Job Descriptions are key to planning who will do what. They provide a guideline to determine what you are looking for in every position. They help the team members have a basic 'road map' to understand what is expected of them. Job Descriptions (JD) are tools to be used in the training process. Most importantly they help owners and managers in the performance evaluation process to hold employees accountable for their responsibilities.
JDs should be used prior to creating your recruitment and interviewing process; they help you create the questions that will ensure you are finding out if the candidate meets the essential qualifications of the position they are applying for. The JDs should be given to the staff member at orientation. (I hand them out during the interview process). Remember, it is a 'road map' for them to be able to understand what your expectations are of the job duties and their qualifications. When they are handed out, two (2) copies should be made, one for the employee to keep and one for the employee to sign and return to the manager to place in the employee file.
In general JDs are not required by law, with a few exceptions. They are recommended by Human Resources Professionals and Attorneys because they can provide details on the specific functions, types and levels of required skills in addition to assisting in the recruitment and training efforts of employers.
The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not require employers to have job descriptions, but it does require employers that have them to follow certain guidelines in regards to format and content. ADA focuses on essential functions and this has a profound impact on job analysis and documentation of all types, especially job descriptions.
The term "essential function" means the fundamental job duties of the employment position. However, essential job functions that are not commonly called duties, such as physical effort, may be essential under ADA. Most physical demands are categorized as strength; climbing or balancing; walking/running; stooping, kneeling, crouching and/or crawling; reaching, handling, fingering and/or feeling; talking and/or hearing; seeing and/or other demands such as smelling.
In accordance with the ADA, the analysis of work and the job description must focus on essential functions and what they require, not the ways they are currently or customarily performed. Accordingly, the language in the job descriptions must be chosen carefully so that it is not prejudicial to qualified persons with disabilities.
The basic components of a job description are:
Place of work - simply indicates the physical area in which the staff member will be required to be to perform his/her duties. In a small Spa everyone will most likely be required to perform duties in various areas of the Spa and not necessarily only at the Reception are. In this case simply stating, Spa or Salon is sufficient. If on the other hand it is a large facility in which a Reception employee can not leave the Reception are and this is the only place they are at during their shift then changing it to Reception area is advisable.
Reports to - The assumptions made are the typical reporting lines in the Spa industry; however it really depends on the organizational chart created. Make sure it reflects who the employee directly reports to, who will oversee their day to day functions; write their performance evaluations or disciplinary documents. In a small Spa/Salon scenario everyone will most likely report to the owner or manager.
Essential Qualifications or Skills or Job Functions: The word essential protects you, the business owner. This is what the position, or person applying for the position has to possess and must be able to perform. Make sure the essential requirements, skills and job functions are appropriate to the position and make sure they are equal to any current practices.
Exempt Status: Means the position is salaried and not subject to overtime requirements. It also means that the job description requires and follows all the guidelines to qualify the position as Exempt as per labor law guidelines.
Non-exempt Status: Means the position is hourly and it is subject to all overtime state requirements. It also means that the job description duties and responsibilities listed do not qualify the position for exempt status.
Last paragraph content: I always include a last paragraph that works as a disclaimer if at an "at-will" state. It should be written in a way that clarifies that the job description is not an employee contract. I also include a statement about the job description not being all inclusive of all duties and responsibilities.
Physical Demands and Environmental Conditions Analysis: As explained before, this is the section of the job description that would be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Remember that laws differ considerably between states, or in some instances between one county to another. I strongly advise you to have your final job descriptions reviewed by your local legal council or do the necessary research before you finalize them and provide them to your employees.
If you don't want to write your own job descriptions check our Spa "Ready-to-Use Business Tools" at http://www.resourcesanddevelopment.com/JobDescriptions.htm these tools are written specifically for the Spa industry. They have the information needed to help you create, document, and communicate your company's fundamental policies, vision and mission, as well as help employees understand the roles and the behaviors expected of them.
Stay tuned......
Written by Zahira J Coll, all rights reserved, the content of this article, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author.
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