It also assists in compliance with many state workers' compensation laws, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), which require clear indications of essential job functions.

Another benefit of a well-written job description is the higher success rate it provides in making GREAT hiring decisions, increasing workplace productivity and efficiencies, and assisting with identifying skill gaps in your workforce. Consider the positive impact job descriptions can have in your workplace:

For Employees - Job descriptions are the tool by which employees can understand their areas of responsibility and prioritize developmental goals. As employees are promoted, job descriptions allow them to gain a better understanding of their new assignments and working conditions.

For Management - Job descriptions are the tool that allows supervisors and managers to introduce new employees to their positions. It provides guidance to properly delineate work assignments and detect overlaps or gaps in those assignments. Job descriptions are also the basis for developing performance plans and evaluating work performance.

For the Organization - Job descriptions allow a company to make better informed decisions concerning reorganizations, realignments, and reductions in force. It also allows companies to determine additional tasks or skills needed to ensure the growth of the organization as a whole. More importantly, job descriptions are critical in supporting the reasons behind every employment action taken by an organization such as hiring, compensation, promotion, discipline, and termination.

For Human Capital Management - Job descriptions allow a company to identify the key skills and attributes a new hire must possess to be successful in a position. They provide the foundation for performance management systems by establishing performance standards and requirements. Job descriptions ensure compensation is based on the job requirements and not a potential discriminatory reason.

Job descriptions also describe the necessary behavioral competencies required for a position. This is extremely important for at least 3 reasons:

1. Employers often base final hiring decisions on subjective competencies, while applications are screened on the objective competencies. A well thought out job description will lay the foundation for determining the subjective behavioral competencies.
2. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employees are increasingly seeking accommodations for emotional conditions that, they argue, interfere with their ability to meet certain necessary behavioral competencies.
   "I can fulfill all of the requirements of the job, but I need to focus on one thing at a time," an applicant might say. In such a situation, if the ability to multi-task under pressure is not listed in the job description as an essential requirement, the employer may have more difficulty denying an accommodation.
3. Managerial and professional employees are more likely to be discharged (or selected for layoffs) because of deficiencies in behavioral competencies than because of technical skill deficits. If you let go of a manager with good numbers because he is not a team player, being a team player should be listed on the job description. Also note, it also should be a basis for evaluation.

How to write a job description

STEP 1: Determine the essential and non-essential functions of the position 

This is the foundation of your job description.  To determine the job duties for a position, you should conduct a job analysis.  There are many job analysis methods.   Some methods include conducting an interview with the job incumbent, using a job analysis questionnaire, having employees maintain a work diary, and direct observation.  The key is to understand that the evaluation should be conducted as it relates to the job and not to the person doing the job.

During the job analysis, collect the following information:

• Knowledge, skills, and abilities needed
• Work activities and behaviors
• Interactions with others (internal and external)
• Performance standards
• Financial budgeting and impact
• Supervision given and received
• Working conditions
• Machines and equipment used

When you start to compose the essential and non-essential functions based on the collected information, be as concise as possible and structure sentences using action verbs with an implied subject (who), explicit work objects and/or outputs (what), and explanatory phrases (why, how, where).

For example:

• (Implied subject) Evaluates (action verb) financial statements (what) using Generally Accepted Accounting principles {GAAP} (how).
• (Implied subject) Manages (action verb) budget ensuring all projected expenses, costs reduction and return on investment (what).
• (Implied subject) Evaluates (action verb) jobs (what) and prepares or revises (action verbs) job descriptions (what).

Also, beware of listing skills as essential duties.  They are completely different things.  The essential duties are what the position does, while the skills and abilities are what the employee needs to have in order to deliver the essential duties. 

Determine the desired skills and abilities that an employee needs to have in order to be successful in this role.  This includes:

• Knowledge – The areas of specialty or expertise that the person needs to perform the job duties (e.g.: project management, finance, employment law)
• Skills – The competencies the person needs to have to perform the job
• Abilities – The person’s capabilities and aptitudes that enables them to complete job tasks
• Other Characteristics – other abilities that the person needs to fit into your culture or be successful in the role (e.g. team player, proactive thinker)

Determine the minimal acceptable level of education, experience, and certifications necessary for the person to be successful on the job.  You should also consider the amount of training you are willing to provide and your compensation package. For instance, if your offering salary is below market, you may be willing to accept less experience and provide the needed training.  Reviewing the credentials of successful as well as unsuccessful incumbents can provide a baseline for your decision.  You should also outline your preferences and what skills and experience would be ‘nice to have,’ but not essential to meeting the minimum requirements of the position. 

STEP 4:  Write the Job Description

The style and content of the job descriptions may differ due to function or organizational legal requirements, but most are likely to include the following elements:

Job Title:  Indicate the title of the job that distinguishes the job from others in your organization.

Reports to: Indicate the position to whom the job incumbent will report.

Supervisory responsibility: List the department or positions that report to this role.

Position Summary:  Briefly describe the main reason the position exists.

Classification:  Using Fair Labor Standards Act guidelines, classify the position as exempt or non-exempt and full-time or part-time.

EEOC Classification: If your company is a federal contractor, include the EEOC-1 Reporting Category.

Pay range:  Optional.  Companies typically list the pay range based on their existing compensation program.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:  List the items that you determined to be essential job functions based on your job analysis.

Additional duties and responsibilities:  In this section, you should list all the additional non-essential duties of the position. These are activities that could be completed by another position if you need to accommodate reasonable accommodation requests per the ADA.

Job specifications/qualifications:  List the knowledge, skills, abilities and other qualifications (KSAOs) required by candidates.

Physical Demands/Qualifications and Environmental Conditions: List the working conditions and physical demands of the position. 

Disclaimer:  You should also place a disclaimer at the end of your job description to protect your company from any claims of discrimination and/or immediate or future changes made to the job description.  You might want to consider adding, for example, “This job description reflects the current assignment of essential functions; it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned, and may be revised, at any time, as business needs warrant.”

Once you’ve gone through all of the sections and added your EEO statement, you’re done!  You now have job descriptions to give to your employees so there is no question about what is expected of them in their respective roles.  

If you would like HRPA to work with you directly to create your job descriptions, please contact us!