Job Description Essentials

An effective job description establishes a base so that an employee can clearly understand what they need to develop personally, and contribute within your operation. The well-written job description provides employees with clear expectations.

Job Description Categories

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

  • Title or position
  • Department or Unit
  • Reports to
  • Responsibilities
  • Works in conjunction with
  • Terms of employment
  • Qualifications / Skills / Experience

The process of developing a job description helps you articulate the most important skills you need from an employee performing a particular job. A job description is also a communication tool that tells current workers where their job fits into the total operation.

A well-written job description tells an employee where their job fits within the overall department and the overall farm. Well-written job descriptions help employees from other departments or units understand the boundaries of the person’s responsibilities. Finally, the job description is an integral piece of the performance development planning process.

Your goal in hiring is to find the best, most competent, flexible, reliable, multifaceted employee you can find.

Developing a Job Description

Steps in Developing a Job Description:

  • Gather the appropriate people for the writing task.
  • Perform a job analysis. A job analysis should include:
    • Job responsibilities of current employees,
    • Research and sample job descriptions online or offline highlighting similar jobs,
    • Analysis of the work duties, tasks, and responsibilities the position,
    • Articulation of the most important outcomes or contributions needed from the position.

The more information you can gather, the easier the actual writing of the job description will be.

  • Write the job description. These are the normal components of the job description:
    • Overall position description with general areas of responsibility listed,
    • Essential tasks of the job described,
    • Required knowledge, skills, and abilities,
    • Required education and experience,
    • A description of the physical demands, and
    • A description of the work environment.
References and Citations

Swan, M. Creating a Job Description. Fact Sheet 03- 02-02. Pork Information Gateway; 2007.

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