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Job Descriptions

You need to know the actual skills, knowledge and abilities required to successfully perform the job before you can objectively screen applicants. Time spent analyzing the job duties for each position will simplify and improve your hiring process as well as help you identify training needs.

An accurate, complete job description will also provide you legal protection by showing that your hiring decision is based on consistent, objective criteria. You will be able to support why you hire one applicant over another, why you pay one employee more than another, or why you terminate an employee for poor performance.

Getting Started

Gather and review information about the job. Talk to current and past employees who actually do the jobs as well as their supervisors. Observe the job being done. Recognize how the position interacts with other positions in the organization and decide if you need to change or reassign any duties to make the job more efficient.

You can also collect standardized information about a job description from secondary sources such as the Occupational Information Network (ONET) which is available through Job Service. ONET is a comprehensive overview of worker characteristics, requirements, and work activities as well as outlook and earnings.
Refer to ONET page 15.

Job descriptions should be written in brief, clear sentences. The basic structure for sentences is "implied subject/verb/object/explanatory phrase." (Example: Compiles statistical reports using Excel software.)

Use action verbs to describe the physical and mental tasks to be performed. Focus on the facts--do not overstate or understate requirements. Refer to the basic outline of a job description found on page 14.

Discrimination

When writing your job description, avoid requirements that are not job related or that tend to eliminate a group of people. Also avoid words like "recent graduate" or "mature" as these can be interpreted as discriminatory.

Discrimination in employment is against the law based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, marital status, and political ideas (State, County or City Government). Note that the Montana discrimination laws protect people in regard to age, as well as marital status. Marital status includes whether a person is married, divorced, separated or single and the identity and occupation of a person's spouse.

ADA

The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which makes it unlawful to discriminate in employment against a qualified individual with a disability, does not require employers to have a written job description. However, having one which focuses on the essential and non-essential functions of the job without specifically stating how these functions must be performed will help you stay out of trouble. It will also allow applicants to screen themselves for qualifications, essential functions and physical demands.

Share your written job description with applicants. Then, ask them if they are able to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. A good place to ask this question is on your job application that applicants sign and date.

Disclaimers

• Consider using a disclaimer that states that job descriptions are not meant to be all-inclusive and that the job itself is subject to change. Some examples are:
  • Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities at any time.
  • This job description reflects management's assignment of essential functions. It does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned. (Other duties as assigned.)

Determining Essential Functions

Essential functions are the basic job duties that an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation. (These are particularly important to review before taking an employment action such as recruiting, advertising, hiring, promoting, or firing.)

• Factors to consider in determining if a function is essential include:
  • Whether the reason the position exists is to perform that function
  • The number of other employees available to perform the function or among whom the performance of the function can be distributed,
  • The degree of expertise or skill required to perform the function.

Setting Wage Rates

• Once you have an accurate job description, you will have a solid basis for comparing the relative amounts of work required and qualifications needed for different positions. This will allow you to establish fairer wage rates and salaries. Some principles to consider include:
  • Equal pay for equal work
  • Fairness in application of these principles
  • Higher pay for work requiring more knowledge, skill or physical exertion
  • Reasonable pay, in comparison to pay for similar work in other organizations
  • Total earnings reflect, in some way, the employee's contribution to the organization
  • Over-qualified employees are generally not paid more than a qualified employee in the same position

One general but fairly effective rule of thumb you can follow when determining rates is to pay the most important non-supervisory job as well as or somewhat better than the job receives elsewhere and do the same for the least important full-time job. Rates for all other jobs in-between can then be set in a reasonable way.

You can obtain labor market information on wage rates in Montana on the Internet at http://www.ourfactsyourfuture.mt.gov

You can also call the Missoula Job Service Workforce Center for assistance!
(406) 728-7060

O*NET Occupational Profile

This is a sample of information that is available to assist you in writing a job description. Contact the Missoula Job Service Workforce Center for assistance in accessing this information.

Sample:
Accountants (21114A)

Compute, classify, record, and summarize financial data to keep and maintain fiscal records according to established bookkeeping and accounting procedures and systems.

O*NET Contents:	Provides information on:
Worker Characteristics	Abilities, Interests and Work Values
Worker Requirements	Skills, Knowledge and Instructional Programs
Experience Requirements	Job Zone which summarizes the experience, education and training usually required for an occupation
Occupation Requirements	Generalized Work Activities
Occupation Specific Information	Important Occupation-Specific Tasks
Occupation Characteristics	Outlook and Earnings
Related Occupations

Basic Job Description Outline

Click Here for a Sample Job Description

Job Title:
Department:
Reports to:
Wage:

Work Hours: all hours required to work and overtime requirements

Summary: Briefly explain the general purpose of the job as well as expected interactions and relationships with other employees, departments, customers, and clients.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: List major job duties and responsibilities. You can include quality, quantity, and safety factors. (For a free handout on the Americans With Disabilities Act and how this relates to essential functions, contact the Missoula Job Service Workforce Center.)

Minor Duties: List duties that are only performed occasionally and that are not critical to the position.

Minimum Qualifications (knowledge, skills and abilities):

Minimum education required (if any)

Minimum experience (if any)

Certificates, licenses, and registrations required--professional, driver's, chauffeur's, etc.

Specific personality traits--outgoing, independent, self-motivated, etc.

Special skills needed equipment and machines must be able to operate; proficiencies required in typing, 10-key; phone skills; specific software expertise (Excel, Microsoft Publisher); language skills; reasoning ability; ability to handle stress and work under pressure and deadlines, etc.

Knowledge required hardware, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, math aptitude, etc.

Ability to perform the essential functions of the job .

Supervisory Responsibilities, if any

Physical Demands: List the physical demands that are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Consider the frequency or the percentage of time the person would be doing actions such as: sitting, bending, standing, walking, climbing, driving, pushing, pulling, lifting, etc.

Work Environment: Describe characteristics of the environment representative of those an employee would encounter while performing the essential duties of this job. The percentage of time spent indoors or outdoors along with other relevant details like exposure to temperature extremes, detergents, dust, fumes, heights, etc.

Special Requirements: Include any additional requirements such as travel, on-call work, union membership, providing own vehicle, clean driving record, etc.

Appearance or Dress Code: List your established rules (make sure they're non-discriminatory) concerning such things as hairnets, hair length, uniforms, good public contact, professional dress, etc.

Special Equipment Needed: List any requirements such as tools, hard hats, etc.