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Writing a Position Description 1 What is a Position Description? Position Descriptions outline: • • • • • Who How Major functions and duties Responsibilities Knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) Effort Working conditions Does What Work Why Where When/How Often 2 Why Position Descriptions? Position descriptions can be used to: • • • • • • • • • • • • Assign work and document work assignments. Help clarify and align with the organization’s mission & values. Establish performance requirements. Determine classification and benchmark to the external job market. Recruit for vacancies. Explore reasonable accommodations. Counsel employees on career opportunities and vocational interests. Train employees. Comply with legal requirements related to equal opportunity, equal pay, overtime eligibility, etc. Make decisions on job restructuring. Suggest ways to enrich the work experience. Support and inform succession planning efforts. 3 When Do I Write or Review Position Descriptions? A Supervisor or Unit professional or an Employee writes, reviews, and/or revises a Position Description when: Changing/Adjusting job duties and/or responsibilities. Requiring additional and/or new qualifications. Creating a new position. During an established annual review process (Performance Evaluations/Merit Cycle). Recruiting for a replacement in an established position. During re-design/re-organization efforts. Identifying revisions based on Exploring reasonable accommodations. Development of other HR-related programs such as: • Work Planning • Performance Management • Work Re-Design • Succession Planning 4 Ask Yourself: In the past, have you started with: what you want to pay? what salary grade you want? which FLSA status you need (exempt/nonexempt) a desire to give someone a raise? FOCUS ON THE WORK, NOT THE PERSON 5 UM Position Description Form Part One – Employee (Incumbent) Information Part Two – Department and Immediate Supervisor Information Part Three – Proposed New Classification Information Part Four – Supervision Responsibilities 6 UM Position Description Form (con’t) Part Five – Other Employees in (Benchmark) Like Positions Part Six – Duties & % of Time (Effort) Part Seven – Position Qualifications 7 UM Position Description Form (con’t) Part Eight – Additional Comments • Accountabilities • Relationships • Working Conditions Part Nine •Funding Plan •Business Case Employee and Supervisory Signatures = Agreement 8 Exercise – Why Position Descriptions? In summary, position descriptions document: •Work design in alignment with business of the organization •Information used for recruitment job postings, interview questions, reference checks, etc. •Work outcomes, performance, competencies, etc. •Information to measure performance - work plan, evaluation, etc. •Articulate differences between levels within a classification series. 9 Position Descriptions and the ADA Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), job functions are categorized as either essential or marginal. A job function may be considered essential if: •The position exists primarily to perform that function •The function is highly specialized •There are a limited number of employees among whom the job function can be distributed A job function may be considered marginal if: •The function(s) can be eliminated or assigned to another employee 10 Position Descriptions and the ADA (con’t) According to the ADA, use these items to determine whether a function is essential: • Written job descriptions prepared before advertising or • • • • • interviewing The amount of time an employee must spend performing the function The consequences of not requiring the function be performed The terms of a collective bargaining agreement The work experience of incumbents and/or past incumbents in the job, or in similar jobs The nature of the operation and organizational structure ADA Coordinator: Carole Dubritsky 764-3425 June 2006 HRAA Compensation & Classification 11 Position Descriptions and the ADA (con’t) PHYSICAL DEMAND CATEGORY HELPFUL VERBS Strength Moves/transports Removes/replaces Puts Installs/takes out Positions/places transfers Climbing or balancing Ascends/descends Works atop Traverses Walking/running/stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling Moves (about or to) Traverses Positions self (to) Reaching, handling, fingering and/or feeling Detects Removes/replaces Attaches Handles/tends Measures Signals Compiles/retrieves Collects Serves/services Diagnoses Operates Positions Applies Uses Inputs Makes/constructs Inspects Installs/places Adjusts Sets up Activates, feeds or controls Modifies Drafts/writes Creates/fabricates Prepares Talking and/or hearing Communicates Discerns Discusses Detects Converses with Conveys Expresses oneself Exchanges information Seeing Detects Identifies Estimates Inspects Assesses Determines Recognizes Judges Compares Distinguishes Perceives Discerns Observes Other demands Detects Discerns Uses Perceives 12 TIPS FOR WRITING POSITION DESCRIPTIONS 5 – 7 major sets of duties % effort > 10 or < 50, as a guideline Transactional ….. Larger “chunks” (%s) Complex ….. Smaller “chunks” (%s) More important, higher level listed first Update often 13 Tips for Writing Position Descriptions When writing duties, structure sentences in the format of verb / object / explanatory phrase. •Collects (action verb) •key job information (object) •from various sources, e.g., work interviews and direct observation (explanatory), •Analyzes (action verb) •the data (object) •to identify job content and critical evaluation issues (explanatory), •Prepares or revises (action verbs) •position descriptions (object). 14 Tips for Writing Position Descriptions (con’t) CAUTION When writing a position description, beware of the “inflationary effect” that can occur when describing the extent of responsibilities or scope inherent in a task. 15 Tips for Writing Position Descriptions (con’t) No need to re-create the wheel! Referring to “good examples” can ease the time-consuming task of writing position descriptions. Sample materials used in position descriptions are readily available online at Occupational Information Network http://online.onetcenter.org OR Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm Beware One temptation is to rely solely on these samples which can result in a position description not accurately describing the work. Be sure to involve both the employee and supervisor in the development process. 16 Achievement Action Verbs The terms reflect typical achievement activities whose definitions can be found on the Note Page form of this slide. Activate Check Decide Delete Further Determine Implement Encourage Initiate Enforce Maintain Execute Motivate Expedite Organize Prevent Return Stop 17 Activity Action Verbs The terms reflect typical activity Accept actions whose definitions can be found Accumulate on the Note Page form of this slide. Keep Acquire Obtain Allocate Pick-up Buy Procure Collect Provide Compile Purchase Deliver Receive Distribute Render Exchange Secure Forward Solve Furnish Submit Gather Supply Get Take Give Transfer Issue Withdraw 18 Administrative Action Verbs The terms reflect typical administrative activities whose definitions can be found on the Note Page form of this slide. Adapt Administer Appoint Delegate Approve Direct Arrange Establish Authorize Manage Control Order Coordinate Plan Consult Require Review Supervise Train 19 Assistance Action Verbs The terms reflect typical assistance Advise activities whose definitions can be found Aid on the Note Page form of this slide. Conduct Cooperate Counsel Explain Guide Instruct Participate Protect Serve Show 20 Communication Action Verbs Inform The terms reflect typical communication activities whose definitions can be found Inquire on the Note Page form of this slide. Interview Mail Negotiate Notify Pull Recall Recruit Report Request Sell Send Solicit 21 Control Action Verbs The terms reflect typical control activities whose definitions can be found on the Note Page form of this slide. Allocate Assign Audit Commit Conserve Edit Ensure Evaluate Guarantee Regulate Restrict Verify 22 Creativity Action Verbs The terms reflect typical creative activities whose definitions can be found on the Note Page form of this slide. Create Design Devise Develop Estimate Forecast Formulate Install Originate Project Schedule 23 Evaluative Action Verbs The terms reflect typical Appraise evaluation activities whose Interpret Analyze definitions can be found on the Investigate Ascertain Note Page form of this slide. Measure Check Rate Compare Research Consider Resolve Criticize Study Evaluate Summarize Examine Survey Identify Test Inspect Weigh 24 For more information, please contact Flint – UHR. Call 762-3150 25