Home Features Mastermind Videos About Advertise Blog Network Contact
   

Have A Suggestion?
Toronto Salsa Classes / Toronto Salsa Lessons Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
Have A Suggestion?

Featured Ebook


ebook Famous Entrepreneurs - Modern Empire Builders


Featured Ebook

More Evan Carmichael
Have A Suggestion?

Sales Lessons From Starbucks And Dell

We Believe in Job Descriptions, But They Have to be Results-Oriented



We Believe in Job Descriptions, But They Have to be Results-Oriented
   

Job descriptions are good. Yes, we’re aware that no one likes to write them (except us and a few other strange people).

“Things change all the time.” “No one ever uses them.” “A waste of time.” “I’ve got other things to do.”

If something isn’t useful and doesn’t help you manage, then, of course, dump it. Consider, however, that the job description is your employment contract with an employee: You accomplish this for me, and I will pay you.

As is true in many aspects of life, communication is key. Don’t wind up like the warden who made Cool Hand Luke’s situation plain: “What we have is failure to communicate.” A job description is communication. The better you write the job description, the clearer will be your expectations and requirements to your employee.

Does it take time to write a job description? Of course, but look at the alternatives: You either assume that because a job applicant has performed the same or a similar job in the past, she knows how to do your job, or you tell the applicant what you want done (which we’ll bet will be incomplete, and we’ll also bet will be forgotten by the applicant amidst the deluge of information she receives at the start of the job).

Now, here’s another thing we believe about job descriptions: Writing a long list of duties or tasks is almost not worth the effort. Instead, what you want to establish are the results that you want an employee to accomplish after performing the duties. Where is the employee headed? What is the objective? What does success look like when achieved? We created the Results-Oriented Job Description because it is more valuable to managers and employees.

We’ve all been served in a restaurant. Here’s what the job looks like from a results-oriented point of view:

JOB TITLE: WAITER/WAITRESS



JOB PURPOSE: SERVES DINERS by covering tables; setting utensils, napkins, decorations, condiments, candles, and service plates; presenting menu; suggesting courses; explaining daily specials; answering food preparation questions; recording diners choices; picking-up and delivering items from bar, kitchen, and service areas; inquiring of needs; removing courses as completed; issuing bill; accepting payment.



ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

% of time

____ 1. PREPARES TABLES FOR DINING by cleaning and covering tables; setting utensils, napkins, decorations, condiments, candles, and service plates.

____ 2. HELPS DINERS SELECT FOOD AND BEVERAGES by presenting menu; suggesting courses; explaining daily specials; answering food preparation questions; offering beverages; identifying appropriate wines.

____ 3. TRANSMITS ORDERS TO KITCHEN AND BAR by recording diners choices; identifying diners special dietary needs and requests; noting timing of meal progression.

____ 4. SERVES FOOD AND DRINKS by picking-up and delivering items from bar, kitchen, and service areas.

____ 5. MAINTAINS DINING EXPERIENCE by inquiring of needs; removing courses as completed; replenishing utensils; refilling water glasses; being alert to spills or other special needs.

____ 6. CONCLUDES DINING EXPERIENCE by acknowledging choice of restaurant; inviting diners to return.

____ 7. OBTAINS DINING REVENUES by totaling charges; issuing bill; accepting payment; returning change or credit card.

____ 8. PROTECTS RESTAURANT AND DINERS by adhering to sanitation, safety, and alcohol beverage control policies.

____ 9. IMPROVES WAITER/WAITRESS JOB KNOWLEDGE by attending training sessions; reading technical publications.

____ 10. CONTRIBUTES TO FOOD SERVICE AND RESTAURANT SUCCESS by welcoming related, different, and new requests; helping others accomplish job results.

A Results-Oriented Job Description creates a meaningful base for stating job qualifications, interviewing job applicants, orienting new employees, planning job training, appraising job performance, counseling and disciplining employees—all of the essential employment actions.



We Believe in Job Descriptions, But They Have to be Results-Oriented - To learn more about this author, visit Roger Plachy's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends
[Get Copyright Permissions] E-Mail | Print | More  


Related Articles Related Articles
Human Resources Job
  Advertising a human resources job available within your company is the same as any other position, and key to all of them is writing the most adequate and best possible job description that you can. Today, in a busi...
Review of X-Cart SEO module for e-commerce website.
  If you are using X-Cart as your shopping cart platform, this is a review of an search engine optimization (SEO module for X-Cart.
More Business Card Ideas
  Last issue's idea of putting something on the back of your business card that people will want to keep to struck a chord with some of you who tell me you plan to use it.
Can I achieve Quick SEO Results in Google, Yahoo, MSN?
  There is no "Magic Bullet" when it comes to Search Engine Optimization. Regardless of what anybody or any SEO company may tell you, there are never guarantees to achieving top rankings on the search engines. By...
“BEST WAYS TO IDENTIFY YOUR IDEAL CLIENTS & CUSTOMERS”
  All businesses today should know who their ideal clients and customers are. IDo you know who your ideal clients are? Have you ever taken time to truly identify your ideal clients and what they ...

Related Forum Posts Related Forum Posts

 
About the Author


Roger Plachy
(Visit Roger's Website)
Roger Plachy and Sandy Plachy are a husband-wife human resources management consulting team. Their interest in results-oriented thinking and managing employee performance led them to establish the Job Results Management Institute, and to create the Results-Oriented Job Description. At www.jrmi.com they offer the world’s largest database of results-oriented job descriptions. They have also responded to management’s need to keep employment actions centered on job requirements instead of personality, creating management forms tailored to each job description, for interviewing, orienting, training, and appraising performance. Free family job descriptions on their site bring a results-orientation to non-work aspects of life. Roger and Sandy consult with all types of organizations worldwide, and are authors of the books, Results-Oriented Job Descriptions, More Results-Oriented Job Descriptions, Performance Management, and Building a Fair Pay Program. Roger also wrote: When I Lead, Why Don’t They Follow? At www.results-orientedthinking.com, they offer commentary about their results-oriented management approach.
Have A Suggestion?

View Author's Blog
Become An Author

View Author's Video
Become An Author

Free Downloads


Roger Plachy's

Complete
List Of
Human-Resources
Articles

First Name
Last Name
Email
 
If you enjoyed this article, get Roger Plachy's Complete List of Human-Resources Articles For FREE!
Become An Author