A job description is a written statement of what the job holder does how it is done, under what conditions it is done and why it is done.
It is a written document that identifies and describes a job in terms of its duties, responsibilities, working conditions and specifications.
According to Pigors and Myres, “Job description is a pertinent picture (in writing) of the organizational relationships, responsibilities and specific duties that constitute a given job or position. It defines a scope of responsibility and continuing work assignment that are sufficiently different from that of other jobs to warrant a specific title.”
“Job description” is an important document which is basically descriptive in nature and contains a statement of job analysis. It provides both organisational information (location in structure, authority, etc.) and functional information (what the work is).
It defines the scope of job activities, major responsibilities, and positioning of the job in the organisation. It provides the worker, analyst, and supervisor with a clear idea of what the worker must do to meet the demands of the job.
Meaning of Job Description
Meaning of Job Description
Job description is an important document which is basically descriptive in nature and contains a statement of job analysis. It provides both organisational information and functional information. In other words, job description defines the scope of job activities, major responsibilities and positioning of the job in the organisation. It describes jobs not job holders.
For instance, the movement of employees due to promotion, units, etc. would create instability to job descriptions, if people rather than jobs are described. Thus, job description is a written record of the duties, responsibilities and requirements of a particular job.
It is concerned with the job itself and not the work. It is a statement describing the job in such terms as its title, location, duties, working conditions and hazards. In other words, it tells ‘what is to be done’ and ‘how it is to be done’ and why. It defines the appropriate and authorised contents of the job.
This is a document which indicates about a job in descriptive manner and also statements of job analysis. It contains both organisational and functional information like the organisation, the location, structure, authorities and so on. The functional aspects like what the worker is!
Define the job activities and its scope, responsibilities, positioning of the job in the organisation, etc. It clarifies separately clarifies duties arid responsibilities of a workers, an analyst and a supervisor with a clear idea as to what the worker should do to accomplish the job in a desired manner.
i) Its primary draft is used as a ‘guideline’ by productive group for discussion, if it is initiated at the executive level.
ii) It has added advantage in developing job specifications and is useful in planning, recruitment, training and also hiring people with adequate skills.
iii) It is useful for orientation of new employees and also inculcating basic responsibilities and routine duties.
iv) Prime document for promoting performance standards.
v) It is also used as a guideline for job evaluation in Wage and Salary administration.
Meaning of Job Description – With Definition Propounded by Edwin B. Flippo and Pigors and Myres
A job description is a written statement of what the job holder does how it is done, under what conditions it is done and why it is done. It is a written document that identifies and describes a job in terms of its duties, responsibilities, working conditions and specifications.
A few important definitions of job description are as follows:
According to Edwin B. Flippo, “The first and immediate product of job analysis is job description. As the title indicates, the document is basically descriptive in nature and constitutes a record of existing and pertinent job facts.”
According to Pigors and Myres, “Job description is a pertinent picture (in writing) of the organizational relationships, responsibilities and specific duties that constitute a given job or position. It defines a scope of responsibility and continuing work assignment that are sufficiently different from that of other jobs to warrant a specific title.”
According to Ernest Dale, the following guidelines are important while writing the job description:
(a) The job description should indicate the nature and scope of the job, including all important relationships.
(b) It should be brief, factual and precise; use active verb such as collect mail; sort out mail, etc., avoid statements of opinion. Give a clear picture of the job; explaining all the duties and responsibilities of the job in a greater detail.
(c) More specific words are chosen to show- (i) the kind of work (ii) the degree of complexity (iii) the degree of skill required (iv) the extent to which problems are standardized and (v) the degree and type of accountability.
(d) The extent of supervision available should also be clearly stated.
(e) The reporting relationship must also be clearly indicated (e.g., who reports to whom, frequency etc.)
Meaning of Job Description
As you know, a job description is prepared with the help of data gathered in the job analysis process. The job description functionally describes what a job entails. It discloses what, how, and by whom the job is to be done. It classifies the job into various sub-jobs and analyzes the nature of each sub-job. The chief objective of the job description process is that it distinguishes a particular job from other similar jobs to set out its outer limits. Job description is a very important document as it helps in identifying the job by giving a clear idea about it.
Job description sets out how a particular employee, in terms of knowledge, skills, attitudes, etc., can fit into an organization. Alternatively, it could be used as a guideline for an employee to get an idea about his roles and responsibilities within the organization.
A job description incorporates the following:
1. Title of the job
2. Whom the new recruit reports to
3. Job overview
4. Key tasks that the employee is responsible for accomplishing
5. Simple description of the roles, duties, and responsibilities of the employee within the organization
6. Tools and technology used
7. Physical working environment.
Job description provides a clear idea about the activities and the responsibilities required for a job to be completed successfully. This makes it easy for the recruitment manager to recruit candidates. Obviously then, job analysis is an early step in the recruitment process. The accuracy of the individual’s specification and all the subsequent stages in selection will depend on the quality of the job analysis.
Selection involves procedures to identify the most appropriate candidates to fill posts.
Therefore, it is important for an effective selection procedure to take into consideration the following:
1. Keeping the costs of selection low
2. Making sure that the skills and qualities being sought have been identified
3. Developing a process for identifying these qualities in candidates
4. Making sure that the candidates selected will want the job and will stay with the company
Meaning of Job Description
Job description refers the requirements an organization looks for a particular job position. It states the key skill requirements, the level of experience needed, level of education required, etc. It also describes the roles and responsibilities attached with the job position. The roles and responsibilities are key determinant factor in estimating the level of experience, education, skill, etc. required for the job. It also helps in benchmarking the performance standards.
Job Worth:
Job worth refers to estimating the job worthiness i.e. how much the job contributes to the organization. It is also known as job evaluation. Job description is used to analyze the job worthiness. It is also known as job evaluation. Roles, and responsibilities helps in determining the outcome from the job profile. Once it is determined that how much the job is worth, it becomes easy to define the compensation strategy for the position.
Therefore, job analysis forms an integral part in the formulation of compensation strategy of an organization. Organizations should conduct the job analysis in a systematic at regular intervals. Job analysis can be used for setting up the compensation packages, for reviewing employees’ performance with the standard level of performance, determining the training needs for employees who are lacking certain skills.
Managerial Job Descriptions:
Managerial job descriptions differ from non-managerial job descriptions in what are called scope data. For example, financial and organizational data are used to locate managerial jobs in the hierarchy. The identification section of managerial job descriptions is usually more elaborate and may include the reporting level and the functions of jobs supervised directly and indirectly.
The number of people directly and indirectly supervised may be included, as well as department budgets and payrolls. The work-performed section of managerial job descriptions, like that of non-managerial job descriptions, includes the major tasks, but gives special attention to organization objectives. Writers of managerial job descriptions need to remember that “is responsible for” does not tell the reader what the manager does.
Meaning of Job Description – With Guidelines for Developing an Effective Job Description
A Job Description (JD) is a written statement of what the job holder does how it is done, under what conditions it is done and why it is done. It describes what the job is all about, throwing light on job content, environment and conditions of employment. It is descriptive in nature and defines the purpose and scope of a job.
It is a statement of duties, tasks and activities of a position. It elucidates the primary and secondary activities of a position. It also presents the reporting relationship and also the conditions under which the position holder should work. (For example, desk job, lot of traveling involved, always on the field, etc.). The main purpose of writing a Job Description is to differentiate the job from other jobs and state its outer limits.
An accurate job description, composed with clarify and brevity and based on the careful analysis of the tasks performed, is essential not only for the staffing process but for job evaluation and the full range of Human Resources functions. Without job description as a guideline, interviewing job candidates would be difficult selecting the right person would be a gamble.
Performance appraisals would be more guess work, evaluations for promotions would be subject to personal rather than professional considerations, selecting for training would be haphazard, and comparison structure might be invalid.
Guidelines for Job Description:
The following guidelines can be presented for developing an effective job description:
1. The JD should indicate the nature and scope of the job, including all important relationships.
2. It should be brief, factual and precise and provide a clear picture of the job.
3. It should indicate- (a) kind of the work (b) the degree of complexity associated with the job (c) the skills required for the job (d) the extent to which problems are standardized (e) the degree and type of accountability.
4. The extent of supervision available.
5. The reporting relationships should be clearly indicated.
Meaning of Job Description
On the basis of job analysis job description are prepared. Job description is nothing but a written summaries of the basic tasks, associated with a particular job. They are called as position description. The written summaries covers one or two pages long. They are prepared on the basis of information collected by job analysis. They describe an employee’s qualification, its performance on job and even its temporary assignments.
Job descriptions are well written duty statements, which accurately describe what is being done on a job. It helps the employees for better understanding their jobs or for better performance of job. It also clarifies work functions of the organisation and reporting relationships.
As job description is written duty statement, it focuses on primary duties and responsibilities of the position and not incidental duties. Each duty statement is an identifiable aspect of the work assignment. It is precisely written and is outcome based, allowing for performing the duty.
What to Include in a Job Description:
An effective job description details the primary functions of the job, how the tasks will be carried out, and the necessary skills needed to perform the job. It should anticipate employee growth and potential problems with misunderstanding. That is, a job description is not just an analysis of the position; it should also address potential questions about the position in the future.
A job description should include the following:
i. Job Title- Clarifies the position, job title, and rank or level.
ii. Salary Range- Lists starting salary, mid-range, and high (maximum) salary for the position including information about how employees may be eligible for additional compensation (i.e., sales commissions, performance bonuses, annual raises, etc.).
iii. Statement of Purpose and Objectives- A general statement, summarizing in three or four sentences, the purpose or objective of the position.
iv. Job Description- Contains detailed list of specific duties and tasks in their order of significance (the most important duties should appear at the top of the list). This list should cover every activity that will take 5% or more of the employee’s time and include any accountability the employee may have for meeting certain objectives.
v. Description of Reporting Structure- This section provides a detailed description of any and all roles the employee will hold. This should include their own supervisory roles (in any) as well as who they are subordinate to directly and indirectly. If the employee is to work with other employees or departments include that information as well.
It is helpful to include a corporate organizational flow chart that depicts all positions in the company and their hierarchy.
vi. Experience and Skills- Be as specific as possible when detailing the experience and skills required to perform the job, For example, if the position requires the use of a computer, list the type of software or hardware used to perform the job?
vii. Description of Ideal Candidate- Detail other strengths needed to perform the job such as “ability to work with tight deadlines and multiple bosses.”
viii. Work Location and Schedule- List the physical location of the job, the days and hours of the position, and include any potential overtime that may be required to perform the job.
Meaning of Job Description – According to Flippo, Pigors and Myers and W. Cuming
Job description is the immediate product of job analysis process. In the words of Flippo, “The first and immediate product of job analysis is the job description. As its title indicates, this document is basically descriptive in nature and constitutes a record of existing and pertinent job facts.”
Pigors and Myers describe job description as a “word picture” (in writing) and say that “it is the culmination of a process which includes collecting, verifying, and correcting information about job elements and tasks (job contents).”
According to them, “Job description is a word picture in writing of the duties, responsibilities and organizational relationships that constitute a given job or position. It defines continuing work assignment and a scope of responsibility that are sufficiently different from those of other jobs to warrant a specific title.”
In the words of Maurice W. Cuming, “Job description is a broad statement of the purpose, scope, duties and responsibilities of a particular job.”
Job description should not be confused with “performance assessment.” Basic focus of job description is on such functions as planning, coordinating, and assigning responsibilities; whereas performance assessment concentrates on the quality of performance itself. Job description aids significantly in establishing assessment standards and objectives. It gives a clear idea of the work that must be done to meet the demands of the job.
Meaning of Job Description – What do you Mean by Job Description?
Job description refers to the sub-total of findings of the job analysis written in a properly organised form. Yoder defines job description as the “systematic summaries of information gained from notes taken and recorded in the job-analysis process”.
Generally information provided by the job-analysis is first recorded in the ‘Job summary’ i.e. the notes prepared by the job-analysis. Then this information is arranged in the uniform order. Information extracted from such notes taken in the process of job analysis and written up in a systematic manner is called job-description.
Job description describes the nature of the work to be performed, the responsibilities involved, the skill or training required, conditions under which the job is to be done, relationships with other jobs and personal requirements.
A job description is a written statement of what the job holder does, how it is done, under what conditions it is done and why it is done. It describes what the job is all about, throwing light on job content, environment and conditions of employment. It is descriptive in nature and defines the purpose and scope of a job.
Job descriptions, as a management tool simplify an organisation’s human resource management function. Role specificity and clarity are provided in job description. It clarifies work content and helps employee to perform their work better.
It brings valuable information about selection procedures, training programmes and performance appraisal and pay determination of employee from job analysis. An important advantage of job description is that, as it is a written duty statements, it focuses on primary duties and responsibility of the position. Cost effectiveness and time management at work are the two important considerations in a job description exercise.
Job descriptions help in maintaining a consistent salary structure. It leads to job evaluation, which is used specifically for compensation administration. On the basis of job description work study and method study are applied. Procedural improvement and procedural reform can be easily identified on job description.
Any effect of procedural innovation is examined easily. The worker also rewarded for successful innovation or change. Its focus is on job outcomes, which makes job description a result-oriented exercise.
Meaning of Job Description
A job description is a written statement of the duties, responsibilities, required qualifications, and reporting relationships of a particular job. The job description is based on objective information obtained through job analysis, an understanding of the competencies and skills required to accomplish needed tasks, and the needs of the organization to produce work.
The job description clearly identifies and spells out the responsibilities of a specific job. The job description also includes information about working conditions, tools, equipment used, knowledge, and skills needed, and relationships with other positions.
Job descriptions provide an opportunity to clearly communicate the vision and direction of the organization and where the employee fits in the broad picture. Whether you are a small business or a large, multi-location organization, well-written job descriptions will help you align employee direction.
Alignment of the people you employ with your goals, vision, and mission spells success for one’s organization. As a leader, you assure the inter- functioning of all the different positions and roles needed to get the job done for the customer.
Job descriptions set clear expectations for what you expect from people. Ferdinand Fournies in Why Employees Don’t Do What They’re Supposed to Do and What To Do About It (1999) says you need to ensure that they clearly understand your expectations. This understanding starts with the job description.
Job descriptions help you clarify all your legal bases. You will want to ensure that the description of the physical requirements of the job is accurate. Whether you are recruiting new employees or posting jobs for internal applicants, job description tells the candidates exactly what you are looking for in them.
A clear job description helps you select the appropriate candidate and respond to the queries of those who were not selected.
A well-written job description helps the existing employees understand the extent and limits of the new incumbent’s responsibilities. People who have been involved in the hiring process are more likely to support the success of the new employee or promoted co-worker. Developing job descriptions is an easy way to involve people in your organization’s success.
Meaning of Job Description
In day-to-day practice, it is rather very difficult to make use of the comprehensive and detailed information gathered from job analysis. It is, therefore, desirable to have relevant information obtained from job analysis in a precise and summary form which could be used in a convenient manner.
This task is achieved through “job description”. In the words of Paul Pigors and Charles A. Myers, job description is “a word picture (in writing) of the organisational relationships, responsibilities and specific duties that constitute a given job or a position. It defines a scope of responsibility and continuing work assignments that are sufficiently different from those of other jobs to warrant a specific title.”
Job description is a statement or a narrative documenting the job title, job location, the task to be performed, functions, duties and responsibilities of the incumbent, the working conditions specifying the job hazards.
It provides a detailed description of how the job is to be performed, the sequence of activities, relationship with other jobs, materials and machines to be used for performing the job and the extent of supervision given and received. According to Edwin B. Flippo, “job description is an organized factual statement of duties and responsibilities of a specific job.”
It is, thus, the organised and systematic summary of the most important features of a job in terms of general nature of the work performed and the types of workers required to perform it in an effective manner. More precisely, job description may be defined as a written and summarised statement of the findings of job analysis relating to what the worker does, how he works, under what physical conditions the job is performed, and the knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the job satisfactorily.
More specifically, job description contains concise information as to both – (i) the nature of work involved and (ii) the type of worker required to perform it.
Generally, the information in respect of the type of worker required to perform a job is systematically laid down in job specification.
Advantages of Job Analysis and Job Description:
Information obtained through job analysis and contents of job description are useful in various fields of human resource management, including HR planning and forecasting, recruitment and selection, training and development, performance appraisal, adjustment of workforce, compensation, setting of production standards and establishment of harmonious employee relations.
Some of the specific advantages of job analysis and job description are as follows:
(1) They are helpful in the determination of manpower requirements of an organisation on a scientific basis.
(2) They are helpful to the HR professionals in recruitment and selection by enabling them in putting the right man on the right job.
(3) They provide useful information needed for ascertaining the nature and extent of training required and also for installing an appropriate training programme.
(4) They are also of considerable help in determining the worth of a job in terms of money, and in the establishment of a suitable compensation plan.
(5) Information available from job description can be used in avoiding overlapping of authority.
(6) They are also useful in the formulation and implementation of an effective performance appraisal programme.
(7) They are conducive to the establishment of harmonious employee and industrial relations, especially when workers’ representatives are associated with the conduct of job analysis.
(8) They are also helpful in appropriate adjustment of workforce by way of promotions and transfers as and when needed.
In view of its obvious advantages, job analysis is considered the primary tool in human resource management.
Meaning of Job Description
A job description may also be understood as a list of general tasks, or functions, and responsibilities of a position. It may include to whom the position reports, specifications such as the qualifications or skills needed by the person in the job, and a salary range. Job descriptions are usually narrative, but some may comprise of a simple list of competencies; for instance, strategic human resource planning methodologies may be used to develop competency architecture for an organization, from which job descriptions are built.
Meaning and Explanation:
To present properly the lot of information gathered by job analysis in a manner that will help in selection of employees is job description. In short, it is the concise form of job analysis.
The following information is given in job description:
1. Title of the job.
2. Description of the job in brief.
3. Functions of the job.
4. The instruments, machines and tools used for the job.
5. The working conditions, (i.e., lighting, temperature, ventilation, etc.)
6. Training necessary for the job and facilities of the training.
7. The interrelationship of this job with other jobs. (From which position can a person be promoted to this position and the position where employee can be promoted from this job)?
8. What are the requirements for the performance of the job-
(a) Physical qualities,
(b) Intellectual qualities,
(c) Experience.
9. What salary is paid for the job?
The immediate outcome of job analysis is job description. It is essentially an organised, factual statement of the duties and responsibilities of a specific job.
The facts must be so organised that it gives the following information:
(i) Identification of the job.
(ii) Summary of the job.
(iii) Details of the duties to be performed.
(iv) The extent of the supervision allowed.
(v) Its relation with other jobs.
(vi) The working procedure.
(vii) The nature of tools, machines and materials to be handled.
(viii) Working conditions.
Meaning of Job Description
Job Description is a written record of the duties, responsibilities and requirements of a particular job. It is “concerned with the job itself and not with the work.” It is a statement describing the job in such terms as its title, location, duties, working conditions and hazards. In other words, it tells us ‘what is to be done’ and ‘how it is to be done’ and ‘why.’ It is a standard of function, in that it defines the appropriate and authorized contents of a job.
“Job description” is an important document which is basically descriptive in nature and contains a statement of job analysis. It provides both organisational information (location in structure, authority, etc.) and functional information (what the work is). It defines the scope of job activities, major responsibilities, and positioning of the job in the organisation. It provides the worker, analyst, and supervisor with a clear idea of what the worker must do to meet the demands of the job.
“Job description” is different from “performance assessment.” The former concerns such functions as planning, co-coordinating, and assigning responsibility; while the latter concerns the quality of performance itself.
Though job description is not assessment, it provides an important basis for establishing assessment standards and objectives. Job Description describe ‘jobs,’ not ‘jobholders.’ The movement of employees due to promotion, quits, etc. would create instability to job descriptions if people rather than jobs are described.
Definition of Job Description:
Job description is an important document that is descriptive in nature. It contains a statement of job analysis. It provides both organizational information such as location in structure, authority, etc., and functional information (what the work is).
It defines the scope of job activities, major responsibilities, and positioning of the job in the organization. It provides the worker, analyst, and supervisor with a clear idea of what the worker must do to meet the demands of the job.
Job description describes the jobs, and not the job holders. According to Edwin B. Flippo, “The first and immediate product of the job analysis is the job description. As its title indicates, this document is basically descriptive in nature and constitutes a record of existing and pertinent job facts.”
According to Torrington, “a job description is usually developed by conducting a job analysis, which includes examining the tasks and sequences of tasks necessary to perform the job. The analysis considers the areas of knowledge and skills needed for the job. A job usually includes several roles.”
According to Hall, “the job description might be broadened to form a person specification or may be known as “Terms of Reference”. The person/job specification can be presented as a stand-alone document, but in practice it is usually included within the job description”.