By Scott Teichert
Every American job is under scrutiny in today’s economy. As businesses and organizations face the harsh realities of deflated budgets, increased expectations and economic complexities beyond their control, the importance of aligning human capital with organizational need is critical. Arguably, there is no better tool in articulating the alignment of specific employee positions with organizational need than a well-written job description.
Successful Hiring Relies on Job Descriptions
Specialization has created a business environment in which organizations have increasingly specific labor needs that need to be matched with potential employees who have unique, matching skill sets. Pairing organizational need with qualified candidates is dependent on successful hiring experiences where mutual expectations are explored and understood. The job description is the best tool in helping both the employer and the potential employee identify mutual expectations and determine the “fit” of a relationship.
Lahle Wolfe, author of “Human Resources: The Importance of Having Job Descriptions,” expressed the concept this way: “An effective job description details the primary functions of the job, how the tasks will be carried out, and the necessary skills needed to perform the job. It should anticipate employee growth and potential problems with misunderstanding. That is, a job description is not just an analysis of the position; it should also address potential questions about the position in the future.”
Because a good job description addresses potential questions, it can remove ambiguity. It can even provide a common understanding of expectations and responsibilities.
For an employer, a job description which gives a summary of the position is valuable in helping develop job advertisements, interview questions, and attracting specific pools of qualified applicants. The job description can help an organization focus on specific needs, and introduce themselves and pertinent information about their efforts to an applicant pool.
For the potential employee, a job description serves as a research resource. Applicants can learn about the hiring organization. The job description itself may answer questions about the job, salary and experience needed. Additionally the summary can even communicate strong messages about the institutional culture and work environment.
Job Descriptions Help Organizations Evaluate the Importance of Their Workforce
Organizations rely on written job descriptions to make decisions about their workforces. For example, as a result of decreased higher education funding, the University of Washington (UW) considered a workforce reduction in 2008. Because the responsibility to reduce their workforce was shared across the campus, the UW Human Resource Department created a Layoff and Reduction Checklist. This tool gave specific advice criteria for layoffs centered on evaluating employee positions through review of respective written job descriptions.
While all organizations may not face similar dramatic pressure to reduce their workforce, most organizations can benefit from written job descriptions because they clearly provide a checklist of responsibilities and functions in which the workforce of the organization is engaged.
Job Descriptions Help Employees and Employers Focus on Performance
Being accountable for the specific items expressed in a written job description can help employee performance. Many performance review activities center on the evaluation of responsibilities as articulated in the job description. Employees and employers can measure performance based on documented (and agreed upon) assumptions if both parties understand a well-written job description. In such cases there is little margin for misunderstanding expectations. If disagreements regarding performance occur between an employee and employer, a job description may serve as legal documentation of joint expectations.
Job Descriptions Benchmark Critical Skill Sets Needed to Accomplish Specific Tasks.
Ultimately, a job description serves as a benchmark, outlining the critical skill sets and qualifications needed to accomplish specific tasks associated with each job. Job descriptions can be compared to other position descriptions and salary and benefits can be derived. Job descriptions can provide both the employee and the employer a ‘reality check’ when it comes to commensurate experience needed to accomplish specific job functions.
Today a job description not only provides a critical foundation upon which employment searches are dependant, but a job description can help organizations evaluate labor responsibilities in connection with business goals. Additionally, a job description can help an employee focus on performance measures valued by their employer and benchmark critical skill sets needed to accomplish specific tasks.
Because of the myriad uses of job descriptions, writing effective summaries of job responsibilities, skills and qualifications requires deliberate attention to detail and professional writing skills. According to Doug Sayed, founder of Applied HR Strategies Inc, “The format and style for writing job descriptions might be different from any other type of writing that you do in your job. Writing job descriptions is not a complex process, but it requires following a basic format and including specific components.”
The following five tips (accompanied with techniques and specific examples) should help writing professionals create meaningful job descriptions:
Tip #1: Don’t Write in a Vacuum
Creating a job description can be an excellent opportunity to clarify the needs of an organization and capitalize on a renewed vision of the subject position. Writers should take the time necessary to identify stakeholders in the organization who will be impacted by the position and who may be interested in providing valuable feedback and invite them to join in the writing process. Ample time to brainstorm the functions of the position from multiple angles should be made available to all involved in the process.
Writers should know what they really want in the job position and ask, “Is the job in harmony with the salary being offered? Are the expectations manageable?” These are important questions that will need to be addressed before an effective job description can be written.
Participants may be tempted to rush the writing of a job description so that other hiring activities such as advertising, interviews and the actual contracting of the new employee can be accomplished. It is important, however, to remember that all of these efforts are in vain if the job description isn’t well written.
Writers should take time to research similar jobs and look for job descriptions that are already being used to attract the kind of applicants an organization may wish to employ. Exploring job postings advertising similar positions in other organizations is encouraged. There is no need to plagiarize another organization’s job description--such a practice is unethical and even illegal; however, developing a sense of what job titles, qualifications, and expected responsibilities are in organizations similar to yours, will allow writers to better define their own organization’s needs.
As writers research external job advertisements, positions, and descriptions, they shouldn’t neglect learning about the hiring process in their own organization. Writers need to know about salary constraints and job compliance issues such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA) and the American Disability Act (ADA). These considerations are necessary in writing an effective and legal job description.
Technique: Identify the position responsibilities and write in an active voice.
An activity that may help writers define the position with greater clarity involves brainstorming with colleagues who have a vested interest in the position. Writers could facilitate a group brainstorming session and think of the position as it may exist in the near future. Writers should ask the group to complete the following sentence and record its responses: “This position (action word) (subject) by (describe how they would accomplish verb).”
Example: “The Admissions Advisor responds to prospective student inquiries by answering email sent to the recruitment account.”
As the group completes multiple sentences that describe the responsibilities of the position, they will gain a more concrete and direct understanding of what the position requires and be able to incorporate these positions requirements in the actual job description with an engaging and accurate written voice.
Tip #2: Be Organized
Because job descriptions are a reflection of an organizations employment environment, writers should demonstrate organization and clarity. Job descriptions are often used to locate specific information quickly and easily (such as salary, and location). Unlike other writing styles, the formatting of a job description is not a place to explore creativity. Job descriptions should be direct, clear and well organized.
Technique: Write within a Template or Universal Format
Most organizations use a job description template; however, the essential elements of most job descriptions are universal.
Job descriptions begin with the announcement, which states the title of the position, who the position reports to, and the date the job description was last revised. This information should be brief. Actual job titles should be used instead of employee names, and abbreviations should always be avoided.
Example: The position reports to the Associate Vice-President of Enrollment Services.
Often the salary, pay grade, location and expected work hours are included in the announcement portion of the job description. Appropriate AP style should always be followed.
Directly following the announcement, a job summary gives a brief synopsis of the position and its scope. The job summary should briefly state the nature and purpose of the position. The summary is an excellent place to outline the employee’s freedom to act.
Example(s): “works independently,” “works in a team environment,” “works under direct supervision,” and “supervises/manages,” etc.
The summary should be brief and general but give a short and insightful description of the position. It should describe the position as it currently exists, not how it is envisioned to the future.
After the job summary a bulleted list of key responsibilities and essential job functions is appropriate. This section of the job description describes functions within the scope of the job summary and the list should include action sentences as previously discussed in
Tip #1.
Because writing lists of responsibilities can be a challenge, writers should be conscious of the grammar rules surrounding parallel structures, or using the same pattern of words to show equal importance.
Example:
• Prepares market share reports by researching district graduation counts and analyzing university enrollment data.
AP style should always be followed in writing key responsibilities and essential job functions. Once job responsibilities have been compiled and written, some organizations require that the responsibilities be listed in order of importance and assigned a percentage of time allocated to the position.
Example:
• Prepares market share reports by researching district graduation counts and analyzing university enrollment data. (20%)
• Represents the university at Financial Aid information sessions held throughout October. (10%)
Following the list of key responsibilities and essential job functions, job descriptions should articulate job specifications which describe the knowledge, skills, expertise, abilities and qualifications applicants should possess in order to be successful in the job.
Often the specifications of a job are divided between minimum qualifications and preferred qualifications. The job description should describe the minimum knowledge, skills and abilities that are required. Typically minimum qualifications are evaluated in terms education, experience, special skills, and certificates or licenses.
To comply with ADA, job descriptions legally must include the physical demands and the environment of the job. Writers should consult with their legal or HR departments when writing this section.
All job descriptions should include a disclaimer that indicates that the description is a summary of the typical functions of the job. The disclaimer should be written in a way that provides flexibility in changing or updating the job description in the future.
Tip #3: Know Your Audience
When using a job description as part of a hiring search it is critical to know the audience the job search is targeting. Just as the job description can be used in attract potential employees, it can also repel qualified applicants through poor word choice, exclusivity, and obscure and misunderstood references.
Technique: Write to a Targeted Audience
Word choice is critical when writing a job description. Specific industries such as technology and medicine have unique vocabularies where added meaning is ascribed to particular word choices. It is important to consider how phrases might attract or alienate individual audiences. Knowing the jargon of a particular applicant pool will help a writer attract interest in his or her position.
For example, when hiring a Systems Analyst, authors may want to require knowledge and experience with “SQL,” “.Net,” and other programming languages. Inclusion of such terms in an entry level Records Evaluator position, however, would certainly limit the number of applicants interested in the position. Sometimes industry jargon has a place in a job description. Most of the time, it is best to use it cautiously.
Writers should follow sound grammar etiquette by avoiding gender-based language. Throughout the job description reference should be made to position titles rather than pronouns that imply gender or bias.
Example: The Transfer Articulation Specialist must have an Associate’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
Additionally, writers should never refer to organizational terms that are specific or unique in nature or express a nomenclature not easily understood by people outside of an organization. Writers should never assume applicants understand hyphenated terms or nicknames.
Furthermore, attention should be given to qualifications that may limit an otherwise competent applicant pool.
Tip #4: Use Buzzwords
Often, hiring the right applicant is all about exposure. The more a job description can be looked at by qualified applicants the more likely a strong applicant pool can be built. Today job placement giants like Monster.com and similar sites regularly pull in job postings from across the web. Search engines compile job listings based on key words and phrases.
Incorporating buzzwords with key words and phrases in a job description can ensure that larger audiences know of the opportunities within your organization.
Technique: Write Using Well Known Key Words and Phrases
Paralleling the importance of word choice as previously discussed; including search engine optimized text is an important consideration when writing a job description. Brevity and directness in the job description will make it more readable., Writers should omit unneeded phrases and clauses and write deliberately.
Example: Works with functional users to set-up applications, but not limited to, degree audit system, student information system, customer relations management (CRM) solution, web tailoring, workflow, scanning, and indexing software.
Tip #5: Brainstorm the Multiple Uses of the Job Description
Job descriptions have multiple uses. They serve as a reference guide that defines the relationship between employers and employees. They are used by competitors to benchmark competing labor forces, by interest groups scrutinizing hiring practices, by legal departments when labor disputes arise and in many other ways. Writing job descriptions that can be used across multiple mediums is wise. To assume their use is limited to an employee and a hiring organization underestimates the true power a well crafted job description can bring to any organization.
Technique: Write for Multiple Mediums
Because job descriptions have multiple uses and can be used by multiple audiences for multiple reasons, it is important that writers consider writing for multiple mediums. Historically, job descriptions were primarily internal documents and advertisements extrapolated elements of the description for use in print. Today job descriptions in their entirety can be disseminated across the web. Writers of job descriptions need to consider loose formatting, font and readability. Portions of the job description may be referenced in biographies, labor reports and other forms. Even HR software may truncate descriptions when they archive position announcements.
Job description authors should write brief but powerful statements, always considering their phrases and lists of responsibilities as sound bites and quotations.
Conclusion
Creating effective job descriptions requires skill and careful consideration because it is a writing genre where descriptive ideas must be conveyed briefly and succinctly. Proper use of parallel structure, word choice, AP style, and organization are all skills that must be used to create a well-written job description. Equally import is preparation, clarity of purpose and consideration of the multiple uses of the document.
Job descriptions are helpful for employers, employees and anyone interested in better understanding the relationship between the two.
Interview with Matthew Pitts, former Executive Assistant to the Vice President of HR at USANA
Matthew Pitts, former Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Human Resources at USANA, advises job description writers to collaborate with their Human Resource offices early in the writing process. According to Pitts, “the headaches most common when writing a job description seem to be matching responsibilities with salaries. Time is often lost in filling positions when department directors don’t understand that the responsibilities they want to include in a job description need to match appropriate pay levels.”
Pitts suggests writers who can demonstrate specific responsibilities and create a vision of what the position will be doing through descriptive and active voice generally have a much easier time justifying appropriate compensation levels. He notes that as departmental directors (writers) work in tandem with their organization HR specialist, job descriptions can be better tailored to fit appropriate salary benchmarks and engage ideal candidates.
Professional writing is critical according to Pitts; “Obviously spelling and grammar are important but you can’t forget to make the job interesting and attractive. You want to engage a potential employee and use the job description to facilitate a relationship.”
Sources
How to Develop a Job Description, Susan Heathfield, 2010
How to Write a Job Description, Christine Lagorio, 2010
Human Resources: The Importance of Having Written Job Descriptions, Lahle Wolfe, 2008
Layoff & Reduction Checklist, University of Washington, 2007
Parallel Structure, OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab, 2010
Tips on Writing a Position Descriptions, University of Delaware, unknown
Write Effective Job Descriptions, Doug Sayed, 2003
Writing Great Job Descriptions, Chris Kelleher, 2011
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