STARTUPS: HOW TO WRITE A JOB DESCRIPTION DOCUMENT

It states why the role exists and what contribution the holder is expected to make to the organization. This is a dynamic document which should be reviewed regularly as the company and job roles change and new performance targets are agreed.

As startups, it is always difficult to develop business documents, this is credited to the lack of experience in the field. Today we will show you how to write a job description document. The job description document is ideally defines the scope, responsibilities and accountabilities of employees in any organization. It states why the role exists and what contribution the holder is expected to make to the organization. This is a dynamic document which should be reviewed regularly as the company and job roles change and new performance targets are agreed.

At its most basic these are the fields that should be included;-

Job Title:

Current job holder: Name

Department:

Reports to: job title of their line manager

Direct reports managed: who reports to them

Purpose of job: this should be a couple of sentences that summarizes the unique role, and how it contributes to organizational objectives.

Responsibilities: list the main requirements of the job

Key performance targets: list the Key areas where results must be achieved. Include standards of performance.

Think SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic. Time bound)

Agreed :Jobholder …………………………… date ………………………………
Agreed :manager …………………………… date ………………………………
Review date ……………………………………….

The responsibilities section will list everything the jobholder is expected to carry out. The best style is to begin with an action verb, and use the present tense. For example “Handles all incoming emails to the customer service account”. It is important to distinguish between tasks the jobholder will carry out, and those they have responsibility for. E.g.“Select a range of merchandise for sale in xyz to achieve budgeted sales and other KPI’s” or “Ensure contracts with suppliers are placed in a timely fashion” Standards of performance should also be included where possible, such as “in a timely fashion “and “to achieve budgeted sales and other KPI’s” like above. If you need any help developing a business description for your company, you can contact us.