If I’ve learned anything in my HR career, it’s that writing job descriptions is the second least-liked activity for most people, next to a trip to the dentist. It’s easy to understand – job descriptions are time consuming, can lead to disagreement, turf wars, and dropped responsibilities.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Start from the premise that good, current job descriptions are at the heart of how an organization gets things done, meets its goals, and fulfills its mission. They are that important in the organizational scheme of things.
With that premise in mind, the mission to complete or update job descriptions takes on new meaning, not just to the incumbent in a role, but to the success of the organization. So how do we do this right, without being intrusive on employees and supervisors?
First, understand what a good job description is. It’s a document outlining key details of a specific role within an organization. It’s an agreement between the organization and the employee about duties, responsibilities and accountabilities. It affirms the values and mission of the organization. It’s a tool to attract qualified candidates. And it’s input for setting salary and benefits, or annual objectives.
A job description also informs other important employment documents. While not a legal contract in itself, a job description can be appended to an employment contract drawn up by an employment lawyer. It is the foundation for an annual performance plan, though an incumbent may not necessarily fulfill all responsibilities in the job description every year due to objectives and priorities. It also gives guidance to a personal development plan.
So, what are the elements of a good job description that checks all the boxes? There isn’t one model, or set of categories for a job description, because it depends on the organization, its mission and the sector it serves, among other things. I do not profess to use the perfect model and process for documenting jobs, but I will share the things I have encountered and used in my career when it comes to job descriptions. And it never hurts to regularly consider other organizations’ job descriptions for best practices.
I have found these categories, or sub-sections, to be a helpful template to construct a job description:
- Job Title. Make it clear and accurately reflect the duties and seniority (like Executive Director, Fundraising Manager, or Operations Coordinator). Avoid jargon/acronyms where possible and make it gender neutral. The title should generate interest and pride in the incumbent as a concise summary of their professional identity.
- Summary/Overview (role & organization). A paragraph or two about the organization and the role’s general responsibility in relation to it. This can be a subtle selling proposition to potential candidates.
- Responsibilities. Each duty is clearly defined using active verbs such as “lead strategic planning” or “collaborate in annual budgeting”. Both the extent and limit of each responsibility should be apparent to avoid turf wars or dropped accountabilities.
- Required Qualifications. This might include level of education, professional designations or licensing. Be mindful not to set the bar too high, thereby limiting the pool of qualified candidates.
- Experience, Skills and Competencies. How many years in this sector, or similar organization, and at what levels? What definable skills are needed in software, communications, events management, or other tangible activities related to the role? What are the 5 or 6 core competencies that contribute to success in the role, be it strategic thinking, financial acumen, deliberative decision making, or others. Above all, don’t laundry list skills and competencies to avoid disqualifying virtually every applicant.
- Reporting Structure and Relationships. Who does the role report to, and what are the other roles (internal and external) that the incumbent interacts with?
- Work Environment, Location, Flex Policy. Where is the work location, and is it accessible by transit or available parking, and what are other attractive amenities? Very important today for candidates is the flex work policies related to working from home at least part of the time.
- Compensation and Benefits. For reasons of equity, mainstream job sites often require a salary range from employers. Some jurisdictions, such as Ontario, require it legislatively. By also including the benefits (which also have a monetary value), it may enhance the attraction of the compensation package for candidates, be it pension, health and wellness, or vacation weeks.
What Consistent, Standardized Job Descriptions Contribute
Job descriptions are central to many aspects of organizational success:
- Governance and Standardized Framework. This provides consistency in job descriptions across all departments. That way, there is a common structure, tone, and set of criteria, which prevents confusion, reduces duplication of tasks between roles, and allows for fair and equitable compensation structures and pay decisions.
- Compliance. Job descriptions should align with employment legislation.
- Strategic Alignment. Job descriptions should ensure that job roles and responsibilities are aligned with the company’s overall mission, vision, and business objectives. They help define how each position contributes to organizational goals, rather than just focusing on a list of tasks.
- Recruitment and Selection. Good staffing starts with attracting qualified candidates, developing relevant interview questions and screening criteria.
- Performance Management. Setting clear, measurable performance expectations and conducting fair performance evaluations are based on a clear and consistent job description.
- Training and Development. Identifying skill gaps and determining specific training needs.
- Compensation and Benefits. Ensuring that compensation is competitive and aligned with the responsibilities and qualifications of the role. A clear job description is a primary input for compensation ratings to ensure consistent compensation and pay equity across the organization.
- Objectivity and Clarity. Job descriptions should be “incumbent neutral”, focusing on the requirements of the job itself rather than the specific qualities of the current employee. This promotes objectivity and helps set clear expectations for all parties involved, including managers and employees.
- Workforce Planning. A consistent job description helps HR analyze the workforce, identify future skill needs, and plan for organizational changes such as succession planning and internal mobility.
A Sane Process for Job Descriptions
The preceding points focus primarily on the functions of an HR department. That’s why it is important that an HR professional drives the job description process to its conclusion, in a direct and consistent manner.
It should begin with the current incumbent in a role and their supervisor. If a job description exists, HR begins by putting it in a standardized format and updating it to comply with legislation and other organizational policy. The revised job description is then shared with the incumbent and supervisor for their input, before HR finalizes the document. Approval of the job description rests with the manager two levels above the incumbent to provide a broader perspective that ensures that there is no overlap between departments, or responsibility gaps. The date of approval is then annotated on the revised job description for future updates.
If no job description exists, HR should actively engage with the incumbent and supervisor to get their input on responsibilities and then draft the document in a standardized format before review and comment by the incumbent and supervisor. This review often includes discussion between the incumbent and supervisor to ensure alignment with organizational objectives and agreement on responsibilities.
Artificial Intelligence and Job Descriptions
As with so many aspects of our professional and personal lives, artificial intelligence (AI) is making an increasing impact, including with job documentation. Indeed, AI can be a helpful tool and increase efficiency.
But if you use AI for generating job descriptions understand that AI makes mistakes and can make things up at times. That’s why it is important to have a human review at every stage. For example, an HR professional sets clear input to the AI tool about the organization, its mission, sector, and the job title, purpose, general accountability, and the standardized headings to be used. The more clarity you input, the more consistency AI can provide.
The first AI draft is not seen by the incumbent and supervisor until HR has carefully reviewed the draft to ensure that it is in the proper format, is compliant with legislation, aligned with organizational objectives, gender neutral, and meets company policy.
AI can also be helpful in updating existing job descriptions and rewriting based on feedback but must be given clear direction and review by HR as described above.
Job Descriptions Mean Success
Job descriptions are far more central to an organization’s functioning and future than most of us give them credit for. So, it’s important to be mindful that every time we create or update a consistent, clear job description, we help our organization succeed.
Blog article by Bill Hozy, Director, Talent Management at crawfordconnect.
