Purpose of Job Descriptions
A job description is the analysis of the work and the employee characteristics needed to perform the work successfully (Swift, 2022). There are seven uses for a job analysis.
- Designing or Redesigning Jobs
- Recruiting and Selection
- Compensation Administration
- Performance Management
- Training and development
- Legal Defense
- Writing Job Descriptions and Job Specifications
Potential Problems with Developing & Maintaining Job Descriptions
The senior vice president of HR at SilkRoad, states that having a bad job description is worse than not having one at all (Tyler, 2018). One problem that HR management faces with developing and maintaining job descriptions is how often job descriptions should be reviewed and updated. Experts say that once a year is the minimum but there are circumstances that would require a more consistent update. It is important for employees to know what is expected of them. The issue with consistently having to update job description is that you often have to hire someone who deals with the developing and maintaining of job descriptions. This adds expenses to a companies budget by increasing wages as well as increasing training for employees.
Potential Problems with Not Developing & Maintaining Job Descriptions
If a company has any dangerous jobs, the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requirements state that a company must specify “elements of the job that endanger the health or are to be considered unsatisfactory or distasteful to the majority of the population”(OSHA). In order to prevent any possible legal actions, it is a good idea to provide a job description. By not developing and keep it up to date, it is difficult to opperate a business effectively.
How to Develop & Maintain Job Descriptions
Compliance environment and legal implications make it so that job descriptions must be clear with essential responsibilities. In other words, the clearer the better. in order to develop as well as maintain a well-written job description, there are six topics of information that must be included (Swift, 2022). Those topics are:
- Job Indentation- title, department, position
- Job Summary- reason the job exists
- Task Statements
- KSAOs (Knowledge, Skill, Ability, Other Characteristics)
- Physical Demands- standing, walking, finger dexterity
- Working Conditions- outside, office
If these actions are implemented into a job analysis it will ensure that prospective employees, as well as current employees, fully understand the job and what all it entails.
July 15, 2022
Kalli Carley
