Guide: How job manuals are made

The design of well-defined job positions is increasingly important in the task of attracting and retaining a motivated workforce capable of generating high-quality products and services.

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The way job positions are designed today, with a declining workforce in developed countries' labor markets and increasing international competition, will largely determine the success and even the survival of many organizations.

The purpose of this article is to highlight the main characteristics of job manuals, their usefulness in the human resources field, and how to create them properly.

What are job manuals?

Job manuals are management documents that provide a structured overview of job profiles within a company. They serve to specify where, how, and when each person will provide their services.

They typically contain information, authorizations, necessary documents, office machinery or equipment to be used, and any other data useful for the efficient performance of their functions. This increases the organization's workforce efficiency as employees are informed about what they need to do and how to do it.

To create a job manual, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the functions, responsibilities, and position within the company. Additionally, the number of individuals needed for each position should be determined.

Job manuals heavily depend on the nature of the organization's activities to determine each individual's contribution. Clearly stated organizational objectives and a well-designed manual are essential to achieving those objectives.

A job manual is designed to provide the best human resources to your company by clearly outlining your expectations for employees, serving as a basis for clarifying their role and performance in the short and long term.

It allows for the division of company positions, grouping sectors with similar training and interests, defining the characteristics of each job position, delineating areas of authority and responsibility (hierarchies), and outlining relationships between each function within the organization.

What is the function of job manuals in companies?

Job manuals serve as organizers for a company's development and can contribute to the achievement of operational objectives, thereby increasing efficiency in the activities performed.

They facilitate auditing, internal control, and evaluation efforts. They effectively determine responsibility for task failures, aid in coordinating activities and tasks, and prevent unnecessary duplication. Employees and superiors can verify whether work is being performed properly.

Job manuals clearly state personnel functions to avoid dual reporting lines. They improve workload distribution, identify critical factors within the company, facilitate job evaluation, and help determine training and development needs for conducting interviews.

Moreover, they serve as the foundation for salary and incentive systems, allowing for appropriate assessment of employee performance. They manage training channels and improve communication. Consequently, they form the basis for enhancing systems, procedures, and methods.

How are job manuals created?

The creation of a job manual does not follow a defined methodology; it depends on the specific conditions of the manual you want to develop. There is also no defined timeline for its development. You will gather information considering the overall objective and specific objectives of the manual, the terms to be used, the intended audience, and technical aspects that align with the particular characteristics of the document.

Development of the work plan:

You need to determine the individuals who will identify and assign the profiles and timelines. In this first step, functional teams are identified, and responsible individuals are designated for profile design in each area.

Creation of job profiles:

This second step is one of the most important in the development of job manuals, as it defines the job functions and the essential requirements for the selection and performance evaluation process of the individuals who will occupy the positions.

Validation of job profiles:

In this stage, validation or verification is carried out, with oversight from the top management of the organization. For example, a position that is developed in theory can be subject to further validation with the individuals responsible.

Consolidation of positions:

In this final step, your company will find answers to questions such as: Who are we? Who do we lack? Who do we have in excess? Consolidation allows you to determine if there are positions that have duplicate functions or, conversely, do not have an appropriate workload.

These four stages we explained for creating job manuals will help you design a position using a profile-based methodology, which is based on developing competency profiles.

Benefits of job manuals:

Job manuals offer significant benefits to companies as they allow determining, among other things, if responsibilities within each area are well defined and if employee performance meets expectations. We have divided the benefits into three categories: benefits for the company, benefits for the employee, and benefits for the HR department.

Benefits for the company:

• Helps distribute workload.
• Sets responsibilities for job execution.
• Facilitates overall coordination and organization of company activities.

Benefits for the employee:

• Provides a precise understanding of what needs to be done.
• Clearly outlines responsibilities.
• Assists in assessing performance.
• Prevents encroachment into other roles.
• Identifies strengths and weaknesses, highlighting performance and collaboration.
• Helps identify training and development needs.

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Benefits for the HR department:

• Provides the requirements that need to be investigated when selecting personnel.
• Enables placing employees in positions that best match their abilities.
• Assists in accurately determining training and development needs and addressing them.
• Allows appropriate classification of employee performance.
• Supports salary and incentive systems.
• Facilitates conducting interviews.
• Essential requirement for establishing a position evaluation system.

In summary, job manuals are documents that describe job positions, specific responsibilities, and obligations, as well as how they should be carried out within the company. They enable better monitoring of business activities, aiding in crucial decision-making.