Job description- another take

I started this year by asking talent management professionals what is top of mind for them, and one of the items on the list was an inability to recruit. This is difficult to tackle, not that any of them is easy. If they were easy challenges, it would not be an issue. Reflecting on this challenge made me think of the role of the job description in attracting candidates. We may need to go back to Human Resources 101 on job analysis. Regardless of the job analysis technique you use, task-oriented techniques or worker-oriented techniques or competencies or a hybrid of all (to understand these techniques, there are a few literatures to help), our job description needs to meet the accessibility to all criteria. As a side note, understanding these techniques is vital if you are considering adopting a job evaluation process.  

A job description resulting from a job analysis, although mostly empirical in its approach, can sometimes result in a very long job description as the output of the process, automatically disqualifying some people from applying. At other times we carry out this process to ensure equal pay for equal value of work but find that we have pay above the value assigned due to the effect of market forces on the role.  

As we all try to address the talent gap, it is worth revisiting our job descriptions and asking critical questions in pulling them together. Some organisations have started to use success profiles in addition to job descriptions. A job description lists roles and responsibilities for a position, but the success profile details the competencies and motivations necessary to succeed.  

Whatever approach you adopt, your role profile should not be more than two pages long. In pulling it together, consider the following headers: 

Role description  

• Summary statement- this should give a flavour of the organisation, the team and the work. 
• Role purpose- one or two statements of what success in the role looks like. 
• Roles and responsibilities- what would they do on the job. Probably a few bullet points in short and simple language 

Person specification  

• Knowledge- what knowledge do they need to do the job well? Focus on four to six areas. 
• Skills- what skills do they need to do the job well? Focus on four to six core skills.  
• Abilities – what abilities must someone have to do this job well. Again, the rule of four to six  
• Personality- personal disposition or traits that make one successful in the role.  
• Technology- with our fast-changing world, it is crucial to list the core technologies they would use to complete the job's tasks.  

• Education- add the required level where necessary but be mindful of bias towards professional degrees.  
  

In pulling a job description together, we fall into a few pitfalls. One is leaning towards ability statements as important for job effectiveness when objectively it might not. Ability statements such as creative thinking, analytical thinking, leadership etc. Or re-using a job description that has been subjected to job crafting by a previous postholder without revisiting the job description to check whether it meets the strategic aim of the organisation or the market realities of the role. Another pitfall within the grading system is using more formal language than required or knowledge, skills and behaviour to get a higher grade to combat the market pressures but failing to reassess the role profile when posting the job.  
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So, what does good look like? I currently work in the fundraising world and have pulled a rough example of what it could look like. The caveat is that this is a very simplistic view (you should get to a two-page document when it is adapted to the organisational context).  

Philanthropic officer 
Summary statement 
HR Unplugged is a blog site aimed at people professionals and people managers. It seeks to enable shared learning through the vehicle of human resource practices in achieving a positive and lasting change in the world of work. This role will work as part of a collaborative team raising funds to keep the blog site active. We are a team of one, so upon joining, you will be expected to contribute to the overall aim of the site with particular attention to raising funds. 

Role Purpose 
A successful post holder will organise activities to raise funds or solicit and gather monetary donations or other gifts for the site. Will be required to design and produce cases for support and business case. Will be involved in activities that raise awareness of the organisation's work, goals, and financial needs through events and media 

Role and Responsibilities 

• Responsible for overall fundraising strategy  
• Identify and build relationships with potential donors. 
• Maintain an effective relationship/engagement with current donors  
• Secure commitments of participation or donation from individuals or corporate donors. 
• Develop effective campaign messaging and strategies. 

 
Knowledge, skills and abilities 
Knowledge- Customer service, sales and marketing 
Skills- Communication, negotiation, relationship building, problem-solving 
Abilities- creative thinking, interpersonal skills, resilience  
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Personality – Active listener, goal-oriented, storyteller, self-motivated  

Technology – CRM software, Presentation software, Database software 

Education- bachelor's degree or equivalent experience  
 
Some organisations have gone further with very creative briefs for their roles. Please have a look at this advertisement, Post | Feed | LinkedIn. The simplicity of the approach is inspiring. Even I want to work for them. As I close this post, I remember a mnemonic from Law School. KISS. Keep it short and simple. I think this also applies to job descriptions. Let's get candidates' attention with an alluring job description. We may just get a match.  

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