1. About Mary Rizzuti
Mary A. Rizzuti is a Principal and Senior Consultant with CRI. Ms. Rizzuti has
over fifteen (15) years of compensation and job description experience. She
serves as Project Manager for consulting projects with extensive experience with
the not-for-profit and private company sectors, relative to Salary Administration,
Sales Compensation, Performance Management, and Litigation Support.
Ms. Rizzuti manages the Litigation Support Practice function at CRI, and is
responsible for overseeing activities relating to research, analysis & Expert
Report development, as well as developing litigation support case methodologies.
Ms. Rizzuti has specific legal experience, as well as experience in policy development, training,
recruiting, conducting performance appraisals and implementing human resources procedures. Prior to
her assignment with CRI, she was employed by Brown & Wood in New York City as a training coordinator
and paralegal.
Ms. Rizzuti graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Management with a
concentration in Human Resource Management from Dominican College. Ms. Rizzuti holds the
Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification and is a member of the Society of Human Resource
Management (SHRM). She is also a member of WorldatWork and has earned the designation of Certified
Compensation Professional (CCP).

2. How To Write Effective Job Descriptions
Presented by:
Mary Rizzuti
March 29, 2012

3. CRI and HRTMS
• Compensation Resources is a boutique compensation
consulting firm specializing in the design, development,
review and audit of compensation programs, and other
related human resources initiatives.
• HRTMS is the leader in Job Description Management. HRTMS
Jobs allows HR to easily collaborate with managers to create,
maintain and enable a repository of effective job descriptions.
• CRI is using HRTMS Jobs for all upcoming Job Description
projects.
• Screenshots used in this presentation are from HRTMS Jobs.
3

4. Session Goals
• What a Job Description IS
• What a Job Description IS NOT
• Basic elements of a Job Description
• How to write an effective Job Summary
• Identifying key duties and responsibilities
• FLSA analysis
• Issues with across the board titling
• Position matrix as a tool
• Historical Records
• Address Specific Questions
4

5. What a Job Description Is:
• Summary of essential duties, responsibilities and functions of
a position
– Be specific:
• Example: “good interpersonal skills” vs. “ability to manage and motivate staff”.
“good communication skills” vs. “ability to write persuasive memoranda for town
hall meetings”
• Legal document
– Can be used in court
• Tool for:
– Benchmarking salaries
– Recruiting
– Strategic Human Resources planning
• Competency structure built from JDs
5

6. What a Job Description Is Not
• Not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities required
to adequately execute tasks
• Not a bio of the incumbent
– Skills and abilities
– Education
– Certification
• Not a contract of employment
6

7. Basic Elements of a Job Description
• Job Title (gender neutral)
• Grade (salary structure)
• Department
• Location
• Salary (range is acceptable)
• Reporting relationship
• FLSA classification (imperative)
• Job summary
• Supervision exercised
7

8. Basic Elements of a Job Description
• Job Title (gender neutral)
• Grade (salary structure)
• Department
• Location
• Salary (range is acceptable)
• Reporting relationship
• FLSA classification (imperative)
• Job summary
• Supervision exercised
8

9. Basic Elements of a Job Description
• Job Title (gender neutral)
• Grade (salary structure)
• Department
• Location
• Salary (range is acceptable)
• Reporting relationship
• FLSA classification (imperative)
• Job summary
• Supervision exercised
9

10. Basic Elements of a Job Description
• Job Title (gender neutral)
• Grade (salary structure)
• Department
• Location
• Salary (range is acceptable)
• Reporting relationship
• FLSA classification (imperative)
• Job summary
• Supervision exercised
10

11. Basic Elements of a Job Description
• Job Title (gender neutral)
• Grade (salary structure)
• Department
• Location
• Salary (range is acceptable)
• Reporting relationship
• FLSA classification (imperative)
• Job summary
• Supervision exercised
11

12. Basic Elements of a Job Description
• Job Title (gender neutral)
• Grade (salary structure)
• Department
• Location
• Salary (range is acceptable)
• Reporting relationship
• FLSA classification (imperative)
• Job summary
• Supervision exercised
12

13. Basic Elements of a Job Description
• Job Title (gender neutral)
• Grade (salary structure)
• Department
• Location
• Salary (range is acceptable)
• Reporting relationship
• FLSA classification (imperative)
• Job summary
• Supervision exercised
13

14. Basic Elements of a Job Description
• Job Title (gender neutral) • FLSA classification (imperative)
• Grade (salary structure) • Job summary
• Department • Supervision exercised
• Location
• Salary (range is acceptable)
• Reporting relationship
14

15. Basic Elements of a Job Description
• Job Title (gender neutral) • FLSA classification (imperative)
• Grade (salary structure) • Job summary
• Department • Supervision exercised
• Location
• Salary (range is acceptable)
• Reporting relationship
15

16. Basic Elements of a Job Description
(Cont.)
• Primary (essential) duties and responsibilities
– How to evaluate “essential”:
• Reason the position exists
• Time spent performing a function
• Consequence of not performing that function
• Some employers list non-essential duties as well, but in a separate section (ADA)
16

17. Basic Elements of a Job Description
(Cont.)
• Minimum Qualifications
– Education/Training
– Experience (significant
experience vs. 10 years)
– License/Certifications
– Knowledge, Skills and
Abilities
17

18. Basic Elements of a Job Description
(Cont.)
• Physical Demands
– The physical demands are
minimal and typical of
similar jobs in comparable
organizations
18

19. Basic Elements of a Job Description
(Cont.)
• Work Environment
– The work environment is representative and typical of similar jobs in comparable
organizations.
– Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities
to perform the essential functions.
19

20. Basic Elements of a Job Description
(Cont.)
• Managerial Approval
• HR Approval
20

21. Basic Elements of a Job Description
(Cont.)
• Disclaimer
– The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level
of work being performed by employees, and are not to be construed as an
exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so
classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment
and are subject to change at the discretion of the Company.
21

22. Job Summary
• The Accounts Payable Clerk is responsible for performing
diversified clerical duties to support the Accounts Payable
Department, and other areas of Accounting.
• Employees of Company XYZ will recognize the following core
values in fulfilling their job responsibilities: honesty, trust,
respect, communication, teamwork, personal accountability,
and a positive attitude.
22

23. Job Summary (Using Content)
• Using Content -- O*Net and your own content
23

24. Identifying Key Duties and
Responsibilities
• Position Description Questionnaire (PDQ)
– Reporting Relationship
– Primary Role
– Duties and Responsibilities with percentages
• Survey data
– Contains job summaries
• Shadowing
– Hybrid positions
– Lean organization with little internal support
24

25. Identifying Key Duties and
Responsibilities
• Using Content -- O*Net and your own content
25

26. Using Collaboration To Get Accurate
Information About Jobs
• Managers and other
stakeholders
– Contribute content
– Correct content
– Provide unique perspective
– Approve content
26

27. FLSA Guidance
• Exempt:
– Salaried – at least $455 per week ($27.63 per hour)
– Any employee earning less than $455 is automatically non-exempt
• Exemptions
– Executive
• Management
• Hire, fire, interview, set pay, performance appraisals, etc.
• Impact on operations
• Planning and controlling budget
• Monitoring or implementing legal compliance measures
27

28. FLSA Guidance
– Administrative
• Work in functional areas
– Tax, finance, accounting, auditing,
procurement, legal and regulatory
compliance, etc.
– Discretion and independent judgment;
impact decision-making
– Professional
• Law
– Lawyer: yes
– Secretary: no
• Medicine
– Registered nurse: yes
– Licensed practical nurse: most times, no
• Accounting
• Engineering
• Architecture
• Physical, chemical and biological sciences
28

29. FLSA Guidance
– Computer
• Highly specialized knowledge
– Creative
• Actors
• Musicians
• Composers
• Novelists
– Outside Sales
• Not at employers’ office (inside sales)
• No salary test
29

30. FLSA Guidance
– Non-exempt
• Hourly rate of pay
• Minimum wage
• Overtime eligible
– Not less than one and one-half times an employee’s regular rate of pay after
40 hours in a workweek
– Some states have a daily overtime standard
» Overtime pay after 8 hours in one day
30

31. Across the Board Titling
• Are essential functions truly the same?
– Housekeeping position
• Different properties
• Varying levels
• Administrative assistant
• Managerial
• Executive
• Customer service vs. technical
• Position matrix would be ineffective
31

32. Keep a Record of Historical
Job Descriptions
• Defend Hiring Decisions
• Protect yourself against Regulatory Audit
32

33. Remember to….
• Review JDs annually
– Inside HR Department
– Inside or outside counsel
– Outside HR consultant
• Have essential functions changed?
• Has that change affected FLSA status?
• Is salary range on JD accurate?
33

34. Questions & Answers
34

35. Contact Information
Compensation Resources, Inc. HRTMS, Inc.
310 Route 17 North 3434 Edwards Mill Rd., Ste. 112-137
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Raleigh, NC 27612
(201) 934-0505, x107 919.351.JOBS (5627)
Mary Rizzuti Bill Rost
mar@compensationresources.com brost@hrtms.com
www.compensationresources.com www.hrtms.com
35