Are you tired of hiring people who look great on paper but just don’t fit your organization? Does it seem like you can never find the right candidate for the job? Did you ever stop and think why you are attracting the wrong candidates?
When posting a new position in your business, you may consider quickly posting a short and vague job description in order to start the process as soon as possible. Your job descriptions deserves a lot more attention that a 5-minute blanket statement. A properly written job description is of utmost concern to the employer and the potential employee. Job descriptions are the first step in attracting and retaining the best talent for your company and should accurately specify essential job functions; the knowledge, skills and abilities required of the position; as well as the physical/environment conditions of the job.
Job descriptions serve the company AND employees in a variety of ways:
- Recruiting/Interviewing: When you have a properly written, accurate job description it makes your recruiting and interviewing process a heck of a lot easier. Not only does this save you time, but it saves job seekers time.
- Defining expectations: A more encompassing job description should set expectations and responsibilities rather than tasks. This helps them to focus on the end result rather than job duties.
- Performance evaluations: Gives you criteria for the performance of the employee to be measured against, which should ultimately focus as mentioned previously, on the end result.
- Performance corrections: If the employee is beginning to deviate from the desired performance, corrections assist the employee in getting back on track. (Hint: it is advised that you do this throughout the year, and not just at an annual review.)
- Workers’ compensation/disability – return to work programs: By providing an accurate description of the work environment and duties required, it provides a defense to claims of employment discrimination when hiring. Worker’s compensation and return to work programs should be addressed when employees are to be hired.
- Terminations: Provided that the employee is unable to meet guidelines set in the job description, termination may be the only solution left after performance corrections have failed. Make sure that termination is purely business-related and is non-discriminatory.
Know you need more help but don’t know where to go next? Contact us by September 3 about your recruitment plan and you’ll receive a free job description template.
