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How to Write Better Job Descriptions
Written by: Donna FlaggArticle Overview: I never understood why job descriptions were such banal documents with no structure, but a laundry list of task-driven responsibilities instead – responsibilities that pretty much look the same from one organization to another. That makes no sense. They’re more than that. Or, they could be. Meanwhile, what they shouldn’t be are generic copy/paste instruments borrowed from the Internet or someone else’s workplace. That approach deprives a company of its originality. No, rather their contents should show a relationship to the larger organization, so that the person who occupies the role actually understands his or her relationship to the larger organization.
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How to Write Better Job Descriptions
I never understood why job descriptions were such banal documents with no structure, but a laundry list of task-driven responsibilities instead – responsibilities that pretty much look the same from one organization to another. That makes no sense. They’re more than that. Or, they could be. Meanwhile, what they shouldn’t be are generic copy/paste instruments borrowed from the Internet or someone else’s workplace. That approach deprives a company of its originality. No, rather their contents should show a relationship to the larger organization, so that the person who occupies the role actually understands his or her relationship to the larger organization. That’s key.
The other shortcoming of job descriptions today is that they perpetuate silos. They tend to force people into vertical functions and take a micro view only. The danger in that is that they then shape an organization filled with people like horses who have blinders on. As a result, it becomes more of a challenge, if not impossible, to create a service-oriented culture with employees whose jobs are tied to broader, not individual, business results.
There are some easy ways to broaden the lens through which jobs can be constructed and written. Think about, and then answer. the questions below before downloading the usual job minutia out of context, which ultimately falis to consider how the job itself contributes to the business’ success and bottom line.
1. What results do you expect the job to produce for the company? These are quantifiable contributions.
2. What individual or group of individuals does this role service? This can be internally or externally. The point is that everyone in an organization relies on someone else to get work done. We call whoever that is a “Client or Service Group.”
3. What expectations can you place on the person in the job to promote the company? This is about branding and ensuring not only that employees represent the organization in a positive light, but also that everyone is doing what he or she can to drive the organization forward.
4. What administrative duties need to be accomplished? This is typically what make up most job descriptions. But you can see, it’s only part of it.
5. What does the job look like in execution mode? This is what the organization expects behaviorally from its employees. In other words, how the company wants the employee to carry out his or her duties.
6. What is the purpose of the role in its placement of the organization?
7. What is the specific objective of the job?
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Article Tags: bottom line, br 3, business results, copy paste, generic copy, horses, job descriptions, jobs, laundry list, micro view, nbsp, originality, relationship, rsquo, service group, shortcoming, silos
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About the Author: Donna Flagg RSS for Donna's articles - Visit Donna's website  Donna Flagg spent over 15 years in business before founding The Krysalis Group, a consulting firm specializing in management, marketing, training and sales and their respective relationships to business results. Her management career began in sales at CHANEL, and before branching out on her own, she spearheaded a new training function within the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs. After earning a BA from Rutgers University and gaining experience on the front lines of Corporate America, Donna went on to attend New York University's Graduate School of Education where she obtained a master's degree in Organizational Development and Human Resource Management, and a post graduate degree in Business Education. She has also been a speaker at City University of New York (CUNY) and New York University through Stern Business School and Delta Pi Epsilon, a national honorary professional graduate society in business education and training. In addition, she speaks at various conferences including those conducted by The Business Leadership Network and The Conference Board, where she was also on the advisory committee for the Enterprise Learning Strategies Conference. For her communications expertise, Donna was invited to be a host at the Liz Claiborne Leadership Offsite to discuss branding during their "Progressive Dinner" event and more recently, a speaker at the Inc. Leadership Conference in Dallas, TX. Donna is the author of Surviving Dreaded Conversations and is blogger on Pyschology Today and The Huffington Post. She is frequently featured in the press for her workplace expertise in outlets including CNBC, the New York Times, WOR, and XM Satellite Radio. Donna currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Randy Foye Foundation where she actively participates in its mission to assist children and families in Newark, NJ. Click here to visit Donna's website   Consensus Building Can Be Too Much of a Good Thing The Difference Between Managers and Leaders is A Lot Not Much HR Departments Making Structure Make Sense How to Write Better Job Descriptions Giving Employees a Test Run Before Hiring |
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