The value of a Position Description
Sometimes the simplest of things can have immense value and perhaps because these things are so easy to do, they can get either overlooked or postponed as something to work on when there is a spare moment, which of course there never is.
One such business item that comes to mind is the humble Position Description (PD) or Job Description . Simply put, a good Position Description should define the bounds of responsibility of a specific business role. One of the reasons that these often don’t exist is that a manager may well assert that ‘everyone knows their role’ but in practice it is not unusual for a boss and a team member to be out of synch here, especially when it comes down to ownership of specific areas within the position. If they are written at all, many Position Descriptions just define the tasks to be undertaken but the problem with this is that over time tasks may change and different systems, tools and/or processes may need to be employed. If this is the case, then the Position Description will require ongoing maintenance and update. However, although tasks and tools may change, the responsibilities within a role generally do not, so if the Position Description is written with regard to these, it needs to only be written once or at least require only minimal update.
At first sight, it would seem that the only purpose of a Position Description is to define the role for the person actually operating within it and while this is obviously a key objective, there are many other benefits that derive from having such a document. Apart from anything else, having a documented and agreed perspective on the role between manager and employee can head off many potential issues especially regarding ownership as noted above, but there are many other benefits that can be derived as well.
A well-defined Position Description provides clarity for anyone moving into the role. It necessarily forms a great basis for a job advertisement if the role is vacant and is going to be advertised internally and/or externally (although it is very important to note that any job advertisement should not read exactly like a PD since the role itself should also include a level of selling!). This should be essential to anyone involved in recruitment for the position and if well written, also reflects well on the professionalism and organisation of the hiring business itself. Of course, it’s always possible that the role could be filled from within, and since the PD should provide a complete picture of the expectations of the position, internal applicants can easily determine their suitability for it.
Although potentially contentious, I hold a firm belief that Key Performance Indicators or KPIs (i.e. those key measures used to assess performance of an incumbent in the role) should be kept quite separate and documented elsewhere. As noted above, if well-written, a Position Description should clearly define the boundaries of the role and require little or no change over its lifetime. However, KPIs will be different every time – targets will inevitably change as will the associated timeframes and so these should be captured in their own document. This separation keeps things clearer, simpler and easier to manage for everyone.
Finally, the good old ‘less is more’ adage applies here and so generally a position should not need to be more than a couple of pages in length. The first page should describe the role at a high level and then define the specific responsibilities. It is useful to structure these so that similar aspects are grouped together and bullet lists will do much to simplify understanding. The second page can then be used to describe the specific skills, qualifications and personal attributes required for the role in order that a good personality fit can be achieved.
Ian Ash ACC, AInstIB
Managing Director OrgMent Talent Solutions www.omtalent.com.au