Tag: Job Descriptions

16 May 2019

Writing a good job description

When you are ready to hire a new employee in your company you will need to write a job description.  A good job description will explain to the potential employee the tasks, duties, functions and responsibilities that are to be performed in the position. The job description is the employer’s sales pitch to potential candidates. It must be designed in such a way that it will grab the candidate’s attention and keep it.

A well-designed job description will also give the employee a clear source to guide their job performance and similarly it can be used by the supervisor as a measuring tool to ensure that the employee is meeting their job expectations. So how do we write a good job description?

What to include in the job description

Perform a job analysis – This is the process of gathering and interpreting information about the job’s task that will provide accurate information for the job description. This would involve interviewing employees to find out the current roles as well as the manager to whom the position will report to. If it is a new position that would relieve current employees of certain aspects of workload, they should also be a part of the development process of the job description.

Write a clear job summary – the job description starts with a clear description of the job. What will be required by the candidate. The job summary should provide a clear overview of your company and what the expectations are for the position.

Indicate the main responsibilities – It is important to indicate what the main functions of a position are. The article 5 tips for writing effective job descriptions indicates that anyone who reads the job description should have a clear view of the responsibilities of the job and thus would know right away if they are the best fit for the role. The list of responsibilities should give candidates a clear understanding of the everyday activities of the role.

Indicate the required knowledge, skills and abilities – When creating the job description, it is important to think carefully about the skills that the candidate will need to possess in order to succeed in the position. It is also necessary to distinguish between those skills that are needed prior to employment and those that can be learned on the job.

 

The job description should provide the applicant clear picture of their everyday activities with the position. This will aid in ruling out persons who do not have the right qualifications and help those who do to better assess their potential roles.