The Art of Crafting Effective Job Descriptions continued

Last week, we talked about the type of job description that is an advertisement for an open position within your organization. Today let’s take a quick look at the internal job description. A job description is used as a summary of responsibilities for each position within your company, including outlining the job duties and requirements the employer expects of an employee. This job description is used when conducting employee reviews and is a powerful tool to use in HR situations.

There is a lot of information published by SHRM on this topic. I want to talk about this for a moment because of feedback we’ve received over the years from those we have recruited into great careers.  In talking with jobseekers about why they are looking for a new position, we frequently hear dissatisfaction with the job description where they currently work.  We hear comments like, “Things I was expected to do and be held accountable for were not part of my job description”.  The art of crafting an effective job description leads to employee retention and employee satisfaction.

TalentSource expert tip: Meet with employees periodically to find out exactly what tasks are being performed. Ask them to review their job description annually to see if any changes need to be made.

According to the Society for Human Resource Managers, the job description should include the following details:

• Job title—the name of the position.
• Classification—exempt or nonexempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
• Salary grade/level/family/range—compensation levels, groups or pay ranges into which jobs of the same or similar worth are placed, including minimum and maximum pay bands. 
• Reports to—the title of the position this job reports to.
• Date—the date when the job description was written or last reviewed.
• Summary/objective—summary and overall objectives of the job.
• Essential functions—essential functions, including how an individual is to perform them and the frequency with which the tasks are performed; the tasks must be part of the job function and truly necessary or required to perform the job.
• Competency—knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Supervisory responsibilities—direct reports, if any, and the level of supervision.
• Work environment—the work environment; temperature, noise level, inside or outside, or other factors that will affect the person’s working conditions while performing the job.
• Physical demands—the physical demands of the job, including bending, sitting, lifting, and driving.
• Position type and expected hours of work—full-time or part-time, typical work hours and shifts, days of the week, and whether overtime is expected.
• Travel—the percentage of travel time expected for the position where the travel occurs, such as local or in specific countries or states, and whether the travel is overnight.
• Required education and experience—education and experience based on requirements that are job-related and consistent with business necessity.
• Preferred education and experience—preferred education and experience based on requirements that are job-related and consistent with business necessity.
• Additional eligibility qualifications—additional requirements such as certifications, industry-specific experience, and experience working with certain equipment.
• Affirmative action plan/equal employment opportunity (AAP/EEO) statement—clause(s) that outlines federal contractor requirements and practices and/or equal employment opportunity statement.
• Other duties—as necessary

SHRM also suggests adding a disclaimer at the end of all job descriptions.  A statement like, “Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice”. This is a small thing that can make a big difference.

At TalentSource, we use a system we call Smart Recruiting.  Through the years, we have seen great success because of our partnership with clients like you. While removing the recruiting process from your daily tasks and bringing you the most qualified candidates, we save your HR department time, money, and frustration.  That is a key part of our Smart Recruiting process. Contact us at 574.968.8676 or contact@TalentSourceStaffing.com to schedule a discovery call.