Job Descriptions to comply with ISO Standards

[heartlyn]

Hi everyone,

I need help on creating Job descriptions for all the employees in my current company. There is no HR department in the company & I was hired to be the Management Representative. As part of the role, I will also be handling HR job which I don't have any background. I can actually google the duties & responsibilities but my problem is I am not really sure if that is exactly what they are doing. This is also my first time to handle MR role so I find it difficult to connect whatever description I could find online to the actual quality system that we are going to implement. I would really appreciates any advise or suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

 

[AndyN]

Welcome! You may find more information at the bottom of this page to help you - it's a topic frequently discussed. Don't believe that ISO 9001 REQUIRES job description, however. You may not need them. Typically it's NOT the MRs job to create job descriptions, either. Be careful that, in this new role, you don't make the quality system "yours", because you stepped in and did the work, and others all step back and allowed you to! You will fail, they will have no part in it and that's not good...

 

[heartlyn]

Thank you AndyN. I understand that its not really necessary to have Job descriptions but my Boss ask me to do it anyway since we have none from the day they started the company.

I have a follow-up question though. Is it necessary to have a copy of the ISO Standard while implementing it? I don't understand because they have given me procedures & manuals which is in line with ISO 9001:2008 standard but they don't have a copy of the standard. They only hired me to maintain the existing system & to manage the implementation.

 

[dsanabria]

Hi everyone,

I need help on creating Job descriptions for all the employees in my current company. There is no HR department in the company & I was hired to be the Management Representative. As part of the role, I will also be handling HR job which I don't have any background. I can actually google the duties & responsibilities but my problem is I am not really sure if that is exactly what they are doing. This is also my first time to handle MR role so I find it difficult to connect whatever description I could find online to the actual quality system that we are going to implement. I would really appreciates any advise or suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

Don't be a hero - they will watch you burn (my words) - meaning, have them participate in the process. First step is to go to the labor department website and print out what they should be doing for the title.

Then, give the printed description to the individuals and have them edited for you - they know what they are doing better than you.

Once that is done place in the HR folder and if you want to in the QM / Procedures (not a requirement).

Finally - hold them accountable - audit their work to the description and be prepare to modify it.

You might want to involve the support from management (and attorney for correct wording) and if it is a union shop.... that is a different topic.

 

[John Broomfield]

Thank you AndyN. I understand that its not really necessary to have Job descriptions but my Boss ask me to do it anyway since we have none from the day they started the company.

I have a follow-up question though. Is it necessary to have a copy of the ISO Standard while implementing it? I don't understand because they have given me procedures & manuals which is in line with ISO 9001:2008 standard but they don't have a copy of the standard. They only hired me to maintain the existing system & to manage the implementation.

Lyn,

You could create and maintain the template unless HR is willing to own this document as part of its ownership of the recruiting process.

Normally, the manager in need of someone promoted or recruited will specify the knowledge, skills and aptitude or behaviors (collectively known as competence) required for the person to do the job well.

Be careful to sync the job descriptions with your documented and undocumented procedures so there are no discrepancies.

Really, you want employees to collaborate and focus on making processes and their procedures successful instead of standing back within the strict confines of their individual job descriptions.

Indeed, as your management system matures you'll probably rename the job descriptions as job specifications and use them for recruiting purposes and to verify competence.

Lastly, also consider how sufficient authority is delegated from managers to the employees who are expected to be accountable for their part of the process. Often you find employees have responsibilities but little authority.

John

 

[drgnrider]

Welcome to the cove Heartlyn.

When I got my position as Management Representative, I was tasked to write and submit my own job description, there was not one specifically for it. The description I submitted was then very slightly modified by our Factory Director (previous QMR), my manager (QA), and HR. I also change the job title to "ISO Coordinator" as I felt it far more fitting (I coordinate the ISO systems (Quality & Environmental), I do not own them, and yes, our manuals still call me the "ISO Management Representative").

Coordinate the following:
- Have the individual employees (group if multiple) and/or managers create/modify the job descriptions (duties, skills requirement, or whatever they want to call it). Get agreement from top management, et al. on the final version.
- Make sure the process owners (those who have the authority to change the process) agree with the written processes, have them listed on the ISO procedure as the initiator and/or 'responsible for maintenance of this document & process'.

Audit what they say they are going to do is what they are doing, if not find out which needs changed.

As for your question about not having a copy of ISO-9001:2008 document, it SHOULD be part of your document register as 'external documents that affect the QMS', and yes, you should have a legal copy of any document listed on this register.

 

[PaulJSmith]

Is it necessary to have a copy of the ISO Standard while implementing it? I don't understand because they have given me procedures & manuals which is in line with ISO 9001:2008 standard but they don't have a copy of the standard.

Yes, it absolutely is necessary. You cannot know if your system is compliant to - or even "in line with" - any standard unless you have a (legal) copy to compare to it. Anything else is just guessing. ISO 9001 is not expensive. Even small companies can afford it. Buy a copy so you can know without doubt.

 

[Eredhel]

We don't have job descriptions but we do have good Department Training and Procedures. That is our catch all. Each one also has a one month follow up at the bottom to be signed off by the trainer and trainee. This has allowed us to cover a lot of bases with one thing.

We started from scratch and I went to each area and built a relationship with the person most involved and later asked them to write down some notes of what they felt like people needed to know. Then I just took their notes and gave it the language of training and procedures. After that I went over it with them and let them help make adjustments.

 

[Ettore]

Thank you AndyN. I understand that its not really necessary to have Job descriptions but my Boss ask me to do it anyway .

Excuse me , but if your boss asks you to throw you into the well , you throw yourself into the well immediately without thinking ?

 

[heartlyn]

Thank you everyone for all your responses, did helped me really as I am starting in this new role. I actually follow most of your advises to have each employee provide their job descriptions. I also list down things that they should be doing which is not listed in JD they provided & have our Manager review & make changes.

As for the standard, I am now requesting to have our company purchase a copy for our reference. Thank you again, greatly appreciated.