Human Resources
Job Descriptions (E)
What is the main goal of Job Description? How to write a good Job Description?
Posted: Jun 2008
The role of the Human Resource Department is to find, employ and train the adequate candidate for a specific position. Also, HR with cooperation of relevant department must define parameters required for specific position.
There are two main documents that define the status for every employee. First one is Contract of Employment. The second is the Job Description. While Contracts of employment defines general conditions of employment, the Job Descriptions deals with all aspects of specific position, specifying all roles in responsibilities in bullets.
Job descriptions help to clarify the real purpose of a job, the accountabilities and major responsibilities of a job and also the key attributes, education and experience desirable for the person conducting the job.
The definition of Job Descriptions is primarily HR matter in term of formal structure of document as well as a consulting expertise. Still, the detailed definition of each Job Descriptions is role of immediate supervisor of Position that is the scope of this document.
Simply, immediate supervisor should be the person that has expertise necessary to define all roles and responsibilities for his subordinate's position.
The Job Descriptions are composed of different requirements, grouped in several areas:
Header, containing the name of Position, Department, Supervisor
General Requirements, containing the Education, Working Experience and Special Skills and Qualifications needed.
General Responsibilities, the overall description of Employees responsibilities
Responsibilities, the detailed list of Employees responsibilities described with short bullets grouped in areas of activity
Relationships, describing network of Supervisor, Peers and Clients that the Employee is dealing with.
Duties and entitlements, stating special requirements
Signatures of Employee and direct Supervisor
This is general overview of typical Job Description, though slight changes in structure could be applied. It is important to cover all aspects of job requirement, not only in order to make role and responsibility more comprehensive to Employee, but to protect the Employer from the legal side. A good Job Descriptions should be straightforward and not more than 2 pages long. It should be reviewed every 24-36 months. Sometimes, the job description can be the influencing factor for employee turnover.
