A job description is a written document that outlines the essential duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills required for a specific position within a business.

Primary Implication

The absence of job descriptions for employees results in employees not having a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities, leading to confusion about what is expected from them and causing stress and frustration.

A lack of clear job descriptions leads to inefficiencies as employees work on tasks that are not aligned with their roles.  Role ambiguity results in miscommunication between team members and departments, leading to conflicts over who does what, credit, and blame for work not performed correctly.  Without clear job descriptions, it is difficult to establish accountability for specific tasks and outcomes.

Overview

The purpose of a job description is to document what is expected of a person in their assigned job.  The intent is not to document every single thing you expect from an employee in that job.  Your goal with each job description is to provide a job summary giving a general overview of the job’s purpose, a list of the essential duties and responsibilities, and the qualifications for the position they must bring to the role.

Qualifications should include education, experience, communication skills, mathematical skills, reasoning ability, and any certification required.  You should also state the position’s physical demands and have a section on the work environment.  The job description will also include a signature section for the employee and the hiring manager for placement in their personnel folder.

Use the job description as an aid in orienting new employees to their jobs, identifying the requirements of each position, establishing hiring criteria, setting standards for employee performance evaluations, and as the basis for making reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

The hiring manager is accountable for preparing job descriptions when new positions are created and for making sure existing job descriptions are revised as needed to ensure they are up to date, reflecting any changes in the position’s duties and responsibilities.  Employees should also be expected to help ensure their job descriptions are accurate and current, reflecting the work they are being held accountable for performing.

Employees should be made aware that job descriptions do not necessarily cover every task or duty that might be assigned, and that additional responsibility may be assigned as necessary.  They should also know who to contact should they have any questions or concerns about their job description.  Ultimately, they need to connect that the wages you are paying them are for the job they are assigned to and that their continued employment with you is based on how well they perform their assigned job.

Job descriptions help employees identify opportunities for skill development and career advancement. Make it easier to assess and evaluate employee performance through documented job standards and expectations.  Another benefit of job descriptions is that employee contributions are defined while making communicating expectations to new hires easier.

The failure to provide employees with a job description is a failure to position their manager with a formal document they can use to hold a person accountable for job performance. You handicap any progressive discipline for employee problems when you fail to have a job description that holds the problem employee and everyone else in that job accountable for performing. Without defined roles, businesses may face challenges in addressing legal issues associated with employee terminations or in complying with employment regulations.