The primary purpose of a job description is to identify the essential functions of the position. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), essential functions are those tasks or functions of a particular position that are fundamental to the position (as opposed to marginal). Knowing the essential functions of the job will aid you in: 

· writing appropriate interview questions; and  determining whether a person is qualified to perform the essential functions;

· identifying reasonable accommodations to enable a disabled person to perform the essential functions.

In identifying essential functions, be sure to consider whether employees in the position actually are required to perform the function, and whether removing it would fundamentally change the job.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990  lists several reasons why a function could be considered essential:

· the position exists to perform the function (e.g., if you hire someone to proofread documents, the ability to proofread accurately is an essential function, since this is the reason that the position exists);
· there are a limited number of other employees available to perform the function, or among whom the function can be distributed (e.g., it may be an essential function for a file clerk to answer the telephone if there are only three employees in a busy office, and each employee has to perform  different tasks).
· a function is highly specialized, and the person in the position is hired for special expertise or ability to perform it (e.g., a company expanding its business with Japan is hiring a new salesperson, requires someone with sales experience, and also with the ability to communicate in Japanese).
To identify the essential functions of the job, first identify the purpose of the job, and the importance of actual job functions in achieving this purpose. In evaluating the "importance" of job functions, consider, among other things, the frequency with which a function is performed, the amount of time spent on the function, and the consequences if the function is not performed. The EEOC considers various forms of evidence to determine whether or not a particular function is essential; these include:  · the employer's judgment;
· the amount of time spent on the job performing that function; and
· the availability of others in the department to fill in for the person who performs that function.
In defining the essential functions of a job, it is important to distinguish between methods and results. For example, is the essential function moving a fifty pound box from one part of the lab to another, or is it carrying the box? While essential functions need to be performed, they often do not need to be performed in one particular manner
It's time to write the job description. Have you carefully thought about what is REALLY needed? Is there tolerance for a new person's learning curve? As you consider your responses to these questions, remember that we are available to offer you guidance. Once you write your job description:
· In summary:  List all the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the job; divide them into requirements and preferences
· The requirements listed on the job description must support the essential functions, and serve as the primary criteria for selecting/rejecting candidates
· Don't lock yourself into strict requirements that may prevent you from considering qualified candidates.   ADA rules  do not allow you to refuse to hire a qualified candidate who meets the requirements and whose disability can be reasonably accommodated

Review of Appraisal Techniques

Follow these techniques to conduct an effective and successful performance appraisal:

1. Be systematic in your approach. This means doing a thorough preparation for each interview, covering all the points outlined in the interview format, and working with the employee until the form has been filled out in a mutually acceptable way. No shortcuts, no "quickie" appraisals because you're under pressure, and no skipping questions on the form because you don't want to bother to think them through.
   
   
2. Go into the interview with firm, but not fixed, ideas. A firm idea is based on solid evidence. A fixed idea is unchangeable. You should be willing to change your opinions of the employee's performance if new evidence is revealed during the interview or if you find you've misinterpreted the original evidence.
   
   
3. Get the employee to collaborate. Collaboration means working together. The employee should do thorough pre-appraisal research, should be an active participant in the interview, and should not be allowed to slip into a passive role.
   
   
4. Don't rush. This applies to pre-appraisal time as well as to the interview itself. Both preparation and interviewing are time-consuming activities. Your efforts will be for naught if you try to do too many things at once, if you allow interruptions, or if you give the employee the impression that you are eager to get it over with.
   
   
5. Be supportive. Before employees are willing to collaborate, they must believe that nothing that is said will be held against them. In short, they must trust you.
   
   
6. Expect problems. You are likely to encounter some form of disagreement, defensiveness, or outright hostility in most appraisal interviews. It is unrealistic to expect total agreement, and you may have to reconcile yourself to living with a certain amount of disagreement until the next appraisal period.
   
   
7. Aim at a realistic level of growth. The goals set during the appraisal interviews must be adapted to the individuals. This means you have to reach an honest understanding of their capabilities and encourage them to set their own objectives accordingly.
   
   
8. Review. Your employees should always know how they're doing on the job. This is why periodic reviews are so important. So resist the temptation to postpone them or skip them altogether.

A clear vision, bright leadership—and of course, star employees that help move the company towards its strategic goals.

But sometimes, even your star employees can get off course. And when employees start moving in different directions, it can be detrimental to your company’s working environment—not to mention your bottom line. That’s why it’s particularly important to put the time and attention that is needed to recognize and correct poor performance before it spirals out of control.

Correcting poor performance requires managers and employees to openly discuss performance issues and collectively develop solutions for improvement.  Some managers are fearful of disciplining employees and avoid confrontation entirely.  On the other end of the spectrum, some managers are so harsh that their feedback is hurtful rather than helpful.  The key is to find a “middle ground” that will effectively correct behavior without compromising your working relationship.

The following tips will help to tactfully address and correct poor performance before it negatively affects your business:

Confront employees in private.  Make the necessary arrangements to meet with poor performing employees in a private location, free from earshot of co-workers.  No one appreciates being corrected or chastised for poor performance in the public eye.  Doing so will only create intimidation, fear, and hostility.

Begin the meeting with a positive remark.  Beginning the meeting with negative statements about the employee will likely lead to defensiveness and an unwillingness to listen.  Always try to make the employee feel comfortable by starting the meeting on a positive note.  Think of examples of when the employee impressed you.  Start with those before jumping into the areas that are in need of improvement and you’ll likely spot employee acceptance.

Be specific.  The purpose of a discipline meeting is to pinpoint and improve upon poor performance.  In accomplishing this goal, managers must tell the employee exactly what the problem is, what steps...