Defining an Employee's Duties
Bread & Butter, May 2000

Many restaurant managers never take time out of their hectic schedules to write job descriptions for their employees, says Frank Doyle, who spent more than 20 years in restaurant-industry management and now serves as senior director of training and development for the National Restaurant Association. "But if they did, they would actually save a huge amount of time in the long run," says Doyle, who addresses the issue in the Association's Restaurant Staff Management Workshop.

Multiple usage

Among other things, job descriptions serve as:

• Selection criteria. "Job descriptions are intended to help an employer determine whether a person is qualified to perform a job," says Doyle.

• Expectation setters. "They help set the expectations for employees, so there are no surprises," says Doyle. He recommends giving an employee a copy of the job description when he or she interviews for a position and again when he or she starts the job.

• Training tools. Managers can use job descriptions as training checklists.

• Feedback forums. Job descriptions can also serve as relevant, objective criteria upon which to evaluate employees.

• Protection against litigation. Job descriptions can help shield restaurants from wrongful-discharge, discrimination and other lawsuits. "Having a job description in place can help defend your actions," says Doyle. Peter Kilgore, legal counsel for the National Restaurant Association, notes that "the Americans with Disabilities Act made it illegal for employers to discriminate against persons with disabilities, but it does not require employers to hire disabled persons who are unqualified for the position. Creating written, detailed, comprehensive position descriptions will assist you in making appropriate and fair employment decisions."

Basic elements

Every job description should contain the following items:

• Job title

• Title of immediate supervisor

• Position summary. Provide a general description of the job, its responsibilities and the required skills.

• Tasks and competencies. Outline the job's tasks (duties) and competencies (skills needed to accomplish the tasks). Be sure to include a line that says, "Other duties as assigned." This gives you the flexibility to adjust an employee's duties as needed and provides the worker with the opportunity to grow in the position.

• Prerequisites. List the required education, experience and physical abilities needed to perform the job.

Further resources

To help restaurateurs write effective job descriptions, the National Restaurant Association recently published a revised edition of its Model Position Descriptions for the Restaurant Industry. The book contains more than 40 job descriptions. To order a copy, call (800) 482-9122 and request publication number MG999. The 90-page book costs Association members $24.95 and nonmembers $49.95, plus shipping and handling. For information on the Association's Restaurant Staff Management Workshop, call (800) 424-5156, extension 5952.