Job descriptions

Written statements that describe the duties, responsibilities, qualifications and reporting relationships of a job.

DESCRIPTION

Job descriptions are written statements that describe the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and reporting relationships of a job. They are based on a job analysis, an understanding of the competencies and skills required, and the needs of the organisation.¹

PURPOSE & LINK TO INTEGRITY

If effectively developed, employee job descriptions are communication tools that can foster the organisation’s success. Poorly written job descriptions, on the other hand, can lead to workplace confusion, hurt communication, and make people unsure about what is expected from them.¹ In addition, they can open up space for arbitrary staffing, based on favouritism, nepotism and clientelism.

Clear job descriptions that include the responsibilities of the workers can serve as the basis on which employees can be held accountable when acting outside their competences. As such, clear job descriptions can help to curb corruption, especially related to favouritism, nepotism and clientelism, and other unethical behaviour, especially when they emphasise the staff’s responsibility to report such behaviour.²

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Does your organisation have a clear organisational structure in which the job descriptions are embedded or from which the job descriptions can be derived?

HOW TO

Clear job descriptions should include at least the following elements:^3,4

1. Job title, location, department, and to whom the employee reports
2. Key responsibilities
3. Qualifications
4. Terms such as work schedule, salary or pay grade, and any special benefits
5. Special requirements, such as the ability to do heavy physical work or the need to spend a lot of time on the road
6. Goals

KEY GUIDING DOCUMENTS

Heathfield, S. M., 2013, Why Effective Employee Job Descriptions Make Business Sense – 5 Tips About Employee Job Descriptions, Aboutmoney, http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryj/a/jobdescriptions.htm, accessed 03.12.2015

Hebert, C., 2011, Writing Clear Job Descriptions

Brady, B., 2007, Job Descriptions: Essential Elements Explained, HR Daily Advisor, http://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/2007/08/22/job-descriptions-essential-elements-explained/, accessed 03.12.2015

FURTHER  READINGS

Shepell FGI, 2011, Delineating Responsibilities – Crafting a clear job description, Shepell FGI, Canada

University of Minnesota, 2011, Writing a job description, University of Minnesota, USA

FULL REFERENCES

1. Heathfield, S. M., 2013, Why Effective Employee Job Descriptions Make Business Sense – 5 Tips About Employee Job Descriptions, http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryj/a/jobdescriptions.htm, accessed 03.12.2015
2. SECO, no year, Preventing corruption – Information for Swiss businesses operating abroad, State Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO), Switzerland
3. Hebert, C., 2011, Writing Clear Job Descriptions, http://management411.net/writing-clear-job-descriptions/, accessed 03.12.2015
4. Brady, B., 2007, Job Descriptions: Essential Elements Explained, HR Daily Advisor, http://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/2007/08/22/job-descriptions-essential-elements-explained/, accessed 03.12.2015