Job description is a list of task or functions for a particular position. It details the responsibilities that a person has to undertake if appointed in that position. Job description plays a vital role during recruitment as it acts as a communication tool that describes the role and accountability of the prospective employee. It also details the qualifications and skills required to perform the job and the salary range. A job description not only talks about the current situation but also explains the goals to be achieved in future.
Initially people start of with 20-30 tasks in the list but gradually after refining it comes to 8-12. Writing job description is really easy as it is quite straight-forward. Small organizations have a wide range of staffs and managers with all types of responsibilities and therefore the list of job description comes to 15-16. Among the various methods of creating job description, the workshop method is most effective.
Job descriptions are important because it clears the expectation of the employer for employee, job performance could be measured, candidates get a clear idea of their role and the payment schedule is fairly structured. It provides a clear picture about the necessary duties and responsibilities each candidate has to take. Job description helps the organization to manage the employees uniformly and it is quite effective during recruitment, training and development and customer service.
A poorly written job description could create confusion at the work place and at the same time damage the communication. And here lies the importance of a well written job description.
