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Writing Your First Job Description
(Take the plunge, the first time is the most difficult)
Okay, take a deep breath and let's get's started. Writing a job description is not as complicated as it sounds. Pretend you are taking a picture of what you want the employee to do and now you have to describe it on paper.
Generally, the categories of a job description are:
| Title of the position |
this is (hopefully) easy. |
| Department |
if applicable. |
| Supervisor |
the title, not the individual supervisor's name. |
| Essential Functions |
these are the key components of the job and the "meat" of the job description. You will want to use action verbs to describe these functions. You do not have to list everything that a position does, but you do want to include all crucial duties, no matter how little time an employee may spend doing those tasks. For example, a receptionist might only spend a few minutes each day organizing meetings, but this is an essential task if there is no one else to arrange meetings. |
| Skills |
what it takes to do the job |
| Physical Demands |
defines the physical aspects of the essential functions of the job such as sitting, standing, lifting, etc. The key to this section is to use accurate non-discriminatory language such as "move" instead of "walk". |
| Experience Required |
the basics of what someone needs to perform the job |
Okay, we'll help you with the first one and get you going. Let's pretend you are hiring a receptionist because you need someone to answer the phone and greet customers.
| Position Title |
Receptionist |
| Department |
Administration |
| Supervisor |
You, Business Owner |
| Essential Functions |
answer telephone, take and direct calls, provide information to callers, greet customers, answer questions from the general public and customers, general administrative and clerical support, prepare letters and documents, receive and sort mail and deliveries, schedule appointments, organize meetings and maintain the reception area. |
| Skills |
must have excellent verbal and written communication skills, be customer service oriented, be able to organize and plan, pay attention to details, demonstrate initiative, be reliable, able to work in a stressful environment, maintain front office appearance and be able to manage large amounts of information. |
| Physical Demands |
Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time. The person in this position needs to occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc. Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer. The person in this position frequently communicates with customers who have inquiries about the company's products. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations. |
| Experience |
high school diploma or GED, knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures, knowledge of computers and relevant software applications, knowledge of customer service practices and principles and keyboard skills. |
In addition, you may wish to add to each job description:
"This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee. He or she will be required to follow any other instructions and to perform any other duties requested by his/her supervisor."
See, we told you it wasn't difficult! Now that we have completed your first one, you can develop a job description for any job you want to create in your company. However, if this is just more than you want to deal with, give us a call and we will be happy to assist you.
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