This document provides guidance on developing job descriptions. It notes that job descriptions should summarize tasks, responsibilities, required skills and experience. They are used for advertising positions, hiring, performance reviews, and compensation decisions. Descriptions should include the job title, tasks, skills and education required but avoid unnecessary criteria like age, gender or disability status. Developing accurate descriptions involves job analysis through interviews with incumbents, coworkers and supervisors as well as reviewing other sources. Descriptions must also comply with legal standards and can support strategic workforce planning.

1. 1
JOB SPECIFICATION

2. 2
JOB DESCRIPTIONS
 Summarize tasks and responsibilities
 Identify required knowledge, training, skills,
and experience
 Summarize optional desirable knowledge,
training, skills, and experience
 Indicates supervisor or position in
organization

3. 3
DESCRIPTIONS MAY BE USED FOR:
 Advertising a position
 Hiring into a position
 Allocating tasks in a strategic plan
 Deciding about compensation
 Making performance reviews

4. 4
DESCRIPTIONS INCLUDE: 1
Job title
Job tasks
Special Skills required
Education needed
Work experience needed

5. 5
DESCRIPTIONS INCLUDE: 2
Special job
requirements
Possible salary and
benefits
Submission information
Contact information

6. 6
DESCRIPTIONS AVOID: 1
Age
Sex
Race
Religion

7. 7
DESCRIPTIONS AVOID: 2
Ethnicity
National Origin
Sexual Orientation
Marital Status

8. 8
DESCRIPTIONS AVOID: 3
Disability/Health
Dependent Care
Responsibilities
Unnecessary
criteria

9. 9
DEVELOPING JOB DESCRIPTIONS:
JOB ANALYSIS, 1
Check prior descriptions
Have incumbent make notes, diary,
self-describe job
Interview incumbent
Interview co-workers
Interview supervisor

10. 10
DEVELOPING JOB DESCRIPTIONS:
JOB ANALYSIS, 2
 Interview clients
 Use job description instruments
 Consult Dictionary of Occupational
Titles
 Consult Index of Standard Industrial
Classification
 Get Reviews of Draft Descriptions

11. 11
DEVELOPING JOB DESCRIPTIONS:
GUIDELINES: 1
 Focus on facts
 List important behaviors
 List essential tasks
 Identify special skills
 Describe education,
experience, credentials
needed

12. 12
DEVELOPING JOB DESCRIPTIONS:
GUIDELINES: 2
 Summarize position in organization
and supervisor
 Don’t use to change positions
 Don’t use to punish people
 Do use to treat people appropriately
 Do use to assign tasks appropriately

13. 13
JOB DESCRIPTIONS:
LEGAL CONSTRAINTS
 FLSA, exempt and non-exempt employees
 EPA, justification for pay differentials
 CRA, job related requirements
 OSHA, warning of dangers or distasteful
elements
 ADA, identification of essential functions

14. 14
HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING:
STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR JOBS
 Strategic plans identify job positions needed
 Plans allow comparing needs with availability
 Plans allow anticipating changes in needs
and what is available
 Plans identify appropriate human resource
actions for job shortages and surpluses

15. 15
HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING:
STRATEGIC ACTIONS
 Shortage—recruitment, upgrading, job
enrichment
 Surplus—restricted hiring, working
hours; increased retirement, contracted
layoffs, rightsizing, outplacement
 Equilibrium—training to maintain and
upgrade skills and retain workers, job
enrichment