Job Description and Job Specification

Job Description
Job description is a list which containing tasks or functions and responsibility of a position which are to be performed.
Job description is a written statement mentioning the job title, tasks to be performed, duties and responsibilities involved in a job.
It also mentions the working conditions, hazards. Stress and other problems involved in a job and the relationship with other jobs.
Flippo, A job description is an organised, factual statement of duties and responsibilities of a specific job.In brief, it should tell what is to be done, how it is done, and why.It is a standard of function, in that it defines the appropriate and authorized content of a job.

Job Description must contain the following information.

• Job title, code number,department/division.
• Job contents in terms of activities or task performed.
• Job responsibilities to perform effectively.
• Working conditions specifying specific hazards.
• Social environment at the workplace.
• Tools and equipments required.
• Extent of supervision given and received.
• Relationship with other jobs-vertical, horizontal and diagonal.

Advantages of Job Description

• It is used to recruit and select employees in the organisation with their orientation and placement.
• It helps in crafting, training and development needs of a particular employee and developing career path.
• It plays a major role in evaluating the performance of the employee and helps in taking the decision related to promotion and transfer in an organisation.
• It is an instrument to develop work procedures and processes and help of take preventive measures to minimise the impact of hazardous conditions.
• It helps in counselling the employee and providing vocational guidance.
• It provides the basic ingredient to prepare job specification.

Key Elements of Job Description

A standard job description must contain the following details

1. Job title
2. Job profile and description
3. Duties and responsibilities
4. Skill and specialisations
5. Educational Qualifications

Job Specification

A job specification describes the knowledge, skills, education experience and abilities which are essential to performing a particular job. Job specification is developed from job analysis.

• It is a written statement of minimum acceptable qualities required to complete a job and perform it effectively.
• It specifies various features of job holder, where as job description provides various features of the job and follows job description or it is based on the job description. Job specification can be used for following purposes.

Flippo, Job specification is a statement of the minimum acceptable human qualities necessary to perform a job properly. It is a standard of personnel and designates the qualities required for acceptable performance.

Key Elements of Job Specification

1. Age
2. Appearance and physical abilities
3. Qualifications
4. Skills
5. Personality
6. Experience
7. Special skills