The Important Role of Job Description
(JD) in Budding Organizations
Today I would like to share the
brief picture of the relations of Job Description (JD) which is an essential
part of business process for any organization with
other HR functions. This discussion is also supported in the end with the references
of benchmark names of human minds and institutes of the business world. Before going further in the detail of JD, let me give an
over view of entire HRM Process.
HRM as a Process having three main
areas:
·
Employee Resourcing
·
Employee Relations
·
Employee Development
In Employee Resourcing we
have functions like:
•
Job Analysis
o Job
Description
§ Purpose of
Job
§ Job duties /
tasks / Responsibilities
§ Work
Environment / Reporting / Vertical and horizontal relationship to other jobs
•
Job Specification
•
Personal attributes necessary to
perform the job
•
Physical characteristics
•
Personality
characteristics
•
Education
•
Experience
•
Skills / abilities / Psychological
attributes / Knowledge / Aptitude
•
Human
Resource Planning
•
Requirement
•
Availability (Internal / External)
•
Recruitment
•
Selection
•
Remuneration (Salary, pay etc)
•
Job Evaluation
•
Manpower planning and forecasting
•
Terms and conditions of work
•
Managing staff turnover and
retention
•
Record keeping
•
Health and safety
•
Welfare
In Employee Relations we have
functions like:
•
Industrial relations
•
Individual and collective relationships at work
•
Negotiation
•
Consultation
•
Information
•
Communication
•
Participation
•
Redundancy
•
Dismissal
•
Grievance Handling
•
Equal opportunities
In Employee Development we
have functions like:
•
Induction of Training
•
Training needs analysis
•
Design of training programmes
•
Direct training
•
Evaluation of training
•
Managing training consultants
•
Management Development
•
Career development and succession planning
•
Appraisal of Performance and Potential
•
Counselling and Coaching
The direct relations of Job Description with other strategic
goals to get the profitability through Human Capital:
The benefits of using the right HR function
(JD) at right time
The Importance of Job Descriptions
All employees like to know what is expected of them and how
they will be evaluated. Job descriptions can also be a great value to
employers. Creating a job description often results in a thought process that
helps determine:
·
How
critical the job is?
·
How
this particular job relates to others?
·
How
to identify the characteristics needed by a new employee filling the role?
A job description typically outlines the necessary skills,
training and education needed by a potential employee. It will spell out duties
and responsibilities of the job. Once a job description is prepared, it can
serve a basis for interviewing candidates, orienting a new employee and finally
in the evaluation of job performance. Using job descriptions is part of good
management.
Components of a Job Description
- Purpose
of Job – It details what the job
actually entails and can be quite specifically defined the existence /
requirement of said job title in a business process.
- Job
Duties / Tasks / Responsibilities (Functions of the position) - It should detail any supervisory functions in addition
to being as specific as possible describing tasks the employee will face
every day. This is also the best place to indicate whether the person will
deal with customers, the public or only internal employees. We can also
use this section to place priorities on the activities.
- Work
Environment / Reporting / Physical location and surroundings - Provide details on the reporting and organizational
structure. This will help the employee better understand how their
activities fit into the total organization.
Summary
Using job descriptions will help an organization better understand the
experience and skill base needed to enhance the success of the company. This
will help in the hiring and evaluation of employees. A well-prepared job
description can help both sides in sharing a common understanding to eliminate
the fact of misunderstanding of what a position entails. An accurate job description
plays a vital role in the business process of an organization. In a working
environment of developing or developed organizations compiling of job descriptions should be at the top of the
priority list for the human resources department; because these documents
share the specific tasks of each staff member on a daily basis, therefore they
have to be detailed and correct.
Prior to
completing a job description, a HR Personnel should thoroughly research the job
to examine all of the aspects of the position. Not having the right kind of
information will prevent an individual from preparing a quality job
description. The HR personnel can gain the needed data by questioning current
staff, researching past employees, having staff to complete a questionnaire,
shadowing workers during a normal day, and talking with supervisors to find out
their expectations.
A
well-prepared job description does more than weed out unqualified applicants.
It actually saves a company lots of money. By not hiring people who aren't
capable of filling the position, an organization doesn't waste time and
resources training individuals who don't last. This also prevents employers
from having to repeat the application and interview process over and over
again, taking away valuable time from his day.
A strong job
description also assists a supervisor to prepare interview questions that will
help determine the right person for the position. Matching a qualified
individual with the right skills set is vital to successfully filling openings.
By drawing clear distinctions between the tasks of one position from another, a
job description avoids confusion or the waste of two people unknowingly
performing the same duties. It also helps employees understand their career
path by distinctly stating who they report to and how they can advance in their
department and company.
~ Khawaja Imran
Supporting
References
An article form “Managing
Employees and Protecting Your Business” by the author / Business Columnist Lahle Wolfe.
Before you begin interviewing, it is critical to have a written
job description in place for each unique position. Having a written description
accomplishes many important things that protect your business and your
employees.
A good job description:
- Serves
as a reference guide for determining comparable industry salaries.
- Helps
maximizes dollars spent on employee compensation for the position by
ensuring experience, and skills needed for the job, are detailed and
matched to prospective applicants.
- Functions
as a foundation for developing interview questions.
- Details
information about the position that can be incorporated into “help wanted”
ads.
- Discourages
employees from refusing to do something because “it is not my job.”
- Provides
a basis for employee reviews, salary increases, setting goals, and growth
paths.
- Serves
as legal documentation that can be useful in the event an employee files a
termination or discrimination lawsuit against the company.
The selection of
article from the Newsletters / Blog writer Author Melvin J. Muskovitz'
The Importance of Job Descriptions
While there is no federal or Michigan statute that requires
them, a good job description is an important tool in the effective and legal
management of any organization. A well-written job description provides many
essential benefits to human resource administration. On the other hand, a
poorly written or out-dated job description can be a barrier to effective
personnel management.
What Do Job Descriptions Do?
·
Set
clear job expectations.
·
Give
managers guidelines to hire, promote and supervise employees.
·
Help
support hiring, disciplinary, promotion, compensation and termination
decisions.
·
Help an employer comply with numerous
legal requirements.
Evidence that a particular function is essential includes,
but is not limited to:
·
the
employer’s judgment,
·
written
job descriptions,
·
the
amount of time spent on performing the function,
·
the
terms of a collective bargaining agreement,
·
the
work experience of present or past employees in the job, and
·
the
consequences of not requiring that an employee perform the function.
Best Practices.
Preparing accurate job descriptions is the first step.
However, job duties often change over time and an out-dated job description may
be of little benefit or could even be a detriment. To ensure that your job
descriptions remain current and accurate, consider taking the following steps:
·
Include
the effective date on every job description and ensure that the date is revised
when changes are made.
·
Confirm
that the job description is current before posting any open position.
·
Confirm
that the job description is up-to-date as part of the performance review
process.
Review
all job descriptions on a set schedule. If this approach is not practicable,
consider spot audits.
Recruiting Information for Managers
From HR point of view this article is very impressive from Harvard
Business Release
Regards
