Transcript What is a Job Description? - College of William & Mary

Job
Descriptions
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What is a Job Description?
• A formal statement of duties, qualifications
and, responsibilities associated with a job.
• A document that tells employees where
their position fits within the department
and within the organization.
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Job Descriptions – Purpose
Communication
Tool
Legal
Compliance
Recruitment
Job
Description
Performance
Management
Compensation
Decisions
Training &
Development
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Functions of a Good Job Description
• Describes skills & competencies needed to
perform the role
• Defines where the job fits within the overall
hierarchy
• Help attract right job candidates
• Serves as a basis for outlining performance
expectations, job training, & career
advancement.
• Key to determining appropriate classification
& compensation.
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Consequences & Errors of Poorly Written
Job Descriptions
• Exaggerates or downplays the importance of the job.
• Recruitment and retention problems may occur
because the hiring official is not accurate in their
assessment of the qualifications necessary to
successfully perform the job.
– Lists qualifications that are not really needed for the job
– Underestimates the qualifications necessary to be
successful on the job.
• Out of date because the job has changed.
• Performance problems or problems with prioritization
may be experienced because current employees may
not have an accurate perception of the job’s duties
and responsibilities.
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Steps in Writing a Job Description
Step 1: Job Analysis
Step 2: Determine core functions
Step 3: For each core function, determine
the essential duties – what, how, & why
Step 4: Determine the frequency and
assign percentages (no less than 5%)
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Steps in Writing a Job Description
Step 5: Determine
requirements of position – tie
them directly to the core duties
Step 6: Determine if there are
any physical, environmental or
special demands
Step 7: Write position
summary
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Position Information
• Position Title (Working Title)
– Accurately reflects the nature of the job and
duties being performed.
– Does not exaggerate the importance of the
role.
– Free of gender or age implications.
– Generic enough that it can be compared to
similar jobs for purposes of equity.
– Self-explanatory for recruitment purposes
(most online job searches use the job title as
the key word searched).
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Working Titles – Common Pitfalls
Accounts Payable Technician
Common Pitfalls
Working Titles that Need
Improvement
Using state role title and not a
working title
Administrative & Office Specialist
III
Using previous state classification
titles
Fiscal Technician Senior
Using elevated titles
Accountant
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Determine core functions
• Identify the core functions or main
responsibilities. Typically 3 – 5 core
functions. Examples:
Budget Management
Administrative Support
Event Coordination
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Determine core functions
• After establishing the core functions,
identify specific job duties associated with
each. These are individual tasks that
correspond to the core functions.
Examples for Budget Management:
Prepare budgetary reports
Analyze expenditures
Monitor levels
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Tips for Writing Job Duties
• Condense the specific job duties into two
to three concise “Duty Statements”,
beginning each with an present-tense
action verb*. Use Verb/Object/Explanatory
Phrase structure. Example:
– Audits documents for mathematical and data
entry accuracy
*See List of Action Verbs
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Determine Requirements of Job
• List all qualifications and competencies that are required.
These are the minimum requirements to be successful in the
job and may include knowledge, skills, abilities, education,
experience, certification, and/or licensure. These should be
tied directly to the job duties & responsibilities. Avoid using a
specific number of years of experience, instead use one of the
following qualifiers:
• Knowledge of = Up to 1 year of experience or education and
training
• Working knowledge = 1 to 3 years of experience
• Experience = 2 to 4 years of experience
• Significant experience = 4 to 8 years of experience
• Extensive experience = 8 years or more of experience
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Identify Preferred Qualifications
• List qualifications that are preferred but not
required. These are used to narrow the
pool of applicants - What the ideal
candidate should possess.
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Physical Demands
• Types of Physical Activities
• Degree of Physical Activity
• Visual Demands
• Physical Conditions of Work
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Organization Charts
• Shows reporting relationships
• Include:
– Working title
– Position number
– Incumbent’s name (optional – more labor
intensive to keep up-to-date)
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Additional Resources
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Classification/Compensation Analysts
• Debi Jarvis ([email protected]) 221-1260
• Elizabeth MacAleese ([email protected]) 221-3154
• Liz Robbins ([email protected]) 221-3157
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Summary
 Job Descriptions & their purpose
 What constitutes a “Good” job description & consequences of a poorly
written job description?
 Steps in writing a job description
 Major components of job description
 Working Titles – Common Pitfalls
 Tips for Writing Job Duties
 Determining Requirements
 Organization Charts
 Useful resources available on HR web site
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