Do you maintain job descriptions for your employees?  Have you been thinking about it?  While there are no legal requirements that employers create job descriptions, there are many reasons you may want to consider this project:

• Helps you in your recruiting efforts - from putting your ads together, to explaining the job tasks and requirements to potential candidates.
• Assigns work and documents work assignments – while tasks can change and job descriptions in some businesses are constantly being changed, it forces managers to keep them current by documenting current job assignments and communicating the content.
• Key in performance management process – they become very useful when coaching employees who aren’t doing their jobs; and when praising those who are doing excellent jobs. 
• Encourages training and employee and career development – for those employees with more drive, they can pursue other jobs and gain the knowledge, skills and abilities required to meet job qualifications.
• Maintains essential function analysis, allows for exploring reasonable accommodations – if you do have job descriptions, it is important to cover essential functions to comply with the provisions of the ADA.
• Assists in assigning job titles, pay grades, overtime eligibility – helps employers identify proper title, allows them to compare to market salary survey date, and identify correct FLSA status for overtime requirements.

If you decide to take on this project, there are many different job description templates you can utilize.  The basic components in most job descriptions include:

• Title, job grade, FLSA status (exempt or non-exempt), reporting relationship
• Job Summary – a brief description that summarizes the overall purpose and objectives of the position, the results the worker is expected to accomplish and the degree of freedom to act.
• Essential Duties and Responsibilities – the tasks, duties, responsibilities of the position that are most important to get the job done. 
• Supervisory Responsibilities – the scope of the person’s authority, including a list of jobs that report to the incumbent.
• Qualifications – the minimum knowledge, skills and abilities required to be qualified for the position, including education, experience, training, licenses, etc.
• Work Environment – the environment in which the job is performed, especially any unique conditions outside normal office environment.
• Physical Demands – what physical demands/efforts are required to do the job – be sure to carefully draft this language to not be prejudicial to qualified persons with disabilities.