Image of people inside UMD farm. Image by Edwin Remsberg
Writing a Job Description
Once the decision is made to hire a new farm employee, a job description that outlays work responsibilities needs to be created. Job descriptions are used for a variety of reasons such as creating reasonable job expectations, determining pay, clarifying responsibilities, and position recruiting. A job description should outlay the responsibilities and duties of the position. Effective job descriptions should explain what an employee does in their day-to-day activities.
The first step in creating a job description is to determine the job title. Job titles reflect the scope and purpose of the position being hired. For farm businesses some examples could be harvest crew operator, field laborer, truck driver, machinery mechanic, production assistant, etc. Consider position status issues when determining a job title and avoid over inflating titles. Make sure the job title reflects the primary purpose of the position.
Next, outline a job summary and then the specific job duties and responsibilities of the position. If duties and responsibilities are established in the job description, performance evaluations can be done more effectively and finding the ideal candidate for the position should not be as burdensome. Essential functions of the job should outline the extent of the time the employees will spend on the job. If several responsibilities exist for the position, a bulleted list can be used, with the most important aspects of the position listed at the top of the list. Percentages can be used to correspond to the amount of time spent on each responsibility. Each job duty should be explained clearly and concisely. In addition to outlining the core responsibilities of the position, if other work is to be done when needed, make mention of these nonessential responsibilities. A disclaimer can also be added to the job description to outlay that the list of responsibilities is not comprehensive.
Any specific position qualifications should be included within the job description. Some examples of qualifications are knowledge, skill sets, education, licenses, experience, reliability etc. Make sure work conditions are explained in the job description as well. Farm work can take place during all kinds of conditions. Make sure to describe all possible work conditions within the job description. If you have existing employees ask them to help develop descriptions or lists of tasks for their current jobs and use this to create a full description.
Considerations When Writing Descriptions:
✓ Use a factual and impersonal style when writing the job descriptions
✓ Base the job description on the enterprise needs
✓ Write an accurate, concise, and complete job description
✓ Use complete sentences
✓ Keep sentence structure as simple as possible, omitting unnecessary words that do not contribute pertinent information.
✓ Begin each duty/task with an action verb. Use bullet statements of responsibilities and qualifications.
✓ Be consistent when using terms like “may” and “occasionally.” (These should be used to describe tasks that are performed once in a while, or tasks that only some employees perform.)
✓ Refer to job titles rather than incumbents, i.e., “Reports to _______ Manager” instead of “Reports to Mary Smith.”
✓ Be precise. This is critical for accurate job evaluation and analysis.
✓ Focus on critical activities.
✓ Use a logical sequence in describing duties and responsibilities (Key responsibility first, followed by the corresponding duties).
✓ Be sure to request a resume that includes work history and references from at least 3 previous employers. Consider using an application form that will collect this information.
Sample Outline of a Job Description:
1. Job Title. Make sure the job title accurately describes the job being performed.
2. Job Summary. Give a concise definition or description of the major job responsibilities. This is the type of short description that may be used for recruitment purposes.
3. Work Relationships. In this section, describe who supervises the position and whether the position includes any supervisory duties. Describe how this position relates to other positions in the organization.
4. Job Qualifications. List the knowledge, education, experience, or training necessary to perform the job. Include realistic physical requirements essential to perform the job such as an ability to stand for long hours at a time or lift and carry a certain weight. Do not make statements that are discriminatory on grounds of race, gender, age, or national origin.
5. Job Duties or Tasks. List all the job activities that the worker performs in that position. Start with the most frequently performed duties and proceed to the least frequent duties. The degree to which the position is specialized will impact the number of job tasks on the list. It may be helpful to include an approximate percentage of the time that duty is performed. At the end of the list, it is common to include “other duties as assigned by supervisor” to allow for flexibility.
6. Time of Work Description. This section is not intended to be a specific work schedule, but rather a description of the range of hours worked each week and whether the position includes night and weekend work.
7. Request a cover letter, resume and at least 3 references from previous employers.
Other information about the job such as compensation plans, benefit plans, and housing are generally not included in a job description. This would normally be included in a separate document for that specific purpose.
Action Steps/Questions to Consider:
What job descriptions do I need to develop; list the job titles here and any specific tasks/qualifications that are needed.
Are there tasks that I do that I’m hoping will be completed by others? What are they and what expertise is needed?
Who do I need to connect with to assist me in developing the job descriptions?
What are the next steps?
Additional Resources:
Wright State Website Writing an Effective Job Description | Human Resources | Wright State University
Case Western Reserve University Website Writing a Job Description | Human Resources | Case Western Reserve University
Pittsburgh University Website Microsoft Word Job Description Writing Guide Printer Friendly Version.doc (pitt.edu)
Reference:
O’Rourke, M. (2023) article entitled Farm Employee Management: Assembly of Farm Job Descriptions found at the link above.
Last Page: To Hire or Not to Hire, That is the Que Next Page: Offering Benefits to Retain Employees
This material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2021‐70027‐34693, and is funded by the NE Risk Management Education Center.