The task of writing and revising job descriptions may sound
dull, but at the same time be daunting. With so much to consider—essential
versus nonessential functions, varied job responsibilities, experience and
education requirements, etc.—the job can be mind-numbing. Then throw in the
legal issues to consider, including things like how to prevent discrimination
and wage and hour claims, and the job can get overwhelming.
Overwhelming or not, the task of is worth the time and
energy if the work results in living, breathing documents that keep a workforce
on track to meet an employer’s goals and legal responsibilities. Plus, creating
and updating job descriptions isn’t an impossible chore if certain principles
are kept in mind.
Mary Anne Kennedy, principal consultant at MAKHR Consulting,
LLC, addressed the issue in the BLR webinar “Job Descriptions with Value:
Strategies, Tools, and Technology to Optimize Job Description Content.” Key
elements to keep in mind, she said, are making sure they’re kept up to date and
that they serve as a communication tool.
“A well-documented job description is a living, evolving
tool that reflects the current needs of the position which continues to propel
the organization forward,” Kennedy said. That means job descriptions must be
continuously updated and amended as employees’ duties change.
Kennedy urges employers to react quickly when an employee
leaves. “Any time you have an open position in your organization … it’s an
opportunity to really take a look at your organization and decide whether you
need to refill that position in kind,” she said. Instead of refilling the
just-vacated position, an employer may decide to add certain duties to other
positions and save the headcount for another area. If so, duties of the vacated
position need to be written into other job descriptions promptly.
Benefits of job
description
To truly make a job description a “living, evolving” tool,
it needs to include not just the duties, competencies, responsibilities, and
required educational credentials, it also needs to integrate the employer’s
core values so that it communicates to employees the organization’s mission and
vision, Kennedy says. Such a job description helps ensure behavioral
accountability on the part of the employees.
Keeping job descriptions current also is vital to effective
human resource planning, Kennedy said. In particular, job descriptions relate
to the following people components:
Headcount. Instead of having someone leave and then
replacing that person using an old job description, employers should take a
look at the workforce and see if there are any gaps. Kennedy suggests a
workforce analysis in which the employer evaluates current resources and looks
at future needs. She suggests asking questions such as how many people are in
each job, what’s the supervisor-employee ratio, what’s the likelihood of
retirement, do the workers have the right skill set, are they trained properly,
why do employees leave and where are they going, what are the recruiting needs,
what job functions can be consolidated, what technology will change, and what
might be outsourced. Job descriptions then can be written or amended with the
answers to those questions in mind.
Succession planning. When considering employee needs for the
future, an examination of carefully planned job descriptions can help determine
what positions can be feeders to other positions through promotions or lateral
moves.
Training and development. Job descriptions along with
information from a workforce analysis can reveal what kind of training is
necessary.
Tracking and monitoring. Frequently updated job descriptions
help employers keep track of what duties are actually being done in a rapidly
changing workplace.
Legal compliance
In addition to people planning, job descriptions play a role
in legal compliance. Kennedy reminds employers that they need to keep certain
laws in mind when writing and revising job descriptions so that they can
prevent wage and hour violations and discrimination claims.
For example, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has been on
the hunt for employee misclassification in recent years, and job descriptions
can cause or prevent problems. When a position is classified as exempt from the
Fair Labor Standards Act’s minimum wage and overtime requirements, it’s
important that the job description reflects that the position indeed meets the
requirements for exemption and isn’t misclassified exempt when, according to
the law, it should be nonexempt.
On the discrimination front, the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) is one of the laws relating to job descriptions. The ADA prohibits
employers from discriminating against a qualified individual with a disability
as long as that person can perform the essential functions of the job with or
without a reasonable accommodation. Since job descriptions outline the
functions of each position, they make clear which functions are essential so
employees and employers can tell what jobs are realistic for someone with a
disability and what accommodations may be necessary.
Kennedy urges employers to check the DOL’s website to see
how various laws may affect job descriptions.
Source: HR
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