Writing Job Descriptions

A job description (commonly called a JD) is a written document

that describes the purpose, duties, responsibilities, tasks, and relationships of a particular job. Without a JD, it is impossible to hold a person accountable for performing the duties of their position. The primary purpose of a job description is
to identify the essential functions of the position.Essential functions are those tasks or functions of a particular position that are fundamental to the position (as opposed to marginal). Knowing the essential functions of the job will aid you in
• Assuring compliance with legal requirements
• Establishing a basis for recruitment, selection, and hiring
• Writing appropriate interview questions
• Determining whether a person is qualified to perform the essential functions
• Identifying reasonable accommodations to enable a disabled person to perform the essential functions
• Evaluating work distribution and departmental organization
• Analyzing jobs to determine appropriate pay ranges and classifications
• Training employees
• Assisting incumbents in understanding their job better
• Allowing clear and accurate performance reviews
• Counseling employees on career opportunities and their vocational interests

While every position changes somewhat over time based on the abilities of the incumbent, the description should be written in terms of the position itself, not the capabilities of any individual. It is a document that establishes the baseline which will be utilized for the many reasons listed above, for training new
employees, and for various legal purposes.

All job descriptions are summaries. The baseline objective is to provide enough information in the right format and language to be accurate, clear and useful to the
employer.

Job descriptions:

• Should contain enough accurate information to be useful, and
• should not be so broad that they confuse or mislead managers, employees and/or job applicants

Job Content Section

There are two sections that make up the overall Job Content

Section: Principal Duties and Responsibilities and Other Duties and Responsibilities. The Principal Duties and Responsibilities section covers the Essential Functions of the position. This section will list some items which will be
standard to all positions.

The Other Duties and Responsibilities section covers other important pieces of the overall position; however it does not include essential functions. It will include one item common to all organizational positions, as well as any additional duties that are important to the position but which do not reach the level of an essential function.


What are Essential Functions?

In identifying essential functions, be sure to consider (1) whether employees in the position actually are required to perform the function, and (2) whether removing
that function would fundamentally change the job.

• the position exists to perform the function (e.g., if you hire someone to proofread documents, the ability to proofread accurately is an essential function, since this is the reason that the position exists);
• there are a limited number of other employees available to perform the function, or among whom the function can be distributed (e.g., it may be an essential function for a file clerk to answer the telephone if there are only three employees in a very
busy office, and each employee has to perform many different tasks);
• a function is highly specialized, and the person in the position is hired for special expertise or ability to perform it (e.g., a company expanding its business in Cebu is hiring a new salesperson, so requires someone not only with sales experience, but also with the ability to communicate fluently in the Cebuano dialect
. To identify the essential functions of the job, first identify the purpose of the job, and the importance of actual job functions in achieving this purpose.

In evaluating the "importance" of job functions, consider, among other things, the frequency with which a function is performed, the amount of time spent on the
function, and the consequences if the function is not performed.

The consideration of various forms of evidence to determine whether or not a particular function is essential; these include, but are not limited to
• the employer's judgment;
• the amount of time spent on the job performing that function; and
• the availability of others in the department to fill in for the person who performs that function.

In defining the essential functions of a job, it is important to distinguish between methods and results. For example, is the essential function moving a fifty pound box
from one part of the lab to another, or is it carrying the box? While essential functions need to be performed, they often do not need to be performed in one particular manner (unless doing otherwise would create an undue hardship).


Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Section:

This section may break out into two or three subsections; it will depend on the needs of the job and your preferences. Every entry in this section must be supported by the Principal Duties and Responsibilities section. This section is critical in determining the areas of the position which may and may not be accommodated.This section outlines:

• Knowledge: The level of education, experience and training an individual must have at minimum to be considered qualified for the position. • Skills: Specific skills such as ability to create, manipulate and utilize spreadsheets, word processing programs, and so on (avoid using program names unless knowledge of that specific
program is essential).
• Abilities: Be careful with this requirement. Some examples: Does the position require LIFTING 50 pounds, or does it require the ability to move a box of paper from one location to another which could be done with a dolly, or one ream at a time? Does it require the ability to WALK across factory/office or MOVE across factory/office? For some positions, such as Security, the ability to walk and run will be essential. For most other positions, moving about could be accomplished by
other means. Include such abilities as visual acuity, ability to talk on the phone, and so on if appropriate. Remember, every entry in this section must be directly supported in the Principal Duties and Responsibilities section.

Writing the Job Description

Now that you’ve thought through the above, and have gathered data, it is time to write the job description. Have you carefully thought about what is REALLY needed? Is there tolerance for a new person's learning curve or do you need to hire someone with specific experience?

Some tips in writing Job

Descriptions:

A well written job description is written in a factual and impersonal style. It should be accurate, concise, and complete. Before writing a job description, you may want to consider these suggestions:
• List all the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the job; divide them into requirements and preferences.
• Be precise. This is critical. • The requirements listed on the job description must support the essential functions, and serve as the primary criteria for selecting/rejecting candidates.
• Keep sentence structure as simple as possible; omit unnecessary words that do not contribute pertinent information.
• Begin each duty/task with an action verb.
• Avoid the narrative form. • Be consistent when using terms like "may" and "occasionally." These should be used to describe tasks that are performed once in a while, or tasks that only some employees perform.
• Refer to job titles rather than incumbents, i.e., "Reports to _______ Manager" instead of "Reports to Maria Santos."
• Focus on critical activities. Disregard minor occasional tasks, which are not unique to a specific job.
• Use logical sequence in describing duties and responsibilities, and be consistent.
• Don't lock yourself into strict requirements that may prevent you from considering qualified candidates. Consider substitutions (example: “Bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 6-8 years of relevant professional experience”).
• When hiring, use the job description as one of your guides in your search to find the most qualified candidate. Keep in mind that, you cannot refuse to hire a qualified candidate who meets the requirements and whose disability can
be reasonably accommodated.