{"id":1683,"date":"2019-10-11T22:04:13","date_gmt":"2019-10-11T22:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-humanresourcesmgmt\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=1683"},"modified":"2024-04-25T01:51:52","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T01:51:52","slug":"job-descriptions-in-small-business","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-humanresourcesmgmt\/chapter\/job-descriptions-in-small-business\/","title":{"raw":"Job Descriptions in Small Business","rendered":"Job Descriptions in Small Business"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Discuss the importance of job descriptions in small business<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<img class=\"alignright wp-image-2508\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4056\/2019\/10\/15192625\/superman-300x199.png\" alt=\"Decorative image.\" width=\"400\" height=\"265\" \/>In a small business, the employees often wear a lot of hats. That\u2019s just how it is! Angela in marketing might hire a new part-time employee, and she might put on her HR hat and collect and file all the paperwork herself. Zane in operations might go out to install a product, then see an opportunity to temporarily be a salesperson and convince an onlooker that he, too, needs that product.\r\n\r\nEmployees often find it enjoyable to step out of their regular roles and try something new, but when small businesses don\u2019t draft job descriptions, when they don\u2019t think through the position and what will constitute their employee\u2019s eight-hour day, it can sometimes spell disaster. Let\u2019s talk about the ways that job descriptions provide a safety net for small business employers.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Hiring the right employee.<\/strong> First and foremost, a small business wants to hire a new employee with skills that fit business needs. Job descriptions should include a thoughtful list of tasks that the small business owner expects to be completed. The list can be researched and cross-checked against similar job descriptions to ensure that the HR professional isn\u2019t out there looking for a \u201cunicorn,\u201d and that employees fitting the description actually exist.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Set clear expectations for the new employee.<\/strong> This may seem obvious, as it\u2019s the major purpose of a job description. Put an employee wearing many hats with a newbie who\u2019s eager to please, and pretty soon the new person is working 80 hours a week and isn\u2019t sure what they\u2019re really supposed to be doing. A job description that sets clear expectations for an employee can help them make choices about the many tasks that come their way.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Defend the business against discrimination charges.<\/strong> The small business owner needs to keep the ADA and discrimination laws in mind when drafting a job description for new employees. The job description can be used to outline \u201cessential functions\u201d for the role, like how much time the employee will spend on her feet or how much weight she needs to be able to lift. Thinking about these qualifications up front can aid a small business employer in making sure a rejection letter isn\u2019t misinterpreted as discrimination, and the job description can provide reference in a court of law to prove that an employee didn\u2019t have skills to perform the job should a discrimination charge be leveled.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Classifying employees as exempt or non-exempt.<\/strong> Job duties should be aligned with FLSA exemptions of the overtime rule. The job description and job title should match the reality of the job. If a high school degree is all that\u2019s necessary for a position, a master\u2019s shouldn\u2019t be required in the description. Putting the job description in writing and offering it up to public consumption allows for an additional level of honesty. This is another way that the HR professional can protect the small business from discrimination suits and overtime claims from employees that shouldn\u2019t be classified as exempt.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Protect the small business from overpayment.<\/strong> Job descriptions allow an HR professional to do salary analysis, matching skills and job duties to their worth in the local job market. Compensation analysis not only saves the small business from overpaying to bring on an employee with the necessary skills, it ensures they don\u2019t undervalue those skills, either. A quality employee comes at market price.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Evaluate employees and help them improve.<\/strong> A job description that sets clear expectations about the tasks to be performed is the basis for employee performance evaluation. When sitting down to talk with an employee about his or her performance, the job description is a reminder of the initial expectations and can be the foundation of that discussion.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nJob descriptions are important for legal reasons as much as they are important for the happiness and overall success of the employee brought into the small business. They can be easily overlooked or dismissed as unnecessary work, but documenting the needs and requirements of a position can help save a small business owner time and money as much as it helps her find a great employee.\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Practice Question<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/b81520ac-8214-4ff9-932d-249ee808ef1e\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Discuss the importance of job descriptions in small business<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-2508\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4056\/2019\/10\/15192625\/superman-300x199.png\" alt=\"Decorative image.\" width=\"400\" height=\"265\" \/>In a small business, the employees often wear a lot of hats. That\u2019s just how it is! Angela in marketing might hire a new part-time employee, and she might put on her HR hat and collect and file all the paperwork herself. Zane in operations might go out to install a product, then see an opportunity to temporarily be a salesperson and convince an onlooker that he, too, needs that product.<\/p>\n<p>Employees often find it enjoyable to step out of their regular roles and try something new, but when small businesses don\u2019t draft job descriptions, when they don\u2019t think through the position and what will constitute their employee\u2019s eight-hour day, it can sometimes spell disaster. Let\u2019s talk about the ways that job descriptions provide a safety net for small business employers.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Hiring the right employee.<\/strong> First and foremost, a small business wants to hire a new employee with skills that fit business needs. Job descriptions should include a thoughtful list of tasks that the small business owner expects to be completed. The list can be researched and cross-checked against similar job descriptions to ensure that the HR professional isn\u2019t out there looking for a \u201cunicorn,\u201d and that employees fitting the description actually exist.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Set clear expectations for the new employee.<\/strong> This may seem obvious, as it\u2019s the major purpose of a job description. Put an employee wearing many hats with a newbie who\u2019s eager to please, and pretty soon the new person is working 80 hours a week and isn\u2019t sure what they\u2019re really supposed to be doing. A job description that sets clear expectations for an employee can help them make choices about the many tasks that come their way.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Defend the business against discrimination charges.<\/strong> The small business owner needs to keep the ADA and discrimination laws in mind when drafting a job description for new employees. The job description can be used to outline \u201cessential functions\u201d for the role, like how much time the employee will spend on her feet or how much weight she needs to be able to lift. Thinking about these qualifications up front can aid a small business employer in making sure a rejection letter isn\u2019t misinterpreted as discrimination, and the job description can provide reference in a court of law to prove that an employee didn\u2019t have skills to perform the job should a discrimination charge be leveled.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Classifying employees as exempt or non-exempt.<\/strong> Job duties should be aligned with FLSA exemptions of the overtime rule. The job description and job title should match the reality of the job. If a high school degree is all that\u2019s necessary for a position, a master\u2019s shouldn\u2019t be required in the description. Putting the job description in writing and offering it up to public consumption allows for an additional level of honesty. This is another way that the HR professional can protect the small business from discrimination suits and overtime claims from employees that shouldn\u2019t be classified as exempt.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Protect the small business from overpayment.<\/strong> Job descriptions allow an HR professional to do salary analysis, matching skills and job duties to their worth in the local job market. Compensation analysis not only saves the small business from overpaying to bring on an employee with the necessary skills, it ensures they don\u2019t undervalue those skills, either. A quality employee comes at market price.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Evaluate employees and help them improve.<\/strong> A job description that sets clear expectations about the tasks to be performed is the basis for employee performance evaluation. When sitting down to talk with an employee about his or her performance, the job description is a reminder of the initial expectations and can be the foundation of that discussion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Job descriptions are important for legal reasons as much as they are important for the happiness and overall success of the employee brought into the small business. They can be easily overlooked or dismissed as unnecessary work, but documenting the needs and requirements of a position can help save a small business owner time and money as much as it helps her find a great employee.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Practice Question<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_b81520ac-8214-4ff9-932d-249ee808ef1e\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/b81520ac-8214-4ff9-932d-249ee808ef1e?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_b81520ac-8214-4ff9-932d-249ee808ef1e\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-1683\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Job Descriptions in Small Business. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Freedom Learning Group. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li><strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Clkr Free Vectors. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Pixabay. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/vectors\/superhero-super-hero-hero-figure-304713\/%20%20%20\">https:\/\/pixabay.com\/vectors\/superhero-super-hero-hero-figure-304713\/%20%20%20<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/about\/cc0\">CC0: No Rights Reserved<\/a><\/em>. <strong>License Terms<\/strong>: Pixabay License<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":17,"menu_order":10,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Job Descriptions in Small Business\",\"author\":\"Freedom Learning Group\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"\",\"author\":\"Clkr Free Vectors\",\"organization\":\"Pixabay\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/vectors\/superhero-super-hero-hero-figure-304713\/   \",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc0\",\"license_terms\":\"Pixabay License\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"5ce41c60-3cc5-40bd-999b-5ea58d6836da, 913f5411-8d11-4db5-a54c-76b48d217900","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-1683","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":1642,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-humanresourcesmgmt\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-humanresourcesmgmt\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-humanresourcesmgmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-humanresourcesmgmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-humanresourcesmgmt\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1683\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3435,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-humanresourcesmgmt\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1683\/revisions\/3435"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-humanresourcesmgmt\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/1642"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-humanresourcesmgmt\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1683\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-humanresourcesmgmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-humanresourcesmgmt\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=1683"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-humanresourcesmgmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=1683"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-humanresourcesmgmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=1683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}