A job description describes the major areas of an employee's job or position; a good job description begins with a careful analysis of the important facts about a job, such as the individual tasks involved, the methods used to complete the tasks, the purpose and responsibilities of the job, the relationship of the job to other jobs, and the qualifications needed for the job.

It's important to make a job description practical by keeping it dynamic, functional, and current. Avoid boxing yourself and your employees in with inflexible job descriptions. Realistically, many jobs are subject to change for a variety of reasons such as personal growth, organizational development, and the evolution of new technologies. A poor job description will keep you and your employees from growing, trying new tasks, or learning how to perform more productively. A well-written, practical job description will help you avoid hearing a refusal to carry out a relevant assignment because "it isn't in my job description."

Consider this statement from an office manager's job description:

"Routinely orders office supplies for the company and keeps the storage closet well stocked." 

While this statement is certainly straightforward and unambiguous, it is also a very narrow description of the task. A better statement would be:

"Develops and implements a system of ordering office supplies that promotes cost savings and efficiency within the organization."

When writing a job description, it's important to keep in mind that the job description will serve as a major basis for outlining job training or conducting future job evaluations.

A job description should include a:

• Job Title. Most job titles are fairly self-explanatory.
• Job Objective or Overall Purpose Statement. This statement is generally a summary designed to orient the reader to the general nature, level, purpose, and objective of the job. The summary should describe the broad function and scope of the position and be no longer than three or four sentences.
• List of Duties or Tasks Performed. The list contains an item by item list of principal duties, continuing responsibilities, and accountability of the occupant of the position. The list should contain each and every essential job duty or responsibility that is critical to the successful performance of the job. The list should begin with the most important functional and relational responsibilities and continue down in order of significance. Each duty or responsibility that comprises at least five percent of the incumbent's time should be included in the list.
• Description of Relationships and Roles. This portion of the job description should place the position in relation to others in the company, including supervisory positions, subordinating roles, or other working relationships.

When using job descriptions for recruiting situations, you may also want to attach the following: 

• Job Specifications, Standards and Requirements. Briefly state the minimum qualifications needed to perform the essential functions of the job, such as education, experience, knowledge, and skills. Any critical skills and expertise needed for the job should be included. For example, for a receptionist, critical skills may be having a professional and courteous telephone manner, legible handwriting, the ability to handle a multiple-lined phone system for a number of staff members, and the patience and endurance to sit behind a desk all day.
• Job Location. State where the work will be performed.
• Equipment to be used in the performance of the job. For example, do your company's computers run on an Apple or PC environment?
• Collective Bargaining Agreements. Include information regarding agreements and terms that relate to job functions, if applicable, such as when your company's employees are members of a union.
• Non-Essential Functions. Mention functions that are not essential to the position, as well as marginal tasks performed by the incumbent of the position.
• Salary Range. State the range of pay for the position. 

Keep each statement in the job description crisp and clear:

• Structure your sentences in classic verb/object and explanatory phrases. Since the occupant of the job is your sentences' implied subject, it may be eliminated. For example, a sentence pertaining to the description of a receptionist position might read: "Greets office visitors and personnel in a friendly and sincere manner." (Briefer than "The person in this job greets office visitors...)
• Always use the present tense of verbs, e.g. "Greets office visitors" as opposed to "Will greet."
• If necessary, use explanatory phrases telling why, how, where, or how often to add meaning and clarity. For example: "Collects all employee time sheets bi-weekly for payroll purposes."
• Omit any unnecessary articles such as "a," "an," "the," or other words for an easy to understand point description. A wordier version of the above example is, "Greets all visitors and the office personnel to the building in a friendly and a sincere manner."
• Use unbiased terminology. For example: use the "he or she" approach or construct sentences in such a way that gender pronouns are not required.
• Avoid using words that are subject to differing interpretations. Try not to use unquantified terms such as "frequently," "some," "complex," "occasional," and "several."

References:
• Small Business Administration

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