Each employee needs to have a well defined description of what there job responsibilities are and who they directly report to. As far as the essential components are concerned, it varies depending on the job title.
Deirdre,
We also agree. Every employee needs to know, in writing, what they are supposed to do and how they are measured and who they report to. It is an interesting exercise when you ask everyone on staff to draw an organization chart and where they fit it. It is kind of scary to discover that few org charts come out the same in one school. Often two or more people are doing the same tasks and some jobs aren't getting any attention. Try it! Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
I believe the essential components are the day to day duties such as reports should be outlined. Also knowing that you will need to have a flexible schedule. Who you ultimately report to. Chain of command. Basically understanding that just because it's not written doesn't mean you don't have to do it.
Lazara,
Interesting point. We find that an interesting exercise for Team meetings is to ask everyone on staff to draw an organization chart and show where they fit in. It is quite amazing how many different org charts the employees of one school can create. Many are consistently unaware of who they report to. Often two people will work on one task and very often things simply don't get done. It is all because people just don't know what their job is and don't ask. Try the exercise. It is very eye opening. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
I agree that "all other duties assigned" is a great scape goat but employers shouldn't take advantage of the quote and be as detailed as possible when it has to do with the Job Description.
Hiram,
Yes, job descriptions have to be clear and measurable. Employees want to know what they can and cannot do and how they will be evaluated. When there is a general "non" job description it is important to go to the employer for clarification. Sometimes it takes a bit of coaching and even providing a job description for the employer to ok or add to or change. Whatever it takes to get a complete job description is important. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
Most job descriptions are vague, but I believe that they need to be specific in listing the things the employer expects so that an employee and their supervisor can know when an employee is being effective as opposed to ineffective. If an employer is not specific in their task list then how can they penalize an employee that deviates when they had no path to follow
Roselyn,
Good points. One way to fine tune job descriptions is to ask everyone to write their own plus for anyone they supervise. Create a template so each person can write who they report to, who they supervise, their daily, weekly, monthly tasks, etc. and any forms of assessment to determine how they are doing. When you compare it is shocking and amazing the difference in job perception. Given this exercise it is possible to create realistic job descriptions and also eliminate any duplication in task performance. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
"Its not in the Description"
I believe the most important points in the 'job description' are inclusion of the 'measurements' used to evaluate skill and proficiency of descriptors; and, 'actions taken on measurements.'
Employees usually have an intuitive picture of the roles and responsibilities they may have when commencing employment...so any manual is often read superficially. However, when obvious and bold statements are placed that include the specific criteria used for evaluation, employees seem to intuitively have more caution to read and 'meet' those expectations. Especially, when actions taken on those outcomes are clearly stated.
It is my belief that essential components of an employee job description are both the scope and detail pertaining within it. I feel, that each job description should provide a full or comprehensive illustrations of task and requirements along with the roles and responsibilities for that position. Additionally, I would recommend that each employee should be required to read and sign their Job Description during their onboarding orientation for clarity and understanding and it should be kept filed in the Human Resources division.
I have enjoyed reading everyone's post on this question and expanded my understanding of the topic significantly from reading all the posts. Some of my ideas are gleaned from fellow students in this forum. The essential components of an employee job description are:
1. Educational requirements for the position
2. Well defined list of general responsibilities
3. Timelines of when specific tasks are due
4. Special demands such as occasional travel or heavy lifting
5. Expectations of dress code, language and conduct
6. Pay-grade, hours, and supervisor
