Job Description

Job Description

BUS:303

Human Resources Management

Job Description

When someone owns a business, one of the first departments that are hired for is the human resource department. Human resource plays a critical role in a company when it comes to effectively hiring and selecting, training, implementing policies, managing, and advocating for employees. “The HRM process consists of eight practices or activities whose purposes are to attract, retain, and motivate qualified employees.” (Youssef, C., 2015). Of those eight practices, one of the most important and overlooked one is job description or job analysis. A job description clearly states the essential job requirements that are needed to perform a specific role. But job description goes beyond just a paragraph that shows job requirements, duties, responsibilities, and skills. In the next few paragraphs, I will go into the importance of a job description and how it is all in alignment with the HRM process.

Tasks

Job analysis consists of two distinct types that fall within the inductive perspective, one of which is task-based job analysis. Task-based job analysis is the most used approach which narrows in on duties and responsivities included within the specific job. Within this approach, task, duty, and responsibility are ones that are highlighted. (Youssef, C., 2015,sect. 3.1). Job duties consisting of actions, motion, or movement is known as a task. Duty is an activity that has multiple functions that employees carry out. Lastly, responsibility is the employee’s commitment to follow through with the task and duties pertained to the position they hold.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs)

We live in a world where people differ in all aspects of life. Therefore, when job applicants apply for jobs, companies will notice that all applicants will vary in education, experience, training, physical, mental, and emotional abilities. KSAs are looked at for each job so that in the process of hiring, a company can make sure that the applicant holds the necessary KSAs required to perform the job. These KSAs that have been selected can also be used during assessments such as exams that can help determine the knowledge, skills, and abilities an applicant may have. 

Education requirements

Education is one of the criteria within a job description. Education is essential for both your personal and professional life. Obtaining degrees and furthering your education indicates that you have “the drive and commitment to learn and apply information, ideas, theories, and formulas to achieve a variety of tasks and goals.” (Santiago, 2019). Education is vital and shows the employer that you can learn and develop skills. Which can make you a better candidate for the required job.

Legal components and EEOC

Job descriptions comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The legal elements of a job description based on the FLSA and ADA other equal employment opportunity laws have raised awareness with HR of the importance of job description. According to Youssef (2015), “This practice enables organizations to defend their actions as being business necessities rather than discriminatory practices.” Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces federal law that prohibits discrimination against employees or job applicants. EEOC states that a company cannot harass, deny a reasonable workspace, retaliate or mistreat an employee or applicant unfairly based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.

Assessment methods 

Two selection methods that are universally used by many organizations are resumes and application forms and interviews. “Job applications and resumes are the organization’s initial method of collecting information about potential recruits.” (Youssef, 2012, Section 5.3). Job applications typically contain necessary information such as a home address, work history, and education. Resumes contain similar information but are controlled by the applicant versus the employer. Resumes usually are changeable based on what you are applying to and can be revised to make your resume seem better qualified. Which can “introduces a source of bias and inaccuracy” (Youssef, 2012, Section 5.3). Interviews allow a company to have face to face meet with future employees. Interviews allow for a more accurate evaluation of skills such as communication, interpersonal, and technical and knowledge. (Youssef, 2012). 

When it comes to a job description, everyone has a role, employees, managers, HR management. It is the responsibility of all parties to accurately write, read, and understand accordingly, the criteria put forth in the job description. The importance of a job description is beneficial in all aspects, education, work experience, knowledge, and legal protection to both employee and employer. The job description is the premise of all recruitment, training, performance evaluation, and even compensation. 

References

(n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2019, from https://www.eeoc.gov/employers/.

Santiago, A. C. (2019, October 3). Is Education Really That Important for a Medical Career? Retrieved October 21, 2019, from https://www.verywellhealth.com/why-is-education-so-important-for-success-1736016.

Tyler, K. (2018, April 11). Job Worth Doing: Update Descriptions. Retrieved October 21, 2019, from https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/pages/0113-job-descriptions.aspx.

W, C. (2016). Best Practices and Emerging Trends in Recruitment and Selection. Journal of Entrepreneurship & Organization Management, 05(02). doi: 10.4172/2169-026x.1000173

Youssef, C. (2015). Human resource management (2nd ed.). Retrieved from https://ashford.content.edu