In HR, sometimes the dullest jobs are the most important—like updating job descriptions. This specific task is probably not the reason you were drawn to a career in HR, to say the least … but it’s time to bite the bullet. Now, no HR manager worth his or her salt has time to just sit...

In yesterday’s CED , attorney Olivia Goodkin revealed the top four reasons you need job descriptions. Today, her take on how to craft the job description, plus an introduction to BLR's popular encyclopedia of prewritten job descriptions. Goodkin, who is a partner in the Los Angeles office of...

Job descriptions are probably the dullest job in HR, so why bother if you don't have to? Although no law requires job descriptions, there are compelling reasons to maintain them, says attorney Olivia Goodkin. Goodkin who is a partner in the Los Angeles office of law firm Rutter Hobbs & Davidoff...

Well-developed written job descriptions are essential to the hiring process, for two reasons, says attorney Susan Fahey Desmond: They assist you in clarifying what skills or traits you expect an applicant to meet. They help you to defend yourself in court should you be sued over your hiring decision...

It doesn’t seem that job descriptions would be lawsuit generators, but poorly written or out-of-date job descriptions can set you up for a nasty disparate impact lawsuit, says attorney Susan Fahey Desmond. Desmond is a partner at Jackson Lewis, LLP. You could set yourself up for a disparate impact...

Writing job descriptions that are compliant with federal statutes, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), as well as their California counterparts, can get tricky. In an effort to word things clearly...

Writing job descriptions that are compliant with federal statutes, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), as well as their California counterparts, can get tricky. In an effort to word things clearly...

Do you have up-to-date job descriptions? Having these can be vital for your company. Accurate, up-to-date job descriptions not only help you to find the best candidates for vacant roles, but they also help you to evaluate current employees. In a BLR bootcamp titled "Comp 101 Bootcamp: How to Effectively...

Yesterday’s CED covered the two big not-required-but-necessary HR tasks—policies and job descriptions. Today, specifics on essential functions, plus an introduction to a popular digital collection of pre-written job descriptions. [ Yesterday’s tips on job descriptions are here. ] Outcomes...

What are the two major challenges for HR that aren’t required but are necessary? Policies and job descriptions? True, no law requires them, but you’re begging for lawsuits if you try to get along without them. Policies/Practices/Protocols Why do you need policies? You don’t want your...

> In yesterday’s CED , we discussed the importance of job descriptions. Today, key components—plus an in-depth, fully updated desk reference for California employers on job descriptions and much more. Our job description experts both yesterday and today are San Francisco attorneys Mark...

Can’t we deal with job descriptions later? No—you need lean, practical job descriptions that accurately reflect essential job duties, say San Francisco attorneys Mark Schickman and Cathleen Yonahara. They serve an important, if not necessary, function in virtually every significant employment...

No HR document is more important than the job description. It’s the architectural blueprint of your company, showing what all parts of the organization do, how they interrelate, and who sees that the work gets done. Fill out a recruitment ad and you’re reflecting a job description. Plan staffing...

Yesterday , we covered methodology and appraisal in layoffs. Today, we look at the role of job descriptions—and at a valuable job description development and storage system. If anyone questions your selections for layoff (and, yes, someone is going to question them), and you considered skills and...

This should come as no shock, but people don’t like to get fired. And when they do get fired, they look for someone else to blame. Guess who? “You fired me because I’m X (fill in the blank with the name of a protected class).” That’s one lawsuit, but that’s not the...

Writing job descriptions that are compliant with federal statutes, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), as well as their California counterparts, can be difficult. In an effort to word things clearly...

Yesterday , we looked at the first 5 of our "Top 10" list of common hiring mistakes made by California employers. Today, the rest of the Top 10 – plus an upcoming webinar you won't want to miss. [ For mistakes 1-5, click here.] 6. Not using offer letters Offer letters, like job descriptions...

Given the recent state of the economy, most employers have been more concerned with how to conduct effective layoffs than with avoiding mistakes in the hiring process. Yet as the economy gradually (if fitfully) shows signs of improvement, companies need to prepare to hire again. Are you ready? Now is...

A job description need not account for every task that might ever be done. Here are the most critical components of a good job description. Heading Information This should include job title, pay grade or range, reporting relationship (by position, not individual), hours or shifts, and the likelihood...

Should our company use job descriptions? How long should they be, and what information should they contain? Do they really serve a useful purpose? Employers' attorneys get those questions all the time, and the answer is always the same: Yes. Employers should use lean, practical job descriptions that...