A week ago a business owner was telling me about his constant fight with employees when it comes to employees’ job duties and responsibilities; the conflict starts when the business owner tells the employees to do things that the owner thinks the employee should do yet the employees do whatever they think should be doing. How to avoid this constant clash in the workplace? One word: Job descriptions, these should be practical, clear and accurate to effectively define your company needs.
A good job description starts with a careful analysis of the important facts about the job in your company, start from the general and go to specifics. Set priorities, what are the essential functions of the job? Add those first. Account for the individual tasks involved (do not confuse with requirements and qualifications); methods used to complete them; purpose and responsibilities of the job; relationship of the job to other jobs and qualifications needed for the job.
Job descriptions are subject to change as your company needs it; they are not set in stone; so, be flexible! Jobs are subject to change for personal growth, organizational development and/or evolution of new technologies. A flexible job description will allow employees to grow within their position and contribute to your overall business. Think about the future and create a document that reflects how the job may look in the near future.
When writing a job description, add the categories that make it up. Do not forget the to add job title, objective or overall purpose statement; a summary of the general nature and level of the job; responsibilities; necessary skills; experience required. Make sure you add the “soft skills” that someone may need in your company. Also, never forget to add the sentence “and other tasks/duties as assigned”, this sentence will go a long way when managing your workforce.
As you can see writing job descriptions is not a very difficult task. You need to remember three things: job analysis, be flexible, and do not forget the job categories. Job descriptions are very useful tool when it comes to create a path for success and achieve some of your company goals. Are you ready to take control over your workforce? Are you ready to see your company grow and thrive?
