CAVENDISH UNIVERSITY

ZAMBIA
BBA111: BUSINESS AND
ACADEMIC COMMUNICATION

@2024
The Job Descriptions
In most cases, employment management document checklist
include the offer letter, the contract, the job description, the
attendance register, compensation and training records, the
organisational chart etc.. Our focus will be on the job description.
Job descriptions are essential for explaining the exact duties of
different employees. They may include information about the
position's key responsibilities, compensation, direct manager and
requirements. Descriptions are helpful when recruiting new people
and evaluating an employee's performance.
To really understand the scope of a job, it helps to have it defined
in writing. During the recruitment process, you have a better
chance of attracting top talent if there is a well-documented
account of the role.
Structure of A Job Description
Title
The title is a brief, one- to four-word description of the job that
reflects its content, purpose, and scope. It should adhere to industry-
standard job titles of similar roles.
Company
Provide one paragraph about your company’s mission, culture, and
benefits and what makes your company unique. This paragraph
should include the title of the person the position reports to as well.
Summary
The summary is a three- to four-sentence paragraph that provides a
high-level overview of the role and its scope of responsibilities. You
can also include location and job purpose in the summary.
Responsibilities
Not to be confused with qualifications, this is a detailed but concise
bulleted list of all duties for the open role. Any supervisory and
financial functions can be listed here as well.
Qualifications
Skill requirements and the expected level of proficiency required for
the position make up the qualifications section. Requirements for
hard skills, soft skills, education level, certifications, and previous job
experiences can be listed in bullet points.
Compensation and benefits
While it’s not mandatory, candidates prefer when companies include
a salary range and information about benefits in job descriptions.
What to Avoid!
1. High-density job descriptions
A dense job description is difficult to read and may result in qualified
candidates leaving the page before they even apply. Include only essential
activities, and avoid mentioning tasks that are only occasional. Do not
include duties that may be added in the future. Remaining concise will
enhance candidates’ understanding.
2. Vague responsibilities
Avoid being ambiguous in your job description. If you use action verbs,
describe how the position executes those verbs. Try following the verb with
the word by and then detailing the operations performed to execute that
task. E.g., “Assists marketing manager,” write “Assists the marketing
manager with content planning by researching keywords, monitoring blog
performance, and scheduling topics.”
3 Redundancy
4. Jargon
When in doubt, always go with the simpler way of wording something.
Additionally, make the language in your job description as inclusive as
possible. To make your job description inclusive, avoid using gendered
pronouns and refrain from including internal company lingo.
5. Inaccurate qualifications
It’s best to include only the minimum required skills for the position. Listing
unreasonable expectations might provide you with an overqualified
candidate who isn’t the right long-term fit for the opening.
6. Prohibited language
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission governs certain
aspects of the employment process. Before posting your job description,
brush up on these requirements. Avoid all statements referring to age,
gender, religion, and marital status.
Job Description Example
Text Form: https://www.grammarly.com/blog/job-description/
The Employment Contract
An employment contract is between an employer and the employee
being hired to perform a service in exchange for payment. An
employee’s pay, benefits, and other terms of employment are
negotiated between the parties during the hiring process. Depending
on the employer or industry, the employee may also be required to
sign a non-disclosure agreement and/or a non-compete agreement as
part of onboarding.
Employment contracts stipulate the terms of employment. It can be
implied, oral, or written, involving a lengthy physical contract that the
employee signs. The terms laid out in the contract depend on what
was agreed upon when the employee confirmed that they would take
a position.
Categories of Employment Contracts Work
There are different kinds of employment agreements depending on the
company and job:
Written Contracts
A written contract can be beneficial because it allows the employer to
define the responsibilities, roles, and benefits to prevent any future
confusion. Employees are required to fulfil the terms of the contract,
including complying with any limits on where they can work if they
leave the company.
Implied Contracts
An implied contract is where employment is inferred from information
communication and comments made during an interview or promotion.
An implied contract can also fall into place as a result of a handbook or
training manual.
Types of Employment
Permanent Employment Contracts/Employees
The most common contract is a permanent contract, which means
the term of work is indefinite. Employees on permanent contracts
can be full-time or part-time and typically receive benefits.
Fixed-Term Employment Contracts/ Independent contractors
This is often used for seasonal workers or a teammate hired on to
help with a particular project. These contracts will terminate after a
specific date or milestone is achieved.
Casual Employment Contracts
These contracts are typically used when hours for the employee are
unpredictable. At a baseline, the employer will guarantee a certain
number of hours but may have access to additional hours if they are
needed.
Zero Hour Contract
They are very rare, but don’t set a minimum number of
hours needed to be worked by the employee. Basically,
they do not guarantee a minimum number of hours but
allow for flexibility in scheduling and workload.
 Apprentices: In this arrangement, someone works
under the direction of an experienced individual who
teaches them the skills they need to learn to become
licensed for a trade.
 Interns: This is an arrangement in which an individual
works in a paid or unpaid position within a business for
a short period of time to learn skills for white-collar
careers.
Composition of An Employment Contract
Wages or salary: Contracts will itemize the wage, salary, or commission
that the employer and employee agree upon.
General responsibilities: An employment contract can list the different
responsibilities and tasks that an employee is required to complete while
employed.
Schedule: The contract may include the days and hours that the employee
is expected to be at work.
Employment duration: The contract may specify the length of time that the
employee agrees that they will work for the company. The agreement could
be set for a specific period or could state that employment is ongoing.
Confidentiality: Employers sometimes include a statement about
confidentiality in the employment contract, although many also require
employees to sign a separate confidentiality agreement.
Benefits: The employment contract should lay out all of the benefits that are
promised to the employee, including health insurance, paid time off,
Advantages of Employment Contracts
1. Clearly defined duties and benefits: The employment contract defines
the responsibilities for the job and benefits that are included as part of the
employment. Employers can use it to specify standards for the employee's
performance and reasons where termination would be justified.
2. Protects both employers and employees: The employer can include a
non-compete or nondisclosure clause into the employment contract to
prevent the employee from sharing confidential information for personal
gain. Likewise, it can prevent them from leaving their jobs and competing
against you at another company.
3. Stability: Both the employee and employer know what to expect from
their relationship.
4. Attract employees: An employment contract can be used to attract
candidates to work for you rather than the competition, as you can promise
job security or other beneficial terms in the employment contract.
Drawback of Employment Contracts
Limits employers flexibility: Both the employer and employee are
legally bound by the terms of the contract. Employers will need to abide
by these terms and have less freedom in what they choose to do when
managing their employees if the business changes over time.
Limits the employers ability to fire an employee: There may be
instances where an employee does not work out and need to be
terminated. By using an employment contract, it may limit an employers
ability to terminate an employee.
Costs and administrative burden: Drafting and managing
employment contracts creates administrative burden and legal fees for
employers. It can also create fees for employees since they will likely
want to get their employment contract reviewed before signing.
Sources
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/job-description/
https://www.yourdictionary.com/articles/job-description-guide
https://www.contractscounsel.com/t/us/employment-contract
https://www.lawdepot.com/contracts/employment-contract/?loc=US
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/hr-
documents