The Important Role of Job Description (JD) in Budding Organizations

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Ref: http://www.law.harvard.edu/about/administration/hr/careers/managers/index.html 

Regards

~Khawaja Imran