A job description, as the term implies, is a list of essential tasks and responsibilities involved in a particular job. It serves to make clear in the minds of both the employer and the employee just what that employee should be doing and for which he or she is paid. When writing a job description the writer should make sure that he/she is familiar with the day to day nature of the work performed. This is best done by discussing the job with a person who has actually carried it out or is doing so. Using simple language and short sentences avoids any confusion about what is intended. A job description must not contain any discriminatory assumption and should contain information such as the job title, the main purpose of the job, information on workplace relationships (i.e. to whom is the employee responsible and over whom does he/she exercise authority) and the main tasks associated with the job which clearly specifies that it is not an exhaustive list of duties. The job description should be signed and dated by both the employer and employee as a matter of record.
