more productive because they understand what is expected of them. When they know what is expected of them – they are able to work more efficiently.