Learning patterns/How to write a job description

A learning pattern fororganizational

Learning Pattern Library

How to write a job description

problemYou need to recruit your first paid employee, or a valued volunteer who will help your organization with specific tasks. You need this person to understand their role, and you need the organization to understand what they are doing too.

solutionWrite a job description, so you have a shared understanding of this person's responsibilities.

creator• Wolliff (WMF)

created on03:04, 23 March 2016 (UTC)

status:DRAFT

Why create a job description?

A job description will define the scope and nature of the work, and may also describe what qualifications a person should have in order to do this work. A job description goes beyond any one specific person, to help your organization document a role.

Job descriptions may be needed to follow good hiring practices for paid employees. They may also be needed to secure funding for paid positions.

Recipe for a job description

Here are the basic things a good job description will include:

1. A description of your organization, and a brief overview of how this role fits with your organization. Keep this to 1-2 paragraphs.
2. A list of qualifications that a person doing this job should have. You can included required qualifications as well as preferred qualifications.
3. A list of what this person will spend their time doing.
4. If using this description for hiring, include information about how to apply for the position.

Considerations

There may be legal requirements in your country about what you can and can't include in your job description, especially if you are using it for hiring a paid position.

You may also need to create a staffing plan, to show how each staff position will be managed by your organization.

Examples

• Wikimedia Eesti

See also