What are job descriptions-what are they used for?

After completing the process of job analysis [see What is job analysis and why do it? at ¶31,010 ], the next step in developing a pay program is to use the information gathered in job analysis to write job descriptions. While there is no specific legal requirement that employers maintain written job descriptions for their various jobs, there are some very good reasons to have them.

Job descriptions provide the organization with important documentation that may be utilized for:

• Job evaluation to determine the relative value of jobs.

• Market pricing by collecting appropriate market data for a job.

• Performance management as a tool for writing performance standards and assessing whether all job duties are being performed.

• Pay decisions, for example, survey data for a comparable job may indicate that a market adjustment is in order, or performance beyond the duties outlined in the job description may suggest a possible promotion.

• Recruitment and selection by targeting candidates that specifically meet stated qualifications and for writing job advertisements and internal postings.

• Training and development to define an instructor's target audience, to develop programs that meet an audience's specific development needs and interests, to teach tasks that are required for a particular job and to develop and reinforce behaviors (competencies) that are necessary for success in a particular job or organization.

• Succession planning by aiding in the establishment of vertical or lateral career paths to meet organizational and employee development needs.

• Organizational planning by providing a clear notion of the roles and responsibilities of current incumbents and a starting point for examining workflow and process efficiency within an organization.

• Organizational/legal defense by explaining and, when necessary, defending certain organizational decisions (promotions, selections, merit increases, terminations, collective bargaining unit definition, etc.).

• Safety by identifying hazardous situations.

• Employee education by revealing organizational structure and functions.

• Administrative requirements as an attachment to job requisitions, promotional and status change paperwork, job evaluation requests and proposals for reorganization.

In the context of designing a pay program, job descriptions are used to determine the relative worth of a organization's jobs. In other words, they are used to conduct job evaluation]. The job descriptions are compared, and based on the comparisons, and on survey data, the pay requirements for each job are determined.

What is a job description? A job description is exactly what it says it is. It is a written or an electronic document that describes a job. It summarizes the most important elements of a job, including principle duties and responsibilities, complexity of work performed, reporting relationships, working conditions and minimum requirements necessary to effectively perform the job. The job description explains the job itself, and not the characteristics of individual(s) performing the job. Therefore, one job description often applies to numerous incumbents.

A job description spells out, in writing, information about a job's compensable factors. The compensable factor information contained in a job description should be spelled out specifically. For example, one of the duties of a computer operator might be spelled out like this:

A skill or ability that might appear in the job description of a computer operator could read: