5 Reasons Why Your Company Needs Job Descriptions

Summary of duties, responsibilities description, and job summary, are commonly spoken in reference to what we all know to be that of a job description. Although there may not be a specific regulatory requirement for a business to have a job description, it’s the information contained within the job description that becomes paramount to achieving and sustaining compliance with employment regulations, optimizing workforce performance, and maximizing business success.

So, if you’re curious to know the importance of having job descriptions within your business, here are five reasons:

1.      Hiring

Interviewing and selecting the best candidate for the job can be a daunting task without a clear view of what essential duties the incumbent will need to perform, along with what the education and experience requirements are, and core knowledge, skills and abilities. Accordingly, job descriptions can be used to prepare job postings to attract the ideal talent to apply for employment consideration with your company, and to prepare interviewing questions to ask during the interviewing and selection process.

2.      Managing Performance

Documenting and conveying job duties, responsibilities and performance expectations can be effectively accomplished with a job description, and when done right, allows for effectively measuring and managing performance on the job. Additionally, performance on the job is often optimized when people know what is expected of them on the job.

3.      Establishing FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) Exemption Status

If you’re trying to determine whether a job is exempt from overtime or non-exempt from overtime under the federal FLSA regulation, the starting point for determining the status is to identify the essential duties and responsibilities of the job. Properly classifying a job’s FLSA status supports a company’s ability to justify its determination of FLSA status if challenged later. Misclassifying a job’s FLSA status can become a costly issue for a business.

4.      Communication Tool

Job descriptions are highly useful tools in situations where an employee may have a disability under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulation, because a job description can be used as a key resource in engaging in interactive dialogue with an employee in determining if a reasonable accommodation may be necessary. Poor interactive dialogue with an employee who is, or may be, covered under the ADA can become a costly mistake for a company.

5.      Business Operations Management

From a business operations management standpoint, job descriptions can help minimize redundancies in job duties, as well as shed light on opportunities to streamline processes and practices within the organization aimed towards maximizing overall business success. 

For additional information on job descriptions for your company, contact:

Kandor Group, Your HR Business Partner