What is the importance of including the qualifications in the duties and responsibilities?

5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Underestimate the Importance of Job Descriptions for Employers

Here are five key reasons companies should establish a good practice of writing and maintaining up-to-date and relevant job descriptions:

1. Job descriptions ensure you’re recruiting the best candidates.

A good job description will go far with an employer’s recruitment and onboarding efforts. Not only will the job description help a potential employee know if the position is a good fit for him or her, it will also guarantee the most qualified applicant pool for the employer. In the end, the more detailed and descriptive job descriptions can be, the better it will be for attracting and retaining high-quality employees who will love their jobs.

2. Job descriptions help ensure your expectations are established and met.

A well-written job description will establish a solid set of expectations for employers to communicate to their employees. When employees have a concrete understanding of their responsibilities, they will work more efficiently and effectively in their respective roles. An awareness of expectations for employees also helps employers properly evaluate performance.

3. Job descriptions support greater employee accountability.

Especially when it comes time for a performance review or evaluation, a well-written job description can help employers maintain accountability to a position’s needs and demands from employees. If a job description is vague or open to interpretation, it will be more difficult for an employer to address a lack of performance or areas of improvement when it comes time for constructive critique or review.

4. Job descriptions promote greater productivity.

When employees understand the specific demands of their jobs, chances are that productivity will be higher. Well-written job descriptions can be the key to employee motivation and happiness on the job, and it’s no secret that happy employees are productive employees who not only accomplish their required tasks but often go above and beyond.

5. Job descriptions mitigate risk and limit liability.

Though there’s no law requiring job descriptions, they can serve as helpful legal documentation if an employee files a lawsuit against a company. In fact, job descriptions have been used successfully by employers against employees. For this reason alone, there’s an excellent case for employers to create and maintain the most accurate and updated job descriptions possible.

Also, while job descriptions alone will not determine whether an employee should be classified as exempt or nonexempt under applicable wage and hour laws, they can and should help to justify an employee’s exemption status in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Job Analysis is a primary tool to collect job-related data. The process results in collecting and recording two data sets including job description and job specification. Any job vacancy can not be filled until and unless HR manager has these two sets of data. It is necessary to define them accurately in order to fit the right person at the right place and at the right time. This helps both employer and employee understand what exactly needs to be delivered and how.

Both job description and job specification are essential parts of job analysis information. Writing them clearly and accurately helps organization and workers cope with many challenges while onboard.

Though preparing job description and job specification are not legal requirements yet play a vital role in getting the desired outcome. These data sets help in determining the necessity, worth and scope of a specific job.

Job Description

Job description includes basic job-related data that is useful to advertise a specific job and attract a pool of talent. It includes information such as job title, job location, reporting to and of employees, job summary, nature and objectives of a job, tasks and duties to be performed, working conditions, machines, tools and equipments to be used by a prospective worker and hazards involved in it.

Purpose of Job Description

• The main purpose of job description is to collect job-related data in order to advertise for a particular job. It helps in attracting, targeting, recruiting and selecting the right candidate for the right job.
• It is done to determine what needs to be delivered in a particular job. It clarifies what employees are supposed to do if selected for that particular job opening.
• It gives recruiting staff a clear view what kind of candidate is required by a particular department or division to perform a specific task or job.
• It also clarifies who will report to whom.

Job Specification

Also known as employee specifications, a job specification is a written statement of educational qualifications, specific qualities, level of experience, physical, emotional, technical and communication skills required to perform a job, responsibilities involved in a job and other unusual sensory demands. It also includes general health, mental health, intelligence, aptitude, memory, judgment, leadership skills, emotional ability, adaptability, flexibility, values and ethics, manners and creativity, etc.

Purpose of Job Specification

• Described on the basis of job description, job specification helps candidates analyze whether are eligible to apply for a particular job vacancy or not.
• It helps recruiting team of an organization understand what level of qualifications, qualities and set of characteristics should be present in a candidate to make him or her eligible for the job opening.
• Job Specification gives detailed information about any job including job responsibilities, desired technical and physical skills, conversational ability and much more.
• It helps in selecting the most appropriate candidate for a particular job.

Job description and job specification are two integral parts of job analysis. They define a job fully and guide both employer and employee on how to go about the whole process of recruitment and selection. Both data sets are extremely relevant for creating a right fit between job and talent, evaluate performance and analyze training needs and measuring the worth of a particular job.

Authorship/Referencing - About the Author(s)

The article is Written By “Prachi Juneja” and Reviewed By Management Study Guide Content Team. MSG Content Team comprises experienced Faculty Member, Professionals and Subject Matter Experts. We are a ISO 2001:2015 Certified Education Provider. To Know more, click on About Us. The use of this material is free for learning and education purpose. Please reference authorship of content used, including link(s) to ManagementStudyGuide.com and the content page url.

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