The objective of a job description is to have a clear outline of duties and responsibilities to make the screening process as direct and focused as possible.
Job descriptions may have the following elements:
- improvement cooperation by giving all members of the organization insight in existing responsibilities/roles
- enabling career moves within the organization
- determination of amount of pay per function
- increase of results by specification of responsibilities and key performance indicators
- development of job owner by specification of competences
- may include the phrase "perform other duties as assigned"
Possible job description items
Job title
A specific designation of a post within an organization, normally associated with a job description that details the tasks and responsibilities that go with it. With the rise of online job search engines, job titles became increasingly important. In many cases, this causes job title inflation.
Job duties
May also be called Tasks Performed; may be as lengthy as necessary to fully describe each essential duty or responsibility which comprises the employee's functions, generally starting with principle duties.
Roles and responsibilities
This includes supervisory level, managerial requirements, and any working relationships.
Job specifications or qualifications
Key role interactions
Professional skills
Describes in enough detail the key ability sets and experiences which will be required from past positions to allow a new hire to function and perform the duties of the job from day one.
Salary and benefits
Describes the compensation type, hourly or salary, and amount. In addition it includes both standard benefits and any fringe benefits associated with the position.
