Landrum Human Resource Companies Blog

I have spoken to many business owners who do not believe in job descriptions. The explanation given to me is, “Their job is whatever I need them to do!” Sound familiar?
While I can understand this line of thought (to an extent), I also firmly believe in job descriptions.

Job descriptions, job performance and pay go hand-in-hand. An employer isn’t going to take a stab in the dark at how much to pay an employee; employees are paid based on how well they perform their jobs. How well someone performs is difficult to determine without knowing what the job entails. Likewise, an employee needs to know what is expected of them in order to meet your expectations – that’s where the job description comes in handy.

Aside from helping you determine the aspects of a job and the employee’s performance in that job, another important role of the job description is to identify the essential functions of a job. Hopefully we are all familiar with the term “essential functions” as it relates to employment. This is a term the Americans with Disabilities Act made common-speak among employers starting in 1990. The litmus test for disability protection has been to determine if an employee can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Let’s say you have a dock worker who lifts 50-pound pallets and moves them from Point A to Point B. An essential function of that job is to lift 50 pounds. If that worker is injured (on or off the job), and his/her doctor states the employee can only lift ten pounds, then that employee cannot perform an essential function of that job. If the lifting restriction is long-term, you may have a legitimate business-related reason to make some employment decisions concerning that employee. If the restriction is temporary, a doctor can look at the job description and determine if and when the employee can return to normal duties – which helps you plan for needed staffing coverage.

Effective job descriptions should contain some basic elements:

1. Job Summary: Describes the purpose of the job – why the job exists
2. Essential Functions of the Job (already discussed)
3. Accountabilities: Describes the end results achieved when job duties are performed satisfactorily
4. Job Specifications: Includes needed skills, effort required, responsibility and working conditions

As you would expect, there are guidelines to follow when creating meaningful and useful job descriptions:

• Choose words carefully; be brief and concise
• Begin each sentence with an action verb
• Be specific
• Qualify wherever possible
Example: Instead of saying a file clerk should “file documents”, say that the
“position requires filing alphabetically”.
• Include only essential information (don’t include occasional duties)
• Describe the desired outcomes
• Focus on essential activities
• Use job title instead of people
Example: “This position reports to the General Manager”, instead of “Joe
Smith reports to Jane”.
• Update periodically (when responsibilities, needs, or technology significantly change)

Final Thoughts

If you currently don’t have job descriptions, or if they are not up-to-date and accurate, you should develop them for every job position in your business. If you do not have experienced and knowledgeable HR support, it is highly recommended to seek outside expertise and assistance in developing them.

For the reasons we’ve discussed here (and more), accurate and current job descriptions can be a useful tool for you and your business. If you are with the group that believes in the value of job descriptions, you’re among friends. If you are with the group that has never liked or wanted job descriptions, I encourage you to reconsider… we’re waiting for you on the other side.

Holly McLeod is a Human Resources Manager for Landrum Professional Employer Services and Landrum Consulting. She is a certified professional in human resources (PHR) and has more than 15 years of human resources consulting in the corporate world, healthcare and manufacturing environments.