Job Descriptions: How to get them right

Published on 08/05/2012

Not all companies have job descriptions. This is a missed opportunity for the employer. And all too often, job descriptions that do exist are vague, created in a hurry when a job vacancy is being advertised, then never looked at again.

This is a shame. A good job description will save you time and money and help you improve business performance. It will also help your team grow and prosper leading to long term improvements in performance and contribution.

Learn how to create your own job description with our OnePage^TM template

Functions of a job description include:

1.       Defining roles and responsibilities with the company
The process of creating job descriptions forces you to consider what tasks and responsibilities fall under each job role. This makes operations more efficient and increases productivity.

2.       Clarifying expectations.
When a candidate for a job knows exactly what to expect and what will be expected of them, you reduce the number of unsuitable applicants and speed up the recruitment process. You also find that the successful candidate is more likely to settle in the role and stay, simply because the job does not turn out to be something different to what they were expecting.

3.       Helping you set individual goals
Without a clearly defined job role showing how the position fits into the company as a whole, it is very hard to set appropriate and useful goals for each individual. But when you know what each persons remit is, you can see how to set objectives that make sure everyone is doing what the business needs them to do.

4.       Helping you ensure the person delivers results
A clear and detailed job description enables you to track what the person does against what they are supposed to be doing. As a result, you can quickly and easily take action if tasks are being neglected or done poorly.
 
From this, it might seem to follow that a job description should be a large and complex document.  Fortunately, that’s not the case. The best job descriptions are in fact concise and straightforward.
Our simple OnePage^TM job description template shows you exactly what’s needed, so you can create clear and effective descriptions that will work for any type of job, all on one sheet of A4.

Download your free job description template and get started

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