Job descriptions are essential in the church hiring process. After all, they are the first thing potential applicants see about your church. Job descriptions can say a lot about your church, and they ensure that applicants and future employees fully understand what the job is about, what their role involves, and what they will be held accountable for. An effective job descriptions does the following:
- Attracts the right candidates and rules out the wrong candidates
- Describes the major details about the position
- Contains a list of skills, abilities, and competencies that are needed to perform the role
- Outlines the job duties
- Provides a reference point for compensation decisions
Below are some of the key components for any job description:
Job Title
This is the first fundamental element of any job description. Make sure the job title accurately reflects the nature of the job and the duties to be performed. Do not exaggerate the importance of the role, and make sure it reflects its ranking in the hierarchy.
Duties
Not every job duty that will be performed by the selected candidate needs to be included in the job description. Instead, it should focus on the required outcome of the job. Along with a description of the duties, include the amount of time expected to be dedicated to each task, which can be represented as a percentage. Keep the descriptions short, no more than 3-4 sentences long.
Qualifications
In order to compile a list of qualifications you will be looking for, review the duties the person will perform and assess what skills are required in order to complete those tasks. Be sure to include the minimum education or training that is required, minimum years of experience, any special skills needed to perform the job, and make sure to differentiate between what is required and what is desirable or preferred.
Salary
If your church is comfortable in stating the position’s salary range and benefits to the public, include them in the description. If you are not comfortable, then work out a salary range that is competitive with similar positions in other organizations. If necessary you can always state it is negotiable.
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Clergy Financial Resources serves as a resource for clients to help analyze the complexity of clergy tax law, church payroll & HR issues. Our professionals are committed to helping clients stay informed about tax news, developments and trends in various specialty areas.
This article is intended to provide readers with guidance in tax matters. The article does not constitute, and should not be treated as professional advice regarding the use of any particular tax technique. Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information. Clergy Financial Resources and the author do not assume responsibility for any individual’s reliance upon the information provided in the article. Readers should independently verify all information before applying it to a particular fact situation, and should independently determine the impact of any particular tax planning technique. If you are seeking legal advice, you are encouraged to consult an attorney.
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