Give Your Employees the Road Map They Need So You Can Succeed

With limited payroll dollars to work with, you can’t afford mediocre job performance from your employees. Below standard performance is unacceptable in a tight economy and without clear guidelines, your employees may never hit the mark. You need top performers in your circle along with the ability to measure what they are doing and how their performance affects your bottom line. Many factors can dictate how effective an employee’s performance will be but if you fail to set clear guidelines as to what your expectations are, you are guaranteed to have “C” level employees instead of “A” list performers.

Employees want to know what their job is and what your expectations of their performance are. Additionally, they should know what your company values are, where you are going as a business and how they fit into the picture. A simple Job Description can be the road map for your employees to perform at their optimum level and help take you where you want to go with your business. It can also help separate the wheat from the chaff and give you the freedom and confidence to make tough employment decisions when you’re facing a difficult termination.

A good Job Description should describe the mission and values your company espouses. It should document basic information such as start date, exempt or non-exempt status, hourly or salary, pay rate and job title. Detailing all the particulars of a position will avoid ambiguity and provide the measurement by which employee performance can be compared.

Effective Job Descriptions should be designed to provide you, your managers and your employees a clear understanding of how each job fits into your overall operations, and how it contributes to the achievement of your company’s mission.

Job Description Components

Following is a quick look at the categories that make up a well-written job description:

• Title of the position
• Department/Division
• Salary or hourly
• Exempt of non-exempt
• Rate of pay
• Overall responsibility
• Key areas of responsibility
• Measurable performance expectations
• Reports to whom
• Consults with whom
• Qualifications required
• Company mission and values

A Job Description should be presented as part of a Job Offer to new employees or can be developed at any time for existing employees. They should be analyzed, updated and discussed with employees on a regular basis or when the job requirements change. Job descriptions provide clear and comprehensive written recruiting guidelines and clarify performance expectations, which can help you attract the right employee and retain the best performers.

Job Descriptions as a Legal Defense

Getting Started

It should be clear, wasting time managing poor performance will drain your profit and distract you from the efficient operation of your business. Don’t delay this important part of being an employer because it sounds complicated or seems like your company is too small. No company is too small to develop accurate Job Descriptions for their employees. This simple task will benefit you, the employees and the future of your business.

Champion Employer Services offers Job Description advice and assistance as part of its HR Outsourcing program. Contact Champion today for more information.