Do you have position descriptions?

Human resource is the most important asset of any company (howsoever automated it may be). Getting the best from the workforce is one of the leading objectives of top management to achieve organizational efficient. Position description is one of the most important tools for human resource management. It forms the basis of individual performance evaluation and gives a clear and concise description of what is expected of an employee.

A Position description is a one of the important document in the professional field of expertise. Every well managed and streamlined company would have it. However if you don’t have position descriptions in place in your business, then its high time that you should have one. Here are the reasons why you should have one.

Position Description (P.D):

It can be defined as the written charter for assigning the responsibilities to the employee on a certain job and the output and expectations attached with the job performance.

P.D is normally written or assigned by the higher authorities of the organization to the lower lying staff. It is an official document that is usually signed by the employee. Moreover it can also be considered as kind of paper referring to the terms and condition required by a specific work task. An employee is expected to keep it in mind as a guideline for discharging his duties. It exactly defines his/role in the overall ambit of the organization and what all is expected from him/her to achieve the organizational goals and targets. You can’t expect an employee to know what they should be doing if you have never clearly set out the expectations.

Importance of Position Descriptions

Position description is considered as an integral part of a contract or job. It is generally of high value to the employee as it defines the employee’s current position and area of work in the company, it tells him of his expected duties, figuring out the problems and solution of a particular hurdle. It requires him to synchronize the other junior staff in accordance to the P.D. Some of the pronounced benefits of having Position descriptions are ;

1. Synchronization. Position description ensures staff and employee match the policies of the organization. It creates a linkage between the work ethics, employee and the company. It keeps the employees on a right track in a job agreement and creates a harmony between staff function and company policies related to workplace.
2. Interviews and Job Description. Position descriptions can play an integral role in recruiting new staff, both for aspiring applicants and the recruiting staff. Once publicized, the applicants would know the exact requirements and qualifications for a job. On the flip side, recruiting staff would know exactly what they would be looking for in applicants. Hiring gets easier as the employees get a clear vision and understanding of they would be required to do in a certain field related to the job. A win-win situation for all sides.
3. Job Management. When it comes to managing a job , P.D helps both the employee and the employer. The employee doesn’t have to enquire regarding the actual work requirements from his higher supervisor. With pre-decided charter it saves precious supervisory and coaching/guidance time and resources for all concerned. Established work ethics and workplace rules, in form of PD helps in generating positive workplace environment, making it easier for the employee to work in better atmosphere with enhanced efficiency. It also helps in reducing workplace frictions by performance oriented defined individual objectives where role of each employee is defined by top management policy rather than leaving it to whimsical implementation by supervisory staff.
4. Complete Oversight- When a newly recruited employee starts working on assigned project, he/she in unaware of the requirements associated with the job. The employee is not in a position to perceive the demands and objectives of the project; he/she needs to be briefed about his duties. This briefing can be oral or as in most cases, written in form of PD. Therefore, a position description normally gives an employee complete oversight of the job expected, a kind of manual of the project.

The Last Word

A position description is a vital document for establishing a good employee and employer relationship, creating professional workplace environment and efficient functioning of a business. It indirectly contributes to running a business smoothly and meeting the organizational goals / objectives. So if your business still hasn’t got them, get them now.

Fresh HR Insights PTY Ltd have been developing comprehensive PD’d for our clients – need one? Call us today on 1300 332 322