Kristina Meyer | HRTools.com Business Writer
Employees aren’t one size fits all — and neither is your business. Find out how to put together a well-written job description that attracts well-suited applicants.
Small businesses all across America have been thrown a few low-blows over the last couple years. But like prize fighters, we refuse to go down for the count. As the economy begins to stir again, more and more companies are picking themselves up off the mat and getting back to business. That may mean hiring a few more players for your team to begin building again. And with the unemployment rate still hovering at 9 percent, the market is teeming with work-hungry professionals. A clear and precise job description can help you quickly rule out candidates that are a bad fit for your company before they get hired. Blair Johanson, president of a management consulting firm The Johanson Group, says a well defined job description clarifies the company’s expectations of the employee right off the bat.
“Clear job descriptions lead to an increase in job satisfaction and as a result, a decrease in turnover,” Johanson says.
Use the following checklist to help create clear-cut job descriptions and snatch up stellar employees who will help kick your business into high gear.
Checklist
Do a Job Analysis. Before you start writing anything, you need to know exactly what role this position is going to play in your company. According to the article “How to Write a Job Analysis and Description,” from Entrepreneur.com, there are four areas that you need to look at when assessing a position:
- Required mental and physical tasks;
- Methods and equipment used;
- Overall purpose of the position;
- Required qualifications, training, knowledge and personality traits.
Add a Title. The title is simply a couple of words that describe the role of the position within the company, such as executive assistant, marketing manager or sales clerk. Don’t worry about being too specific here; you will further define the role later. If you need help, you can use keywords to find similar jobs on online job postings sites, such as Careerbuilder.com and Monster.com.
Determine Placement. Include the department, supervisor’s position, location and exempt/nonexempt status in the description. This will help to clarify the hierarchy and workflow, so that there is no second-guessing an employee’s place in the company.
Write a Purpose Statement. According to Johanson, this should be a general description of the overall purpose of the job. “It’s a two- to three-sentence statement that means to identify the role of the position within the company,” he says. Avoid using too much jargon here. In plain English, explain the day-to-day function of the position.
Define the Essential Duties. Now it’s down to the nitty-gritty. This is where you describe the key responsibilities of the position. In order to avoid getting too wordy, Johanson recommends that you not exceed 15 duties. He also suggests that you arrange the list by duties by importance, with the most significant ones at the top.
Tie Responsibilities Back to Company Goals. When you’re crafting the essential duties list you should consider how this position is going to help you meet the overall objective of your business. According to Johanson, more employers are aligning job descriptions with company goals.
“Because of the economy, many businesses have less money in the budget to go toward merit increases,” he says. “Because of that, increases are being based more on performance.”
The job description outlines all of the employee’s responsibilities, making it the perfect cheat sheet for managers to use as they assess employee performance task-by-task. For that reason, writing job descriptions that track closely with the company goals can help you determine not only how well employees are doing their job, but also how well they are contributing to the overall good of the company.
List Education and Skills Requirements. Johanson says that employers should include all of the minimum education requirements needed for each position. Whether you need a tech-skilled professional or a tradesperson, list every certificate, license or degree needed to get the job done. In addition, be sure to include any knowledge requirements, such as the multilingualism, familiarity with specific software or advanced mathematics. This will help to discourage under-qualified candidates from cluttering your inbox.
Explain the Physical Demands and Work Environment. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that you clearly point out all the physical aspects of the job. Johanson says businesses with 15 employees or more must maintain records of all the physical demands of each position, from excessive walking to heavy lifting. Other physical requirements may include good eyesight, clear speech or excellent hearing. In addition, you should describe the type of work environment the job takes place in, be it a warehouse or an office building.
From finding the right recruit to measuring success, a well-written job description can be one of the Holy Grail documents in your business. Avoid any misconceptions by precisely listing the particulars of the position. Many business owners avoid getting detailed because they’re afraid they might scare off applicants. But as a small business, each employee is a valuable brick that keeps the structure standing strong. Hiring a weak or inadequate individual could bring your whole company toppling down. So don’t settle. If you’re straightforward about your expectations and have patience, you’ll surely come across a first-rate candidate who will do great things for your company.
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