Job Descriptions
Small firms generally will ignore the fuss and bother of drawing up a job description. Even in large bureaucratic organisations many recruiters will assume that they understand the job and its requirements.
Writing job descriptions is time consuming and irrelevant if they are never refered to or used by recruiters or job incumbents. Regular up-dating is necessary - especially if they reference performance targets. Up-dating is an irritation in fast-moving business situations where jobs and priorities change quickly. Rigid job structures (role cultures) may be detrimental to effective client-centred, team or project imperatives. Lean organisations require multi-skilling and a willingness to be flexible in problem-solving across demarcated job boundaries. Robert Townsend, former CEO of Avis, in his tongue-in-cheek guide to management "Up the Organisation", said
i.e. if employees do not know the scope and priorities of their own jobs then what are they doing working for us?. Why are managers failing to delegate/discuss the scope of jobs properly with employees?
Self-study/Tutorial Assignment
Job/candidate Modelling
Even if a job appears straight forward and simple to describe, without proper analysis the job a recruiter "sees" may be inaccurate, partial and misleading. Recruiters can fail to account for the real demands and pressures of the post. Requirements, skills and qualities are often presumed wrongly, understated or exaggerated. Irrelevant criteria can be introduced into the recruitment process and selection decisions. The "systematic prescription" recommends
- a definitive job description
- competences analysis - the knowledge, skills and orientations to a standard of performance as required by the job
- a personnel specification - further documentory technique to define the required characteristics of suitable applicants for the post.
- the terms and conditions of employment and starting requirements
In a sense the job and the ideal candidate are modelled. These represent the technical selection criteria for recruitment. Such "modelling" happens informally even when a recruiter omits the preparation of documented job criteria. From our model we proceed to identify sources of such recruits and consider how we might attract people who fit the "model" specification.
Recruitment specialist or agency might provide this analysis and documentary service for clients and perhaps even help the client specify the job role in the first place.
The job description offers useful information for composing a job advertisement or internal vacancy notification. The job description and personnel specification are essential if a recruitment agency is going to short-list candidates.
Case History Lata was an experienced general manager in a medical practice. She maintained patient records, took typing and shorthand. She supervised the receptionists and managed the practice's purchasing system. She could cope with the doctors' handwriting and ensured that the surgery's appointments system ran well. When she left it was apparent that the replacement general manager did not command the doctors' confidence nor that of the practice nurses and many of all the patients. One of the junior receptionists left. The new manager performed all obvious tasks adequately but the surgery became flat socially, more patients complained about appointment availabilities. Doctors became aware of the practice losing some of its reputation. Practice meetings became more tense. Junior doctors complained that they had little say in the selection of the new manager.
What went wrong? What key competencies are being well-performed, under-performed? A well prepared job description ensures that all the people involved in the recruitment process - reference the same job. It should cover role within the department, responsibilities, authority and possibly conditions of employment (salary, hours etc) and how performance will be measured.
Select a job and ask the following questions
- Is there an existing job description for the post?
- If there is when was it prepared?
- When, if ever has it been revised?
- Does a vacancy really exist?
- Are there any reasonable alternatives to outside recruitment - what?
- Is the organisations policy and procedure woth regard to recruitment and selection really understood?
The wording of job descriptions as regards sex, marital status and race must reflect the spirit and requirements of equal opportunities and non-discriminatory. Avoid:
- implying that one sex is preferable to another hostess, storeman, tailor or that discriminates racially - Indian waiter etc
- Unnecessary conditions that make it more difficult or less likely for one sex to apply - stipulations on e.g.
- height, age, length of continuous service
- conditions that discriminate against married people or those with long term relationships and/or with children e.g. inflexibility on hours when it makes no difference if its 8.30 am to 4.00 pm with half an hour for lunch or 9 - 5 with a standard lunch hour. If the job has never required it why stipulate a need to be available for travel?
BOLA is developed and maintained by Chris Jarvis