Job Descriptions – What’s the Point?

By Emily Toth, Consultant – Strategic HR Consulting

Have you ever wondered what is the point of job descriptions anyways? For People First HR, job descriptions help us find talent that is the best fit for our organization. What else are job descriptions are used for, when should you use them, and are there times when you don’t need one? Let’s review the benefits and drawbacks of job descriptions.

Benefits:

Recruitment – If you have up-to-date and accurate job descriptions, they are readily available when you’re posting a job advertisement. You can feel confident that you will be attracting the right candidate for the job to meet your organization’s goals.

Clarifies roles and reporting relationships – Have you ever been in a job where your duties overlap with someone else’s and experienced the frustration and confusion that comes with it? Having an up-to-date job description that delineates who is responsible for what will remove these unnecessary tensions and stressors.

Succession planning – When thinking about the next steps in your organization’s leadership team, having accurate job descriptions, and an employee skills inventory, will allow you to determine whether you have someone in-house to fill the talent gap for key positions (or identify if you will need to look externally for talent).

Compensation – Understanding how similar positions are being compensated in the same labour market will allow you to remain a competitive employer; successfully attracting and retaining top talent. They are also foundational to any attempts at equity in compensation.

Drawbacks:

Too rigid – While it is important to have a job description with a detailed breakdown for performance reviews and clarity in job duties, it does not allow much flexibility in adding or removing duties or adjusting to achieve strategic goals. In addition, having rigid job descriptions can create silos and discourage team collaboration.

Time-consuming – It takes time to create accurate job descriptions for all the positions within your organization. In addition to daily business activities, you may not have the time, financial and human resources, tools, or expertise to keep the descriptions updated. With organizations constantly evolving to remain current and competitive, keeping up with job descriptions can be difficult and time-consuming.

No value if outdated – By neglecting to update your job descriptions, they won’t be valuable to the employee who holds the position or when conducting performance reviews. You may be opening yourself up to costly litigation should the job description not comply with current employment legislation, or should an employee be injured on the job performing a task that was not listed in the job description. If your organization does not have the time or resources to regularly review, analyze and update job descriptions to ensure they are accurate; perhaps you are better off without them.

Do you need job descriptions?

If job descriptions aren’t being kept up-to-date or are not helpful for the size/scope of your organization, maybe you don’t need them. However, as simple as they may seem, job descriptions can hold the key to achieving organizational effectiveness and efficiency through their links to recruitment, selection, performance, and compensation efforts.

Deciding whether or not to implement job descriptions will affect your employees just as much as your organization. Employees find value in job descriptions for similar reasons an employer would (such as understanding what tasks they are expected to do and helping them understand how well they are performing in their role.) After all, an organization is only as good as its people!

Managing Layoffs and Government Subsidies

By Deanna Lanoyway, People First HR Services

Employers that have encountered a slow-down or closure due to Covid-19 may already have been forced to implement layoffs. As the restrictions begin to lift and you are thinking of bringing your employees back, you may be trying to navigate the supports available.

If your reduction in business is somewhere between 10% and 29%, you have two options available. The first is the recently expanded workshare program. It is a federal program designed to help avoid layoffs when you have a temporary reduction in business that is beyond your control. If your employees are eligible for EI and agree to work a temporarily reduced work week while the business recovers, it may be an option.  Seasonal businesses and those less than 2 years old are not eligible. But the organization can be a private or publicly held company or a not-for-profit organization.

You can find more information on the Workshare program here

Your second option is the 10% Temporary Wage Subsidy (TWS), which provides the benefit by allowing you to reduce your remittances, so it assists a bit with cash flow while you get your employees and your business back up to speed. 

You can find more information on the Temporary Wage Subsidy here

For employers with more significant business reductions – over 30%, you may be eligible for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS). For March 2020, employers need to be able to demonstrate a reduction of 15% in gross revenue, and for April on they need to be able to demonstrate a 30% reduction. The subsidy will be available for three months, retroactive until March 15.

Companies deemed eligible will need to reapply for the subsidy each month.  Employers will need to attest that they are doing “everything they can” to pay the remaining 25% of employee wages. The government wants employers that are financially able to provide the additional 25% to do so, but they recognize that many may not be able to. 

Your finance expert will want to spend some time with the application to make sure that you’re looking at your own specific circumstances. Charities and not-for-profits can either include or exclude revenue from government funding in their computation, but once they make that choice they have to continue the same approach for the 3 months. For people who own more than one business and they are related in the value chain – for example if you have one company selling raw materials to another, then you will need to take special steps in your calculations and applications. 

So deciding if you will bring your employees back on payroll, even if you have no work for them to do, is a decision that may require you to think about what’s best for your employees, how well you are positioned for cash flow, and how it can benefit your business.

Let’s Consider an Example…

A restaurant, with an 85% reduction in business due to offering only take-out and delivery.  Perhaps all servers and over half of the kitchen staff are not working, leaving you with just 4 employees. If all of your employees earn $15 an hour, and for simplicity we’ll say they are all full time, your employees’ typical month’s income from wages was, and is, $2600.00. If you apply for the subsidy and pay them their full wages, you may be reimbursed, if eligible, $1950 per full time employee. So your costs would be $650 per month, per employee to top up their wages, if you are financially able to pay them. Don’t forget to factor in the mandatory employer contributions to EI, CPP, Workers Compensation, etc. And of course, since this is a reimbursement program, you need to consider any costs of financing – should cash flow be a challenge right now. 

Since you are already open in a reduced capacity with 4 employees, you can apply for the 4 that are already keeping your business going – so that would be up to $7800 per month to help you support the employees that are still serving up your take-out and keeping you in your customer’s minds.

What about your employees? What is best for them in this scenario? If they’ve applied for and are receiving the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), they get $2000 per month. Your subsidy, if that’s all you can afford to pay them, provides $1950. So in this case, what is best for your employees is likely whatever is best for you – because the very best scenario for them is that they have a job to return to, whether it’s now with a subsidy or later on without.

The Impact of Your Approach

One aspect of your decision making should be your culture, and the cost of hiring and training new staff. As HR professionals we know how hard it is to recruit, train, and keep employees with the right skill sets, and who fit your organization’s culture. The longer your employees are off, the harder it may be to keep them engaged and ready to come back at full efficiency. If you are not ready to bring back employees, or if you are looking at further layoffs, consider whether you can provide some support. Employees who have been furloughed during Covid-19 face all the normal challenges and emotions of job loss, even if it’s designed to be temporary, in addition to experiencing unprecedented uncertainty and stress. 

Employers who want to retain the investment they’ve made in their employees are looking for ways to keep them engaged and supported. Our online service, JobPause, is designed for individuals experiencing job and life changes. Built into the offering is emotional support, guidance on resiliency, and a mechanism for employers to encourage ongoing engagement with their staff … all from the safety of their own home.

Find out more about JobPause here

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Our Expert

Deanna Lanoway

Vice President, Strategic HR Consulting

Solutions for Working in New Ways

by Ardele Karaganis, People First HR Services

Workplaces all over the province, country, and world are experiencing a drastic shift in how they do business. Due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 and the recommendations from the Public Health Agency of Canada to allow employees to work remotely when necessary, organizations are digging deep to find the right creative solutions for their workforce, allowing those that can work from home, to do so, and making the environment safe for those that are unable to.

There isn’t a ‘one solution fits all’ situation but if you are offering remote work solutions, ensuring you have the infrastructure to offer remote connectivity is a priority. Questions around productivity, team cohesion, and mental health in remote workplaces are all part of the challenge.

How are we staying healthy in our remote workplaces?

• Consider setting up daily meets/huddles through audio and video conferencing. It allows you and your groups to set the tone for the day and allows for collaboration between employees.

• Create productivity trackers or time tracking where you can feel confident that remote workplaces are still productive environments and not paid staycations. Employees expect to be held accountable for their work, whether in a remote setting or not.

• While we are physically distancing ourselves, we can still be socially connected through various chat platforms and technology applications. Consider what works best for you but stay connected!

• Have fun with it – this is a tense time for the world – as leaders of an organization, do what you can do bring in some fun. For example – share pictures of your workspaces, share podcasts, etc.

• Encourage and model staying active to ensure body mind and soul are still being taken care of.

• Remind employees about employee assistance and mental health services to help manage the changes.

Solutions for organizations that cannot offer remote workplaces:

For organizations that are unable to offer remote work, here are some ways to support employees and help ease the concerns about coming into the workplace:

• Consider staggering ‘at work/in-office’ schedules: To ensure employees feel safe in physical distancing, create a schedule where employees come to work on different days of the week.

• Reconfiguring workspaces:  With fewer employees in the building, separate those still in office and make use of the vacant areas.  Remember that a 2-meter radius is recommended.

• Cross Train: Some employees working from home may prefer to be in the office; others can learn new skills. Be curious about your employees’ willingness to be part of this type of solution.

Amid COVID-19, what can I do for my employees?

Be understanding: COVID-19 has changed and will change everyone’s lives. No one is exempt from the impact. Employees look to their leaders for stability and encouragement.

Be patient: Being patient with how employees are handling and recovering from the constant change and impact is something we can all demonstrate. It’s healthy.

Be collaborative:  Take the perspective of your employees, explain that business continuity protects everyone’s jobs, and have an open conversation that asks employees for their ideas.  People who have a voice feel more empowered and are more likely to accept the solutions provided.

Working remotely requires a different skill set for leaders as they build trust in their teams virtually and create different ways to measure team performance. Find out more about how PFHR is approaching a certified coaching program for these leaders here.

What business suffers and I am facing the reality of layoffs and terminations?

You are not alone. This is the reality of many businesses in the face of COVID-19. Here are key tips:

• Handle employees with care – be honest, be clear, be thoughtful. They won’t forget their job loss experience and how they were treated.

• Be informed of your legislative responsibilities in any layoff or termination.  

• Provide government resources and solutions for income loss options.  https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html

• If you are looking for affordable transition supports that are exclusively online, consider JobMove.ca/Employers. It guides individuals through the process of job change and provides online tools as they are working through the change.

If you are facing tough business realities and are considering layoffs and termination services, People First HR provides Separation Support Services. We will work with you through the right solution. Click here to learn more.  

Need help building or supporting your HR infrastructure?

Contact our HR @ Your Service Team at hratyourservice@peoplefirsthr.com or call us at 1-866-940-3950

Our Expert

Ardele Karaganis
Senior Consultant, Strategic HR Consulting
People First HR Services

COVID-19 &

work-from-home 

by Kim Hunter, People Corporation

COVID-19 has created a new business operating environment.  With little chance to prepare, employees in many sectors are suddenly working remotely to protect themselves and others and ensure compliance with physical distancing requirements. This forced transition to remote work has proven to be a difficult task for employers who do not have established processes. Although not every workplace is perfectly suited to remote work, most industries have roles or tasks that can be effectively completed outside of regular ‘office’ environments. The challenge is to identify these roles, and once identified, provide structure and guidance so those working from home are productive, and not isolated.

Despite the many challenges COVID-19 presents, there are benefits to employees working from home. Employees will feel trusted, valued, cared for, and, most importantly, that their workplace health and safety are your priority. When moving your teams to remote work, consider the following tips:

Be realistic: Not every worker can transition successfully to working remotely. People who are successful working remotely generally are self-motivated and able to hold themselves accountable. If your team-member struggles in these areas while they’re in the office, it’s not likely to get better at home without a lot of support. There must be structured touch-points between leaders and team members to ensure that workers are supported, motivated, and accountable. Many organizations are choosing to use productivity tracking tools to measure the most important deliverables. If you involve them in the process and provide clear direction, many people will surprise you with just how much they can accomplish in a day.

Set clear expectations: If there are particular requirements don’t make people guess – consider developing a policy. Some of the areas in which you may want to set expectations include hours of work, telephone (i.e. do you need people to forward their office phone line), client privacy, network security, and reporting on work completed. Setting expectations is not micro-managing; the rules you set should be those that help you create an environment of trust. An example would be using shared calendars to log remote work time – those working from home should be available to their peers and everyone should know how to contact them as the team disperses.

“Setting expectations is not micro-managing; the rules you set should be those that help you create an environment of trust.”

Adapt leadership styles: Remote working in a pandemic is not something a leadership class can prepare us for. Leaders need to adopt new approaches and be able to solve new challenges for their people. This is a very stressful time for everyone, and leaders need to bring their communication ‘A game’ to reassure and direct. Communication needs to be sensitive, frequent and direct. Not every leader is comfortable asking people if they are struggling, or if they need mental health supports (now is the time for that EAP in your benefits program!). Arm your leaders with tools and information, and be as transparent with your people as you can be. Ensure that you’re scheduling regular touch-base meetings so you know how work is progressing and that they aren’t feeling the ‘silo’ effect from being away from their peers. Poor or irregular communication undermines trust, and without trust, remote work won’t be successful.

Embrace new technology: Skype, What’s App, Slack, Google Hangouts, Dropbox – there are dozens of useful (and often free) ways to support your remote workforce with technology. One of the real benefits to employees of working in an ‘office’ environment is the opportunity to share a moment or information with colleagues. Creating the ‘virtual water cooler’ is a necessity for remote workers to stay meaningfully connected to peers. Luckily, free technology like Slack or What’s App or even Facebook messenger can make the distance disappear. Encourage your teams to standardize how they talk to each other and make sure that the platforms work equally well inside and outside the office walls. Need more team interaction? There are tons of great team project software like ‘Basecamp’.

Location:  There’s a reason you’re getting emails from every furniture store you’ve ever been to about home office equipment. Many people do not have a fully equipped home office space and although for some the couch or kitchen table works, for many it won’t.  It also can cause long-term physical health issues due to poor ergonomics. Encourage dedicated home workspaces where possible and coordinate with your employees to create the best conditions for them. Ensure that the employee has the proper technology and work tools to complete their tasks. Don’t assume that everyone has a computer at home or even high-speed internet. Work with IT to allow people to take home important productivity boosters like monitors.

Trust: Many colleagues have said to me over the years “I could NEVER have an office at home – I’d only be able to think about the laundry/dishes/etc.” We’d never even imagined we’d have to balance work with child and elder care responsibilities as we do now. Our staff WILL have kids that will need to be fed, and dogs that need to be walked. We need to trust that if we’ve told our teams what the expectations are, that they will accomplish them, even if it means working at 10 pm or 6 am. Set expectations, trust people, and follow up to make sure they’re meeting them. If someone is struggling to meet the expectations ask them what needs to be different to meet them and hold them accountable.

Within our organization, we’ve seen extraordinary innovation and leadership over the last few weeks. Challenges can bring out the best in people – you may find your people show you skills you may not even know they have.

You can listen to Kim’s latest discussion on the subject of COVID-19 & work-from-home  by clicking here.

Need help building or supporting your HR infrastructure?

Contact our HR @ Your Service Team at hratyourservice@peoplefirsthr.com or call us at 1-866-940-3950

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Our Expert

Kim Hunter
Director, HR
People Corporation