A job description provides information on the added value of a job to the organization. A good job description is an excellent tool of communication between manager and direct reports to manage expectations of the organization and its employees.
A job description does not describe what the incumbent is doing, but what added value is expected from an organizational point of view. When jobs are described based on the expectations of the organization, a logical relationship between the government's and departments' business plans and the job is created.
Job descriptions are a worthwhile investment as they show how the goals of the organization are translated into individual jobs. Used this way, they clarify expected end results and provide a communication tool between manager and direct reports.
A good job description serves multi purposes:
Output Orientation
In many organizations, job descriptions are task oriented. They sum up all tasks that the incumbent of the job has to accomplish. The new job descriptions will be result oriented, as they give more direction to the jobholder as to what kinds of results are expected.
For a Court Administrator for instance, the following illustrates an output of the job description (responsibility) showing what he or she has to do, within what context, and what the end result will be.
What Within End Result Fulfill judiciary function Legislation Compliance in the administration of justice Core Activities
- Act as Clerk of the Provincial Court of Alberta
- Act as Clerk of the Court of Queen's Bench
- Act as Sheriff
- Act as Justice of the Peace
Focus on Core Contribution
It is not unusual for job descriptions to provide a very detailed level of information on all the different aspects of the job, resulting in relatively long and difficult to read descriptions. Alternatively, we will focus on the core contribution of the job, resulting in a shorter and more focused job description. It is the core elements of the job that are really relevant for performance assessment, recruitment, job evaluation and people development. The advantage of this approach is not only the decreased length of the job description, but an easier insight to the real contribution of the job to the organization. This approach requires that non-core elements be left out of the description although the jobholder is still accountable for these elements. When the focus is on core elements, normally 80-90% of the job is covered by the job description.
Many incumbents think that there is a direct relationship between the length of the job description and job size. This has resulted in job descriptions of over 10 pages. The assumption is wrong. It is not the length of the job description, but the quality of its information that determines its usefulness for job evaluation purposes. The longer the job description, the more difficult it is to distinguish between core and non-core elements.
This paragraph provides an overview of the elements of the job description.
Identification
To identify jobs properly for systems and record purposes, specific identification information is required (position number, working title, name, division, branch/unit and date).
Purpose
This gives insight as to what the job is responsible for and within what context (why does this job exist?). As each job has a purpose, this element tries to give a brief summary of the job, covering the main responsibilities, the framework within which the job has to operate and the main contribution to the organization.
Responsibilities and Activities
This is the most important part of the job description from a job evaluation perspective. The purpose of the job can be broken down into different responsibilities/end results. Normally a job has 4-8 core end results, each of which shows what the job is accountable for, within what framework, and what the added value is. For each end result approximately 3 major activities should be described.
Scope
While purpose and end results provide information on job content, scope addresses the need for some specific data illustrating what area(s) the job impacts and defining the complexity, diversity, and creativity of the job.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
After focusing on the output of the job (responsibilities/end results), the next element of a job description requires a focus on the input needed for the job: knowledge about practical procedures, specialized techniques, etc., analytical and conceptual skills and abilities, and skills needed for direct interaction with others.
The following chart illustrates the steps to follow in building a job description. It is a progression that starts with defining activities, up to responsibilities, and ultimately to the purpose of the job.
List all activities that are required in the job. Business plans and/or current job documentation can be used. It is also helpful to discuss the activities with colleagues in the same or similar jobs.
Examples of Activities:
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Normally the activities can be grouped into 4-8 different categories, each covering a responsibility. This avoids overlaps in the job description and helps to clarify what the job is responsible for:
For each end result the challenge is to describe:
The following chart shows two of the responsibilities for a Court Administrator based on the previous list of activities.
Examples of Responsibilities: Responsibility: |
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| What | Within | End Result |
| Organizing | Current plan and mandate | Efficient operation of the Courts |
Activities:
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| Responsibility: | ||
| What | Within | End Result |
| Fulfill judiciary functions | Legislation | Compliance in the administration of justice |
Activities:
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Once the Responsibilities are clear, you have to describe the purpose of the job, giving a summary of the different responsibilities: Again you have to write:
An example of the purpose of the Court Administrator's job, based on the identified responsibilities follows:
Example of Purpose: |
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| What | operation of the Court and daily administration of court services |
| Within | within legislation and current plan and mandate |
| End Result | resulting in compliance in the administration of justice and an efficient Court operation |
Scope is specific information that illustrates what internal or external areas the job impacts, and the diversity and complexity of the job. Some examples are:
Example of Scope:
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Here you should list the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities that are required for the job and not of the incumbent. It is not necessary to provide an extensive list, but a list of the most important knowledge factors, skills and abilities. This includes knowledge about practical procedures, specialized techniques, etc.; analytical and conceptual skills; and skills needed for direct interaction with others. If a specific training is a legal requirement for the job, it should be listed. Other than that, we are asking for information on knowledge, skills and abilities, and not only on diplomas or degrees.
Examples of Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
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Last Review / Update: 2004-06-15