New Member Benefit: Job Description Templates

Helping to take some of the work and risk out of creating job descriptions.

The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU) has developed six Job Description Templates for members when creating job descriptions for position postings and for general use.

The new job description templates include ones for:

• Electric Lineworker
  
• Water Plant Operator/Technician
  
• Power Plant Operator
  
• Telecom/ Broadband Technician
  
• Gas/Water/Wastewater Superintendent or Technician
  
• Public Works/Streets/Maintenance Worker
  

The intent of providing Job Description Templates is to allow IAMU members to develop, enhance, or replace existing job descriptions.

The detailed job descriptions allow for:

• Better recruitment – enables you to identify the right person for each job. Detailed job descriptions clarify employer expectations for job candidates and identify essential job functions and physical requirements.
• Better compensation systems – allows for accurate job and skill comparisons so you can create fair and logical pay and grading systems. Detailed job descripitons can also serve as a reference tool in employee/employer disputes.
  
• Better performance evaluation – enables you to make evaluations based on objective versus subjective criteria.
  
• Better people planning – allows you to make skill-based hiring and succession planning decisions.
  
• Better legal compliance – helps your utility to stay in compliance with many laws and help defend lawsuits related to hiring or termination.
  
• Objective criteria for managing return-to-work situations – following both workplace and non-work injuries and illnesses
  

The templates are available to all IAMU members for free. Safety Group Insurance Program participants can also receive complimentary consulting assistance in using the templates from Dave Eaton, IAMU Risk Improvement Representative. If you are not an insurance program participant, there is a nominal fee for the added consulting services.

To access the templates, go to www.iamu.org, sign in as a member*, go to the “Resources” section, and then to “Job Description Templates.” There you will find instructions on how to use the templates as well as the editable templates.

*If you need your member sign-in information, contact Josh Trout at [email protected].*