How to Write a Job Description for Employees in your Restaurant
Accurate job descriptions are key to your employees understanding what is required of them in their position. Without a job description your employee may not be aware of items that they are expected to manage. It can also mean that their manager does not know who is responsible for what. Outside of this, job descriptions can also provide guidance for performance management and reasonable accommodation in the event that an employee needs it. You should look at your job descriptions often to ensure they are accurate. Here is a quick guide of what your job descriptions should include:
Position Title
This goes without saying. Your job descriptions should include the title of the role. Employees should know what their title is and this is a simple way to prevent any confusion.
Who the position reports to
Your employee should know who their manager is. If they don’t, that can be a big organizational problem for your restaurant. Employees need to know who they report to so they know who to expect feedback from. In your job description, list the employee’s manager. For example, if you have a Front of House manager and they report to the General Manager, this should be included.
Include whether they are exempt or non-exempt
This information is key as non-exempt employees have certain protections under the law that exempt employees do not. These protections include, but are not limited to, being paid overtime and meal and rest breaks rights. An employee should know what applies to them. Additionally, exempt employees need to fulfill certain duties in order to be considered salary in CA. If they are not meeting these requirements and are still listed as exempt, your restaurant may be in trouble for misclassification of the employee. It is important that you carefully consider whether an employee should be exempt or no-exempt. If an employee’s status changes, you need to let them know immediately.
Position Summary
You should include a summary of the goals of the position.This can be two or three sentences long and should detail the basics of the position.For instance, for a General Manager, your summary may say something along the lines of “The GM is responsible for managing all functions of the restaurant, analyzing financial performance and making sound business decisions.They are also responsible for guiding staff performance and training staff members when necessary.”This is basically your elevator pitch for the position.It should explain what a person does in your organization in 2-3 sentences.
Detail out the key responsibilities
This one may seem obvious but when you list out the responsibilities, you should also consider the objectives of the position. For instance: maybe your sous chef is responsible for slicing potatoes. You wouldn’t just list “slice potatoes” in your restaurant job description, you would want to list something like “responsible for ensure food quality by following established food prep standards.” This is more specific to the objectives of the position and is easier to hold your team accountable to.
Include minimum qualifications
Your job descriptions should include the education, experience, skills, and software experiences needed for the position. This can help your employees know if they may qualify for a promotion, help potential candidates identify if they may be a good fit, and assist your organization in accessing whether someone is qualified for the role. It can also be used as a way to explain why a certain candidate wasn’t picked for a job or a promotion. It should also be noted that your minimum qualifications should be appropriate and realistic for the position. For instance, you don’t need a bus boy with a four-year college degree and 4 years of experience. Likewise, you wouldn’t want a general manager with zero restaurant experience. Take time to consider what is actually important for a new employee to bring to a role and what you can train a person to do.
Work Conditions
The conditions in which a person is doing their work is a very important factor to include on the job description. This should include things like “standing long periods of time” or “should be able to lift 50 lbs”. Work conditions need to be listed out in case an employee needs reasonable accommodation.
End statement
It is also a good practice to include a statement at the end of the job description. This should include a statement that says that the Company has reviewed the job description to ensure it has all the essential and basic duties of the job. It should also explain that it is not an exhaustive list of all the functions of the job and that the company has the right to change the job description at any time. This can help protect your business if you need to change a job description.
KEY TAKE -AWAYS
Your job descriptions are important to ensure that everyone on your team understands the role they play. A job description is much more than job duties your restaurant employee should complete, though that is a key element. It should also include details about the position including minimum qualifications, work conditions and who the role reports to. Additionally, you should review your job descriptions often to ensure that they capture what your employees actually do. All of these steps can help your restaurant stay organized and assist your restaurant’s managers in knowing who to hold accountable for what.