Job Description Guide
Writing the perfect job description is the first step to hiring the best candidate for your organization. That's why a SHRM membership provides access to more than 1,000 job description templates to assist your hiring process.
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What is a Job Description?
A job description outlines the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a position. It provides a clear reference for both employees and managers to gauge job performance and clarify expectations.
Job descriptions are also recruitment tools that clarify role purpose, establish titles and pay grades, and create reasonable accommodation controls.
How to Write a Job Description
- Determine the Needs and Requirements for the Role: Interview existing employees about the knowledge, skills, abilities, physical characteristics, environmental factors and credentials/experience needed for the role. Reference other resources like salary surveys and the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
- Define Essential Functions: To aid in evaluating Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation requests, define which tasks are a requirement, the frequency of tasks, consequences of not performing tasks, alternate methods of performing tasks, and potential for task reassignment.
- Create the Job Description Structure: Aim to standardize the structure of your job description within your company. Include standard components like job title, salary, functions, and more.
- Add Disclaimer & Signature Lines: Add a disclaimer statement stating that other duties may be assigned without notice and a signature line for the employee and supervisor.
- Submit for Feedback & Approval: From upper managment and the position supervisor
For a more detailed guide on creating an effective job description, view SHRM's job description how-to-guide.
This step-by-step guide outlines the considerations and process for creating a job description optimized for recruiting and ongoing measurement, with specific focus on all of the standard components to include.
This toolkit explores how job analysis can pinpoint necessary knowledge, skills, and expertise for job performance, establish selection and promotion criteria, design training objectives, set performance measurement standards, and aid in determining pay levels.
Learn how to conduct effective candidate interviews, with information about various methods, legal considerations, preparatory steps, proper questioning techniques, legal compliance, and post-interview procedures for both interviewers and candidates.
Popular Job Descriptions
This role will lead and direct the routine functions of the HR department including hiring and interviewing staff, administering pay, benefits, and leave, and enforcing company policies and practices.
This role will run the daily functions of the HR department including hiring and interviewing staff, administering pay, benefits, and leave, and enforcing company policies and practices.
This role will research, develop, and implement effective recruiting and staffing strategies to attract a diverse pool of qualified and capable talent for the organization.
Use this template as a guideline to create your own job description. It includes standard fields such as title, departement, job summary and more.