Job descriptions are one of the most valuable documents an organization can have to minimize risk, manage costs, and increase productivity. How, you may ask?

Legal Compliance – A well-written job description provides compliance guidelines to many HR practices and decisions:

• Identifies the largest pool of applicants, thus minimizing discrimination claims in the recruitment process.
• Ensures all employees in the same job are receiving the same training.
• Outlines the essential functions of the job, assisting management with Americans with Disabilities Act compliance (employers with 15+ employees).
• Provides guidance on classifying a job as non-exempt or exempt correctly to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Recruiting – Well-written job descriptions can turn into a job ad in a flash, saving you time in getting the job posted and a person hired.  Not only does a job description include responsibilities and duties, it also should have the minimum knowledge skills and abilities required to perform the job tasks, and include physical requirements.  Having this information in the job description – and thus, the job posting – helps you obtain the largest, most inclusive, qualified applicant pool and keeps your legal risks associated with recruitment to a minimum.

Onboarding and Training – A good job description provides a detailed, consistent road map for supervisors, managers, and anyone tasked with onboarding or training a new employee.  Used effectively, the job description will identify what the employee needs to know and demonstrate upon hire, after an initial learning period, and on an ongoing basis.

Performance Management – A job description sets expectations.  Your organization’s job descriptions can be used as a template for developing performance management tools that actually measure an employee’s performance against those expectations.  However, keep in mind that there are other factors that may affect performance and should be considered, such as cultural fit, attitude, and available resources to get the job done.

Compensation – Job descriptions are a great tool to use when identifying what is a fair rate of pay for the work being done.  You can evaluate the job description to comparable jobs in the market, and/or you can use the job descriptions to internally rank positions before applying a rate of pay.  It is also key in determining whether the job requires overtime pay or not.

The Employer Group partners with its clients to minimize risk and maximize productivity in many ways, including writing effective, compliant job descriptions. Please contact us at [email protected] if you need professional assistance with this important document.