Mistake #5: Forgetting Format, Organization, and Grammar

(Click here for Mistakes 1 to 4)

To achieve the two primary goals of job description writing—accuracy and brevity—you must check and double-check the words you have chosen to describe each job activity. Here are 15 guidelines regarding the use of words in a job description:

1. Use a terse, direct style throughout the description.
2. Keep sentence structure as simple as possible; omit all words that don't contribute necessary information.
3. Be clear and use nontechnical language whenever possible. A good job description explains the objectives, duties, and responsibilities of a job so that they are understandable even to a layperson.
4. Avoid imprecise words such as "situation," "facilitate," "interface," etc. Ask yourself if the word you have used might be interpreted differently by two different people.
5. Begin each sentence with an active verb, third person singular. Always use the present tense.
6. Wherever possible, describe the desired outcome of the work, rather than the method for accomplishing that outcome. For example, instead of "writes down phones messages"—a task-oriented approach—you might say "accurately records phone messages."
7. Focus on essential activities. However, remember that a task that is performed frequently throughout the day may not be as essential to the job as something done only once or twice a week.
8. Avoid the narrative form. You are writing a job description, not a story.
9. Be consistent when using terms like "may" and "occasionally." Their meanings should be spelled out to avoid confusion. For example, make sure that if the word "occasionally" is used in the essential functions section of the description, the occasional work performed truly is essential to the job.
10. Avoid words that don't tell specifically what the employee does, such as "handles." Others you may want to avoid: "checks," "prepares," "examines," "sends." If these words are the most accurate and specific ones available, it may be acceptable to use them. But if a more specific term would describe the task more clearly, use it.
11. Refer to job titles rather than people. For example, "Reports to Human Resources Director" instead of "Reports to Estrella Simpson."
12. Be precise in defining responsibility. The degree of responsibility given indicates the importance of the job and is a vital factor in evaluating it.
13. Qualify whenever possible. Don't just say that a file clerk "files" materials; say that the clerk "files alphabetically."
14. Stick to a logical sequence in describing duties and responsibilities whenever possible.
15. Remember that the length of a job description does not indicate the importance of the job. The job description for the president of a firm can be put into one sentence: "Responsible for the successful operation of the company."

Set that keyboard aside! Your job descriptions are already written. Click here to see why thousands of managers have a permanent place in their offices for BLR's classic Job Descriptions Encyclopedia.

How about the status of your job descriptions? Complete? Up to date? If they're not—or if you've never even written them—you're not alone. Thousands of companies fall short in this area.

It's easy to understand why. Job descriptions are not simple to do—what with updating and management and legal review, especially for the ADA's requirement of a split off of essential vs. other functions in the description. Wouldn't it be great if they were available, already written?

Actually, they are. We have more than 700, ready to go, covering every common position in any organization, from receptionist right up to president. They are in an extremely popular BLR^® program called the Job Descriptions Encyclopedia.

First created in the 1980s, the "JDE" has been continually refined and updated over time, with descriptions revised or added each time the law, technology—or the way we do business—changes.

Prewritten job descriptions in the Job Descriptions Encyclopedia now come with pay grades already attached. Click here to try the program at no cost.

Revised for the ADA, Pay Grades Updated

There was a major revision, for example, following the passage of the ADA. In fact, BLR editors reviewed every one of those 700 descriptions to ensure they were ADA-compliant.

Another, more recent enhancement was the updating of pay grades for each job, based on BLR’s extensive annual surveys of exempt and nonexempt compensation, and on other data. According to our customers, this is an enormous timesaver, enabling them to make compensation decisions even as they define the position. You can see a sample job description from the program by clicking here. (Yes, it is the one for HR manager. Pay grade: 38.)

The BLR Job Descriptions Encyclopedia also includes an extensive tutorial on setting up a complete job descriptions program, and how to encourage participation from all parts of the organization. That includes top management, the employees, and any union or other collective bargaining entity.

Quarterly Updates, No Additional Cost

Very important these days, quarterly updates are included in the program as a standard feature—key at a time of constantly changing laws and emerging technologies. We'll send you new or revised descriptions every 90 days. And the cost is extremely reasonable, averaging less than 43 cents per job description ... already written, legally reviewed, and ready to adapt or use as is.

You can evaluate BLR's Job Descriptions Encyclopedia at no cost in your office for up to 30 days. Get more information or order the Job Descriptions Encyclopedia.

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