And what to include.
Position or Job descriptions are brief documents that are used by organisations to define roles/jobs/positions. The main purpose is to ensure that an individual employee and their immediate leader have a common understanding of what the role is fundamentally about. It should be viewed as an extension of the employment contract and a practical tool to help articulate the organisational and team context, role expectations, duties and responsibilities as well as the requirements to ensure successful performance in the role.
Job Descriptions should be regarded as whole-of-employee-lifecycle documents and as a result given the due consideration and time they deserve. Keeping a team’s Job Descriptions updated and relevant is a key leadership responsibility, and it starts with dynamic evidence-based job analysis and a thorough understanding of the positions and how they contribute to overall team and individual success.
Job Descriptions should be used in recruitment and selection, employee engagement, learning and development and performance evaluations, and all these uses should be considered when drafting or updating the document. There should be a balance between a comprehensive overview so that the role is clearly understood, and the inclusion of relevant details that provide useful information.
What to include in a quality Job Description
Use an accurate and informative Job Title: This should include a few impactful words which capture the essence of the position. Although organisations are all unique in the way they apply this, it can also indicate level of expertise and specialisation. During a talent acquisition process, this is the first thing potential applicants will see, and if their attention is not immediately captured, they may not read any further or apply.
Job Summary: Provide a brief overview of the position, including how the job aligns with strategic objectives, and how it helps achieve the team’s overall purpose and the main accountabilities of the position. Clearly and succinctly state why the job matters to the business.
Key duties and responsibilities: Outline the main tasks and responsibilities associated with the role.
Be as specific as possible and include any essential functions and expected outcomes.
It is not practical to try and list every single responsibility, but it is critical to capture the essential nature of the job.
Reflect the day-to-day reality of the work as much as possible.
Prioritise and list the responsibilities in order of how much time and discretionary effort is spent on them and how vital they are to the team’s deliverables and success.
Four to five well-crafted statements should be able to capture 80% of the role. Include only these.
Add facts and figures where relevant in order to paint a clear picture. “Lead a small team of self-driven experts” is very different from “Manage and coordinate multiple large, geographically dispersed project teams”.
Requirements: Be realistic about what the minimum essential prerequisites are. Skills and Knowledge can be acquired in different ways and Behavioural Capabilities can be enhanced and coached.
List any non-negotiable eligibility requirements.
Apply flexibility rather than rigidity when asking for specific formal qualifications.
Rather than stating a number of years’ experience, break this down and list the expertise applied and proficiencies mastered during this time instead. Remember, one person could have been doing something badly, repeatedly for a long time, ie has the required years of experience, while someone else could have proactively practiced and mastered the same skill in a much shorter timeframe and be much more competent at it.
List the SKILLS required, ie the non-negotiable abilities anyone must have in order to be able to effectively perform the duties of the role.
Add the KNOWLEDGE, ie what does someone need to know to enable them to perform the duties of the role.
BEHAVIOURAL CAPABILITIES OR COMPETENCIES relate to how someone approaches the work and is thus able to perform the role successfully. Carefully consider which of these are essential to the role, and only include them if they are paramount. A Customer Service Representative who solves routine client queries does not need “advanced analytical and decision-making capabilities”, but an Investment Banker probably does.
Keep Capabilities simple and separate. This makes them easier to define and assess.
Company overview and work environment: Include a brief description of the company’s overarching business, the mission statement and core values.
Authentically describe the culture of the organisation and the team.
Add the team’s purpose, structure and functional alignments.
Also include information about the location and/or flexibility, ie is it possible to perform this role remotely or is there the option of a hybrid arrangement.
Benefits of quality Job Descriptions
It is good employment practice and provides transparency and a basis for productive employer-employee conversations.
Evidence-based Job Descriptions that accurately reflect the roles in an organisation, can power an effective talent strategy that meets current demands and anticipates future needs.
In Talent Acquisition, the Job Description is an outwardly-facing marketing document. A professional, well-written document represents the culture of the organisation and reflects what is important. This will attract quality and well-matched applicants.
Job Descriptions that are capability-based, ensure a fairer and less-biased hiring process that is inherently more equitable and supports a diverse talent pool and inclusive organisational culture.
Employees who have a clear understanding of their role and how it contributes to organisational and team success, are more engaged.
When both and employee and their immediate leader have a common understanding of expectations, as documented in the Job Description, performance evaluations and career development discussions are significantly enhanced. If you need support with updating your team's Job Descriptions, please reach out to JJ Talent Solutions.
