Job Description Manifesto

News on 14 February 2020

Job Descriptions

We see lots of job descriptions in our line of work and we also help our clients put their employees’ job descriptions in order.

We also see many businesses who don’t see the point of a job description.

So we thought we would just do a little pitch to try and persuade business owners and managers that having up to date and relevant job descriptions are a no brainer.

What is a job description?

Most frequently people associate job descriptions with the recruitment process.

It is a document used to set out the roles and responsibilities. The document assists the applicant to assess whether they have the required skills and experience for the role. But if you take a step back, it is the document that the organisation has had to put some thought into in order to figure out what they will need from the person in the role.

In putting the thought into articulating the skills and experience level that is required, the organisation can narrow down the applicants in the sifting process and interviewing process.

If you are painting a house it is the equivalent of doing the boring, but vital, preparation of masking taping the skirting boards, sanding the wood work and sugar soaping the walls.

Does the usefulness of a job description go beyond the recruitment process?

Of course it does! It should be a live document and reviewed regularly (because, let’s face it, sometimes the role changes and what is needed in the role will change too.

Why is a job description useful?

There are many benefits to an effective job description – here are a few:

  • To provide the employee with the expectations that are required of them in the role
  • To provide enough detail to help the job applicant assess if they are suitable for the position
  • To support the recruitment team during the selection process
  • To help formulate questions for the interview process
  • To allow the prospective employee to determine their role or standing within the structure of the organisation
  • To assist in forming a legally binding contract of employment
  • To help set goals and targets for the employee upon joining
  • To aid in the evaluation of the employee’s job performance
  • To help formulate training and development plans

Get your job descriptions in order!

It’s a good idea to keep job descriptions up dated with the assistance of the employee who is in the role. It helps the employee with a sense of ownership of the role. It should be a document that is reviewed regularly (say, with the appraisals on an annual basis).

If you need some help to get your job descriptions in order or perhaps you would just like a template to kick start this project…..why not drop us an email on chat@pitstophr.co.uk