Part of HR Glossary Series
The first thing we will say on this topic is that a job description is not a job advert and vice-versa! We see it so often that adverts for vacancies on job site are pages long and basically a copy and paste exercise of the full job description. These days, it is highly unlikely that applicants will spend more than 3-4 minutes reading a job advert before pressing the ‘quick apply’ button!
This section focuses on job descriptions (JDs) which typically offer a description of:
- The main accountabilities and duties of the role
- The expected deliverables (tasks)
- The internal structure and where this role fits
- Some JDs also show person specifications (skills and knowledge that are essential to the role)
There are many templates available if you do an online search; in our experience, it works well to keep the structure of a JD as simple as possible:
- Job Dimensions
- Job Purpose
- Job Duties
- Cross-functional duties
- Personal & professional development
- [Any other areas you want every employee to commit to] Example: Equality, Diversity & Inclusion)
Here is what each could include; for the purpose of illustrations, we have used the role of Care Co-ordinator in a medical practice.
Job Dimensions
- Reporting to …
- Number of direct reports
- Any financial/budget responsibility
- Working hours
- Salary bracket
- Job location
Job Purpose
- Two to three bullet points to summarise the level of responsibility of the role and its main objectives. For example: “To provide a high quality and responsive reception service to all patients, acting as the first point of contact”
Job Duties
- Usually these are broken down in different sections. For our example role, they could be: reception duties; admin duties; confidentiality; health & safety.
- Under each, provide five to seven bullet points. Under reception duties, an example could be: “Arrange appointments and book patients in when they arrive, in line with the Practice’s appointment system”
Cross-functional Duties
- These are duties which may not fall directly within the remit of the role, but which you expect every member of staff to help with, as needed.
- An example could be: “Work closely with the Reception Supervisor to ensure the Practice’s Standard Operating Procedures are adhered to at all times.”
Personal & Professional Development
- This section refers to your company’s expectation around the quality of work delivery and performance, which usually applies to everyone.
- An example could be: “Attend regular performance reviews and maintain a record of evidence of your own personal and professional development.”
[Other Dimensions – name it so it is clear]
- There may be certain dimensions working in your organisation which you want to make part of a job description. Most of the time , these will be seen on every JD because they apply across the board, regardless of the role. These dimensions would normally be linked to your company values.
- An example could relate to your commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion. The example could be: Equality and Diversity (as the title) and the bullet point could be: “Act in a way that promotes the rights of patients which is respectful and non-judgemental, and consistent with Practice Policies and Procedures and current legislations.”
Job descriptions are organic and very often become outdated after 12 months. If a role has grown, it would make sense to work with the post holder to review it annually to ensure it is fit for purpose.
Do you feel you or your team would benefit from additional HR training? At OneHR, we provide purposeful training workshops, including one on ‘HR for beginners’. Aimed at anyone in an admin, office manager or junior HR position who deals with employment-related matters, our HR workshop is interactive, with case studies and time for real-life Q&As.
Want to know more? Contact us at: dom@one-hr.co.uk.
