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Chapter 2. Using the job descriptions

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Building from Chapter 1, Creating Job Descriptions, this chapter will explain how you can use the job descriptions as a tool to:

Evaluate employee performance;
Identify your employees’ training needs;
Hire employees; and
Help establish pay rates between two or more positions by comparing factors such as responsibilities, workloads and the relative value to the organization

We have included in Annex 2 a number of sample templates to use as a guide to help you integrate some of these HR management activities in your organization.

A. Using job descriptions to evaluate employee performance

Creating detailed job descriptions can help in clearly communicating the work objectives you want your employees to achieve. By evaluating your employees, you can also more easily:

identify key performers for promotion or those ready for a new challenge within the company;
provide supportive documentation to acknowledge employee contributions or areas for improvement;
evaluate employee progress after training, and identify any remaining gaps; and
create a stronger bond between the organization and the employees, especially if employees are invited to take part in setting their expected level of performance and in rating the quality of their work.

Listed below is an example of steps to follow to illustrate how you can use your job descriptions to evaluate your employees.

Step 1. From the job description, list the duties you want to evaluate;

Step 2. Describe the level of performance that is expected in ways that can be measured (quality or quantity of work performed) for each of the duties;

Step 3. Make the timing of evaluation clear: annual, monthly or other;

Step 4. Provide concrete feedback to your employees. A simple rating scale such as “did not meet objectives”, “met objectives” and “surpassed objectives” may be used.

Step 5. Suggest specific ways in which the employee could improve. This could include on-the-job training, certification or change of behaviour.

Step 6. If your employees regularly exceed their work objectives, discuss with them other types of work they might be interested in or qualified for to ensure they continue to be motivated and challenged. This can help your company grow and prosper.

Template 2.2 in Annex 2 provides a sample of an evaluation form you can adapt to fit your particular needs.

B. Using job descriptions to identify your employees’ training needs

Many business challenges such as the introduction of new technology, or increased business competition, can be more easily met when employees are well prepared and trained to have the required skills.

With detailed job descriptions, you can compare the actual tasks of employees to what needs to be done within the organization. This helps you easily identify critical areas that need to be addressed, ensuring you have a global view of your organization’s strengths and weaknesses and, at the same time, a detailed view of each employee’s areas of strengths and areas for improvement or change.

Also, training your employees can help create stronger bonds between the organization and employees, helping you retain staff. Other reasons why training your employees may benefit your business in the long run include:

Technological change: When job requirements change due to the introduction of new technology, comparing the position’s current job description to new requirements can help identify skills gaps and identify the learning and training needs of employees, ensuring a smoother transition to the effective use of new technology.
Succession planning: By using the job descriptions to identify the employment requirements of positions critical to the success of the organization, a manager can more easily identify the skills required by other employees should the vital position become vacant.
Continuous improvement and innovation: Organizations need to be constantly aware of new developments taking place in their field of business. A company that identifies and supports the skills development of its employees which has been matched against current and anticipated needs, is a company that increases its chances of not falling behind competitors.

The sample template used to evaluate your employees (i.e. Template 2.2) can also be used in helping determine their training needs.

C. Using job descriptions to hire employees

With the specific information contained in the job description (such as functions and duties, qualifications, education, experience and personality suitability), the recruitment process can be done more easily and more effectively since all the information required for the position to be filled is already available and, most importantly, already “thought-through”.

The information found in a job description can help you draft a detailed job posting that can include:

the title of the job (what you plan to call the position);
a summary of the job description;
the employment requirements (e.g. education, training, qualifications and skills) you are looking for the candidate to possess at entry level and, possibly, those that will need to be acquired; and
the conditions of employment (e.g. full time or part time, shift work, working with hazardous material).

In Annex 2, Template 2.3, you will find the different information you can include in a detailed job posting. We have also provided you with an example of what a job ad on jobbank.gc.ca looks like.

D. Using job descriptions to help establish pay rates between two or more positions by comparing workloads and their value to the organization

Job descriptions can help you establish pay rates between positions that seem to be similar, based on the requirements you select. These requirements can include: duties, experience, specific knowledge, certification, evaluation results or client reviews.

Template 2.4 in Annex 2 is provided as an example to assist you in comparing positions to establish pay rates, inviting you to assign to each duty and role a value according to difficulty, responsibility and the impact of this position on the success of the organization. Again, feel free to adapt it to better fit your precise business needs.

There is no scientific or precise way of deciding exactly what a particular job is worth to a company. Your judgment and what competitors offer for a similar position are key factors to consider when trying to put a dollar value on the work that is taking place in your organization.

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