The task of writing and revising job descriptions may sound dull, but at the same time be daunting. With so much to consider—essential versus nonessential functions, varied job responsibilities, experience and education requirements, etc.—the job can be mind-numbing. Then throw in the legal issues to consider, including things like how to prevent discrimination and wage and hour claims, and the job can get overwhelming. 
Overwhelming or not, the task of is worth the time and energy if the work results in living, breathing documents that keep a workforce on track to meet an employer’s goals and legal responsibilities. Plus, creating and updating job descriptions isn’t an impossible chore if certain principles are kept in mind.
Mary Anne Kennedy, principal consultant at MAKHR Consulting, LLC, addressed the issue in the BLR webinar “Job Descriptions with Value: Strategies, Tools, and Technology to Optimize Job Description Content.” Key elements to keep in mind, she said, are making sure they’re kept up to date and that they serve as a communication tool.
“A well-documented job description is a living, evolving tool that reflects the current needs of the position which continues to propel the organization forward,” Kennedy said. That means job descriptions must be continuously updated and amended as employees’ duties change.
Kennedy urges employers to react quickly when an employee leaves. “Any time you have an open position in your organization … it’s an opportunity to really take a look at your organization and decide whether you need to refill that position in kind,” she said. Instead of refilling the just-vacated position, an employer may decide to add certain duties to other positions and save the headcount for another area. If so, duties of the vacated position need to be written into other job descriptions promptly.
Benefits of job description
To truly make a job description a “living, evolving” tool, it needs to include not just the duties, competencies, responsibilities, and required educational credentials, it also needs to integrate the employer’s core values so that it communicates to employees the organization’s mission and vision, Kennedy says. Such a job description helps ensure behavioral accountability on the part of the employees.
Keeping job descriptions current also is vital to effective human resource planning, Kennedy said. In particular, job descriptions relate to the following people components:
- Headcount. Instead of having someone leave and then replacing that person using an old job description, employers should take a look at the workforce and see if there are any gaps. Kennedy suggests a workforce analysis in which the employer evaluates current resources and looks at future needs. She suggests asking questions such as how many people are in each job, what’s the supervisor-employee ratio, what’s the likelihood of retirement, do the workers have the right skill set, are they trained properly, why do employees leave and where are they going, what are the recruiting needs, what job functions can be consolidated, what technology will change, and what might be outsourced. Job descriptions then can be written or amended with the answers to those questions in mind.
- Succession planning. When considering employee needs for the future, an examination of carefully planned job descriptions can help determine what positions can be feeders to other positions through promotions or lateral moves.
- Training and development. Job descriptions along with information from a workforce analysis can reveal what kind of training is necessary.
- Tracking and monitoring. Frequently updated job descriptions help employers keep track of what duties are actually being done in a rapidly changing workplace.
Legal compliance
In addition to people planning, job descriptions play a role in legal compliance. Kennedy reminds employers that they need to keep certain laws in mind when writing and revising job descriptions so that they can prevent wage and hour violations and discrimination claims.
For example, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has been on the hunt for employee misclassification in recent years, and job descriptions can cause or prevent problems. When a position is classified as exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act’s minimum wage and overtime requirements, it’s important that the job description reflects that the position indeed meets the requirements for exemption and isn’t misclassified exempt when, according to the law, it should be nonexempt.
On the discrimination front, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is one of the laws relating to job descriptions. The ADA prohibits employers from discriminating against a qualified individual with a disability as long as that person can perform the essential functions of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation. Since job descriptions outline the functions of each position, they make clear which functions are essential so employees and employers can tell what jobs are realistic for someone with a disability and what accommodations may be necessary.
Kennedy urges employers to check the DOL’s website to see how various laws may affect job descriptions.
I found the part about “integrate the employer’s core values so that it communicates to employees the organization’s mission and vision, Kennedy says. Such a job description helps ensure behavioral accountability on the part of the employees” very interesting. Can you give an example on this?
In her presentation, Mary Anne Kennedy gave this sample job description (emphasis added):
The italicized parts show how a company can “integrate the employer’s core values so that it communicates to employees the organization’s mission and vision” if we assume that part of this company’s core values is to provide customers with pleasant, quick, and accurate service with a good attitude.
This article on the benefits of JDs is excellent and if employers and HR adhered to it, there would be less dissatisfaction among staff. Excellent writing.
The sample job description provided by Mary Anne Kennedy is effective and compelling. It will help me in my next job.
A thanks goes to admin for sharing this.