Why Your Company Needs Effective Job Descriptions

Does your company have clearly written job descriptions for all the positions employees fill? If not, it is missing out on a valuable HR tool. When used to their full potential, well-written job specifications will bring your company benefits in several key areas.

Job Descriptions Help in Legal Compliance

In addition to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), laws that affect job descriptions include…

• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). You can use strong job descriptions to help establish a particular job’s exempt status.
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• Equal Pay Act. Good job explanations clearly identify the level of skill, effort, and responsibility required by the job as well as the conditions under which it is performed. This can be a vital piece of evidence if your company were to be accused of wage discrimination on the basis of gender.
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• Title Vll of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. While this Act makes specific types of discrimination unlawful, it does not prohibit an employer from hiring or promoting on the basis of qualifications and merit. Solid job descriptions help you define the requirements of the job and set the standards for job performance, which are crucial considerations in such cases.
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• Occupational Safety and Health Act. Job explanations include sections that discuss uncomfortable or dangerous working conditions so employees coming into the job know what the position entails.
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Job Descriptions Lead to Better Wage and Salary Administration

Good explanations of job functions help you evaluate positions in relation to one other. Quantifying each job’s value to the company allows you to develop a fair wage and salary structure and determine benefits and bonuses that relate employee performance to company performance.

Job descriptions also help in such areas as…

• Job classification. Describing positions effectively helps you establish job requirements. You can then identify common job elements and place jobs into specific categories for wage and salary purposes.
• Pay structure. Before each job’s contribution to the company can be evaluated for compensation, the job must be accurately described.
• Performance appraisal. Describing jobs helps you develop appropriate performance standards for those jobs. These performance standards are vital for evaluating employees for raises and promotions.
A well-written set of job descriptions is also one of your most powerful tools for staff planning, hiring outstanding employees, orienting and training new hires, and developing career paths within the company.