Nowadays, the recognition of potential discrimination in the workplace and during the hiring process has led the government to demand reasonable job descriptions. The essential functions analysis (EFA) is a process of determining what objectives an employee in a position must be able to perform regardless of their limitations (Mitchell & Gamlem, 2022). The assessment of an employee’s essential functions enables organizations to avoid potential lawsuits due to discrimination while outlining tasks that are reasonable for a position that is sought to be filled.
Companies must seek the best possible applicant to hire, as well as must remain objective in their decisions. The EFA strives to provide the most accurate description of a worker’s basic goals necessary to fulfill a company’s activities that achieve a desired outcome (Mitchell & Gamlem, 2022). Regardless of the personal preferences of a firm’s leaders, hiring managers must remain within the limits of adequate position fulfillment. This approach enables firms to avoid approaching employment limitations subjectively while being precise in their judgments. The evidence that is necessary to be collected for the EFA gives an organization a clear idea regarding over- and under-qualified applicants.
The analysis consists of outlining a firm’s goals, documenting its organizational workflow, collecting evidentiary data, and developing concrete job specifications. First, a company must create a flowchart of each worker’s daily functions and assess how they contribute to its mission. The difference between tangent and essential goals must be stated clearly, as some operations might be auxiliary rather than mandatory for a firm to perform its activities (Mitchell & Gamlem, 2022). The contribution must be within a feasible skill range and require knowledge sufficient for its completion without requiring one to be overqualified. The reason behind every essential function must be explainable, as non-compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) can lead to severe penalties for a firm that does not manage its hiring processes properly (Mitchell & Gamlem, 2022). These government-imposed limitations are created in order to avoid discrimination and disruptions in the labor market.
The notion of reasonable accommodations plays a vital role in job descriptions and limitations. Mitchell and Gamlem (2022) note that employers are not required “to eliminate essential functions or duties of the position or to lower quantity or quality standards” (p. 29). Therefore, the EFA gives the foundation for adequate job standards. The basis for job requirements must be provable as the absolute necessity for that position. For example, if an employer requires a secretary to be able to write a certain number of words per minute, this demand must be proven to be vital for that job. Otherwise, it could be seen as an unnecessary limitation that leads to an unreasonable exclusion of potential employees with sufficient skills (Rassas, 2022). The EFA takes place prior to a company’s hiring process, as it lies in the foundation of job descriptions.
In conclusion, the EFA is a vital process that allows employers to outline tasks that are necessary to perform by an employee in a target position. The EFA is structured in such a way that gives an objective evaluation of essential requirements, without which a worker could not contribute to their firm’s operations in a productive way. Compliance with ADA standards for job descriptions can be achieved through the ADA, which focuses hiring managers’ attention on critical functions they seek to cover through new employees.
References
Mitchell, B., & Gamlem, C. (2022). The big book of HR (10th ed.). Red Wheel/Weiser.
Rassas, L. B. (2022). Employment law: A guide to hiring, managing, and firing for employers and employees (5th ed.). Aspen Publishing.