Top 5 things you should know about Job Descriptions as an employer

Top 5 things you should know about Job Descriptions as an employer:

1. Under NZ law, every individual employment agreement must include a description of the work to be performed by the employee. Alongside the Individual Employment Agreement, they form the contractual agreement between the employee and the company and should be initialled (as accepted) as part of the onboarding process.
2. Job descriptions provide clear expectations for employees and can help to reduce confusion or misunderstandings around responsibilities especially important in smaller businesses where employees may wear many hats or have overlapping responsibilities.
3. Job descriptions are a valuable tool for performance management where an employee may not be fully performing aspects of their role. It’s hard to address performance where accountabilities and responsibilities haven’t been clearly defined and agreed upon upfront.
4. At a minimum, job descriptions should include a job title, a list of duties and responsibilities, the qualifications and experience required for the position along, and any physical or other requirements such as the ability to lift heavy objects.
5. Businesses should review and update job descriptions regularly to ensure that they are still relevant and accurate.