Job Descriptions in HR Strategy

Essay text:

It's not the job itself. That's a fine but important distinction, particularly in a startup, where the actual responsibilities of a given job are likely to shift like the sands of the Sahara. Nevertheless, by carefully creating and maintaining job descriptions, you can track changes in your organization and the development of your people, and identify what staff needs you must meet to achieve your overall goals. What the EEOC Wants The EEOC wants job descriptions to identify the essential functions of a job. There are a number of functions that can be considered essential to a given job, among them: ? Functions specific to the position (for example, the person is hired to write press releases, so writing press releases is an essential function) ? Functions that other employees could or do perform, but don't have the time to perform to the level you require (for example, responding to customer e-mails is an essential function even though there are two other people in the customer service department, because the two others have many other responsibilities) ? Specialized functions that require specific ability (for example, the position requires expertise in XML, so knowledge of XML is an essential function) In assessing whether or not a function is essential, consider how much time the person will spend on that function, the availability of others to fill in to perform that function, and your own judgment...