Job Descriptions & Duties
What is a Job Description?
A job description is a "description of the duties" of an employee or group of employees. Job description records for a longer period what is expected of an employee in that specific job. The description provides, among other things, insight into tasks, responsibilities, the most important results that must be achieved, the position within the organization and which job requirements are necessary for a successful job performance. Think of the required competencies and knowledge and experience.
The description and maintenance of functions is an ongoing process. Organizations change and the functions within the organizations too. Just like the employees who perform those functions. For this reason a function building or function book (the total of described functions) is never finished. Existing descriptions will be canceled or need to be adjusted. New descriptions are included.
By describing positions clearly and concretely, employees know what is expected of them and they are given the opportunity to manage themselves. The management possibilities of managers are also being increased. In addition, the job description process makes clear how tasks and responsibilities are divided, how reporting lines run and what results are being pursued. This is important information when setting up or adjusting an organization.
The Benefits of a Job Description
It is easier to apply for a job if you know what the employer is looking for.
Job descriptions are useful tools on both sides of the employment relationship. A job description help managers to clarify employee expectations and help employees to learn about their job scope and other important details. Job descriptions also offer legal protection whenever there is a disagreement as to whether an employee's job meets expectations. We list here important points that describe the advantages of using a job description:
- Hiring process: As a hiring manager, taking the time to create a comprehensive job description will help you through the entire employee search process. Explain the tasks you will need to perform regularly on the person and the specific needs of the work. You can use the necessary qualifications and job skills listed to help you pass the resumes.
- Evaluations: After working with the chosen employee for a while, the original job description helps you create benchmarks to use when evaluating that employee. Using the written job description during employee evaluation helps to protect you legally.
- I'm looking for a job: If you are the one on the road and looking for a job, a detailed job description can be your best friend. It gives you an overall look at what your day-to-day and long-term duties might be, as well as all the staff you might oversee and which department manager you would like to report. Sometimes, it offers a range of salaries and travel requirements. The job description helps you to adapt your cover letter and resume indicating exactly how qualified you are.
- Advancement: A job description should be a fluid thing, so use it to your advantage when looking for promotion in your company. If you take on new responsibilities, ask for them to be added to your job description so they can be included in your assessment, ask for a raise to compensate for taking on additional responsibilities. As your job description continues to grow and change, ask your boss to give you a title that best matches your increased responsibility. You may not go for it, for example you may refer to the same person, but a better title gives you an edge when looking for a new job or asking for a raise to your current one.
What is the difference between a job description and a position description?
The difference between job description and position description is that:
A job description indicates the requirements of a particular position within the organization. It includes the expected level of skills, experience and qualifications. It also includes the roles and responsibilities attached to a particular job and can be used to give employees an impression of the employer's expectations of them.
While
A position description is used to set clear job expectations, to help supervisors and employees establish goals and objectives, as well as to assess an employee's job performance. It also provides the information necessary for recruitment and selection and can be useful in developing induction / training programs. Usually, position descriptions are prepared by the supervisor and are reviewed annually during employee performance appraisals.
How do you write a job description?
Writing a good job descriptin that stads out your currnt or future job posts help you to attract qualified candidates to apply your posted jobs and it give a good impression about your company. This actually needs to get a professional know-how by examples.
The definition of a Duty
Duty implies an "obligation", against another party, which on the contrary, has a "right". The duty may take different forms of obligations, according to the area with which it is related: moral, legal, tax, financial, social, to name just a few of them. In most cases, the breach of duty lies in a penalty, fine or punishment for the person who had the obligation, and according to the magnitude of the duty not fulfilled, will be the magnitude of those consequences.
In this page we'll speak about careers duties which means what are "job duties" that a worker must perform.
Essential rule: Determine the job description duties for each career
Determining the duties of a job - also called responsibilities - is essential when defining it. The duties that have to be assumed with the job have to reflect the main functions to be carried out. At first, defining six or seven essential duties will be sufficient, although later, the most accurate definition of all of them will be necessary.
Defining duties must be clear that it is not to define the daily work routine of those who occupy that job, but of the areas in which that work will have an impact. The definition of duties must be clear.
On the other hand, the language used to define duties must be as clear and direct as possible, avoiding frills or excessively technical language. The definition of duties has to be clear enough so that anyone can understand the fundamental problems.
The definition of the duties of a given job should be something similar to the instructions that the occupant of the job receives from their superior. A good definition could be: get, recommend, visit, make and post.
What is the key role of work duties in a resume?
Duties and responsibilities are essential part for your work experience section. The work experience of a resume is one of the most important and often most difficult parts to write.
In the work experience section of a resume, past job descriptions and experiences lend credibility to an application or interview. The most important part to be presented carefullu is the job description duties and responsibilities of each work experience section.
Have an interview? Know your duties!
A tricky tip that helps you so much to success in your interview is to well understand the job duties required for specific job. Specially if you are fresh graduate and it's your first career step then you have to read well the required job duties and functions posted in the job ad you applying for. Some job ads doesn't refer to the specific duties and leave it approximately blank. In this case search google for the job duties related to the job title and prepare yourself for how to answer an important question: Do you know what would be your job duties if we'll hire you?. If you don't know how to perform a number of required duties, be clear and don't lie, but ask for further supervision and training and convince your interviewer that you have the ability "to learn" quickly.
What other career documents-letters need to include duties and responsibilities?
The job duties and responsibilities must be determined clearly in most career documents such as:
- Job offer letter: you must include the job duties when propsing a job for a candidate
- Employment contract: an accurate job duties must be mentioned to ensure a clear agreement of the job roles
- Experience certificates: it's an option to list the job duties and responsibilities for an ex-employee in his/her experience letter. Listing the job duties gives an advantage to him/here when applying the document for new employers that need same experience.
Example of job duties
Here are some of duties and responsibilities that usually fall to managers:
- Assign the tasks of your subordinates.
- Register permanently effective realization of these tasks.
- Attend to contingencies that may arise.
- Evaluate the performance of their subordinates, as well as the conjunction of the tasks they perform for the purposes of the general objectives of the company.
- Find out about all customer satisfaction surveys.
- Draw conclusions about working conditions and report them to their superiors.
- Cover quickly positions in cases that an employee is prevented.
- In some cases, decide on the incorporation of new products to the market.
- Have a good relationship with clients, while looking for new ones.
- Select competent personnel, as well as take responsibility for that selection.
- In some cases, sign checks and decide on the company's financial policies.
- Be linked with sectors outside the organization: relatives of the workers, neighbors of the organization, authorities.
- Seek for the order in the tasks, as well as in the physical space where you work.
- Attend to the possible environmental impacts of the productive activity.
- Maintain continuous contact with suppliers.
- Find out about the news in the markets that concern the company and its competencies.
- Create a work environment where the objectives, goals, mission and vision of the company are known.
