Job Description is a document that describes the general tasks, or other related duties, and responsibilities of a position. It usually forms the basis of the job specification. According to Gray Dessler, “Job description is a list of job duties, responsibilities, reporting relationships, working conditions, and supervisors’ responsibilities.”
Steps of the job description: There is no standard format we use in writing a job description, but most normal descriptions contain a section on –
Job identification: The job identification section contains several types of information. These are summarized as follows –
- The job title specifies the title of the job. It lists titles for thousands of jobs.
- The job status section permits quick identification of the exempt or nonexempt status of the job.
- The date refers to the date of the job description which was actually written.
- Written by indicating the person who wrote it.
- Finally, the pay range space provides for the specific pay or pay range of the job.
Job Summary: The job summary describes the general nature of the job, listing only its major functions or activities.
Relationships: The relationships statement shows the jobholder’s relationship with others inside and outside the organization.
Responsibilities and duties: The section presents a detailed list of the job’s actual responsibilities and duties. Each of the job’s major duties should be listed separately and described in a few sentences.
Authority: This section defines the limits of the jobholder’s authority, including his or her decision-making authority, direct supervision of other personnel and budgetary limitations.
Standard of performance: The standards of the employee, which is expected to achieve in each of the job description’s main duties and responsibilities.
Working conditions and physical environment: The job description will also list the general working conditions involved in the job.
Accounting: The accountability section of a job description briefly describes the major result achieve with the satisfactory performance.
