Perfect Phrases for Writing Job Descriptions: Hundreds of Ready-to-Use Phrases for Writing Effective, Informative, and Useful Job Descriptions (Perfect Phrases Series) - Softcover

Martin, Carole

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0071635602 ISBN 13: 9780071635608

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education, 2009

Synopsis

THE RIGHT PHRASE FOR THERIGHT SITUATION―EVERY TIME

Perfect Phrases for Writing Job Descriptions helps you craft job descriptionsthat attract the best talent and accurately convey job responsibilities. Andafter you find that ideal candidate, this valuable resource will assist you withperformance reviews, goal setting, and accountability.Hundreds of tips, examples, and sample phrases to help you:

• Get candidates excited about opportunities in your company
• Attract and recruit the very best talent
• Foster communication between supervisors and employees
• Evaluate performance and provide clear feedbackto new employees

About this title

About the Author

Carole Martin is a professional interviewing expert, columnist, and the celebrated author of Boost Your Interview IQ and Perfect Phrases for the Perfect Interview. She is a sought-after speaker who has been quoted in the New York Times, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, and numerous national magazines.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Perfect Phrases for Writing Job Descriptions

Hundreds of Ready-to-Use Phrases for Writing Effective, Informative, and Useful Job Descriptions

By Carole Martin

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Copyright © 2010 Carole Martin
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-07-163560-8

Contents

Introduction
Part One: The Job Analysis
Chapter 1: A Well-Defined Job Description
Chapter 2: Identifying the Key Factors of the Job
Chapter 3: Identifying the Skills Required
Chapter 4: Requirements of the Job
Part Two: Writing the Job Description
Chapter 5: Bringing It All Together: Assembling the Parts
Part Three: Quick Phrases References
Chapter 6: Clerical to Management Positions
Chapter 7: Positions in Various Industries and Fields
Part Four: How to Write a Successful Job Posting or Ad
Chapter 8: Reaching the Right Candidate
Part Five: The Job Description: Performance Management
Chapter 9: Setting Goals
Chapter 10: Measuring Performance: Benchmarks of Performance
Part Six: Miscellaneous Phrases for Special Situations
Chapter 11: Special Phrases
About the Author

Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

A Well-Defined Job Description

The first and foremost use of the job description will be to locate qualifiedcandidates for an open position. By creating your ideal candidatedescription you will stand a much better chance of finding the person whom youare seeking.

Ask yourself: "What would be my ideal situation to be solved by finding theright person?"

Begin to think of this description as your wish list.

Let's start with some basic questions to ask yourself:

"Why is it necessary to fill this position—at this time?"

"Could the responsibilities of this job be assigned to another employee?"

"What do I hope to accomplish by hiring a new person?"

This line of thinking and these questions should be your first step to be surethat you can justify the hiring of this person. Once you have justified the needfor the hire, you can progress to the next step: to determine the experiences,qualifications, and skills that are necessary for a person to succeed in thisposition.

Notice the phrase "to succeed" is used rather than "to fill" this position. Oneof the biggest mistakes in hiring is to choose someone who can "fill" theposition without the thought of long-term success. Depending on the job marketand the economy, you will sometimes have few candidates to choose from andtherefore settle for 80 percent of your "wish list."

In a "buyer's market" when you have numerous candidates to choose between, youcan not only search for 100 percent of your desired qualities and experiencesbut also seek "added value."

Added value are skills or abilities that are above and beyond what isessential or even nonessential for the job. They are skills, traits, andexperiences that would be a plus in this position. An example would be a personwho is able to communicate in sign language or who is bilingual. These are notrequired skills to perform the job but would be something added that you couldoffer your customers who have special needs if someone brought those skills tothe position.

The next set of questions to ask yourself is about the value of importance:

When weighing the value of what is important to the success of the business,what extra services could I offer if the person I hired had more than therequired skills?

What could this person bring in addition to the basic requirements that wouldadd value to the position?

How can these skills or abilities add value to the business or give additionalservice to our customers?

What new service could be added as a result of hiring a person with extraskills?

When all candidates appear equal in terms of experience and knowledge, it issometimes the added value that will be the tiebreaker and determine the bestcandidate for the job. In other words, this would be a bargain or good deal toget more than you wished for in a candidate.

Here are some examples of added-value statements on a job description:

Excellent English language skills required—both written and spoken.Any knowledge of other Asian languages will be a big plus.

Financial services industry experiences a plus.

Call center experience preferred.

Proficient in Microsoft Office and Internet technologies. Excel and MS Projectexperience a plus.

Passion for assisting disadvantaged persons would be a great asset.

Second language skills and international business experience are desired.

Depending on the conditions of the employment market, you may be able to findsomeone who surpasses your needs and adds a special service. Doing so will takesome creative thinking on your part as well as being open-minded about theperson you hire. Just because there has been a certain type of person in the jobbefore does not mean that you cannot reach out and make a paradigm shift inthinking about how the job could change. Change can be threatening when you aretrying things that are not the "norm." But you will always get the same resultsif you continue to do things in the same manner.

Management and Executives

The qualifications and experiences you require will be affected by not onlysupply and demand but also the level of responsibility the new hire will have orneed to have. Your qualifying questions will be dramatically different if youare writing a job description for a manager or executive versus writing adescription for the position of, say, a mail clerk.

Writing a job description for managers and executives will require more detailsabout the responsibilities of the job and the impact the decisions make on thebigger picture. The achievements, or the lack of achievement, of an executivemay play a significant role on the success or failure of a department or acompany.

Descriptions for these positions will require a definition of the culture andgoals of the company as well as the expectations of the organization. A well-written job description at this level will define how this position will fitinto the bigger picture. The job description will serve as a tool to setmeasurable goals to determine success.

Executive or management job descriptions will have more detail about the bottomline or impact of their decisions:

* Manage multimillion-dollar glazing projects for Florida Glass. Manage allproject managers as well as oversee all of production.

* Work with the Analytics and Product Marketing teams to define the right targetsegments based on the capacity and performance of the Telesales group.

* Communicate with regional staff about comparative shopping analyses, fast andslow selling classifications and styles, planning and adjusting stock levels,and customer requests.

* As a member of the Technology Outside Sales team, the regional sales managerfor the Northeastern region executes the company sales strategy throughout anidentified geographical region.

* Works with minimal supervision and is responsible to make an established rangeof decisions, escalating to manager when necessary and updates manager on aregular basis.

CHAPTER 2

Identifying the Key Factors of the Job

Determining the key factors of the position will be the most important step tocomplete before you can begin to identify the requirements needed to succeed.

This process will require more questioning regarding the need for this positionand the prospective of this position in the larger scheme of the company'sgoals.

Here are key questions to ask:

1. What are the goals of the company? The department? The position?

2. How does this position support the goals?

3. What would you like to see happen as a result of hiring a new person?

4. What added value do you require this person to bring to the position?

5. What would you like to be able to say about this new hire one year from now?

By writing your answers out you can begin to observe details and objectives thatyou may not have observed before this exercise and that now can be used as aguide to define the responsibilities of the job.

Responsibilities of the Job

Identifying key factors will determine the focus of the skills you are seekingin a candidate and will define the questions you will ask in the interview.

The key factors of the job are the primary or essential responsibilities andduties of the job. In other words, they define the main role or purpose of theposition. Identifying skills needed under each area of responsibility you willbegin to see a pattern of skills that will be necessary to get the job done.

By narrowing the list down to six to eight key factors you will identify theskill areas. These factors are usually measurable objectives of the job and aretypically written as incomplete sentences that are a series of tasks; forexample:

* Manages customer service clientele.

* Maintains the Account Database by providing updates on a weekly basis.

* Reviews insurance benefits and patient requirements as applicable.

Typically, each factor will either start with a verb or contain a verb as anindicator of an action required.

To define the factors, begin to write out a list of what the main duties, areasof responsibilities, or tasks will be.

Examples

* Leads the development and elevation of direct leaders and staffthrough proactive coaching, mentoring, professional development, and feedback.

* Oversees operations, facility, grant-funded programs, grant reporting,and staff of 17.

* Provides balanced execution of operations and business leadership indefining strategies that contribute to supporting strategic planning.

* Manages inventory plans from investment through allocation execution,including ongoing assessments and updates, for multiple departments.

* Recruits and supervises interns and volunteers to conductsurveys and interview patients.

* Trains and motivates the sales team and promotes team cultureand values.

* Analyzes and prepares forecasts to project long-term andimmediate workforce demands.

* Creates forms and procedures for work packets to increase efficiency.

* Directs and manages a team of bank tellers; training andscheduling work schedules.

* Creates and implements effective in-house procedures.

* Conducts audits of financial dealings within the corporation.

* Manages confidential correspondence, scheduling, and meetings for keyexecutive.

* Plans and directs all office management for the CEO as well asother key executives.

* Handles a wide variety of writing tasks, from routine to creativefeatures.

* Plays key role in all phases of planning, preparation, and executionof Achievement Awards.

* Solidifies and strengthens relations with the public throughpositive initiatives.

* Verifies compliance to release specifications on all products prior toshipment.

Example

Marketing Manager

Market managers are responsible for the gross profit in assigned markets,and will own inventory, cost, pricing, and merchandising decisions for thatmarket.

Responsibilities

1. Develops and maintains supplier relationships at the property and chain levelthrough daily contact.

Skills Required— Communication Skills — InterpersonalSensitivity — Create Motivating Environment, Informing

2. Analyzes contracts and executes pricing.

Skills Required— Business Savvy, Analytical Skills/Ability to Workwith Numbers, Decision-Making, Strategic, Big Picture Perspective, Negotiation

3. Implements extranet rate and inventory revisions, ensures suppliersunderstand extranet, and increases supplier usage of extranet.

Skills Required— Flexibility, Informing, Customer Focus, Motivate,Accountable

4. Conducts weekly competitive analysis for key markets, reports findings, andmakes adjustments.

Skills Required— Analytical Thinking, Big Picture Thinking,Development Orientation, Adaptable

5. Monitors, evaluates, and reports on individual accounts and markets progresstoward achieving weekly, monthly, annual targets.

Skills Required— Ability to Hold People Accountable, Analytical,Decision Maker, Goal-Oriented, Big Picture Perspective

6. Understand key market hard/soft periods, know destinations and trends, createand maintain event calendars for key market locations, and plan courses ofaction required to meet supply, demand, and necessary sales.

Skills Required— Business Savvy, Visionary, Trend Knowledge,Organized, Planner, Implement Action

7. Execute annual contract negotiations.

Skills Required— Leadership, Strategic, Communication, Deal Maker,Closer, Negotiation Skills

Suggested Key Factors

1. Communication—build relationships

2. Leadership—accountability—self and others

3. Analytical Thinking—analysis of data

4. Visionary—big picture thinking

5. Ability to Influence—motivate, sell, negotiate

6. Business Savvy—current trends

In this example you can see that "reading between the lines" is essential. Whatwould it take to do the job? What key factors can be identified by listing thetasks of the job?

Once you have narrowed down the factors to a sizeable number, you can begin toplan how you will write your job description as well as the interview questionsyou will ask to obtain information about the person's performance and experiencepertaining to these key factors.

CHAPTER 3

Identifying the Skills Required

Once you have written the key factors, you can identify what skill sets it wouldtake to do this job. You can begin to think about and list the skills necessaryor desirable to carry out these responsibilities of the position.

The skills required can be categorized as essential job functions. Theseare the "must haves." Or, they may also fall into the nonessential jobfunctions category. These skills and traits may be desirable to have but are notnecessary to perform the duties of the job. Determining what is essential andwhat is nonessential to performance of a position is becoming a crucial factorin compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Essential Skills (Critical Skills)

When you have identified the purpose of the position, some critical skills thatare absolutely required in order to succeed in a particular job will becomeclear. The number of critical skills should be approximately seven to nine, andcan be labeled "must haves." These are the specifics of the position. If you donot include these in your job description, you will miss the mark in getting thedesired candidates for your pool of potential employees.

Examples

Responsible for managing a detailed implementation project plan throughoutthe initial launch of the program.

Detailed project management and maintenance of ongoing operational initiativesrequired.

Responsible for analyzing and meeting required performance benchmarks.

Provide daily guidance and leadership to the managers, and other team membersdedicated to the program.

Skills Required

Project Management, Leadership, Team Development, Client Rapport, AnalyticalSkills, Follow-Through, Big Picture Perspective

A minimum of five years in a supervisory position in a not for-profit.Experience in budget management.

Program development experience.

Skills Required

Supervisory Experience, Industry Savvy, Budget/Accounting/FinanceKnowledge/Experience, Writing/Communication Skills, Organizational Skills

As a core member of both the North America operating leadership and a seniormember of the global management team of the Chief Information Officer (CIO),this executive is expected to play an integral role in creating and implementingbusiness vision through the aggressive utilization of information technologies(IT) and innovation.

Skills Required

Leadership, Driving Results, Strategizing, Communication, Global ManagementExperience, Critical and Creative Thinking, Vision, IT Savvy

Example of Industry-Driven Knowledge: Highly Critical Skills

* Familiarity with developing software for resource-constrained embeddedsystems, especially Linux operating systems.

* Experience implementing Internet protocols.

* Experience implementing physical interfaces or drivers for Ethernet, USB[Universal Serial Bus], object-oriented analysis, and design.

* Secret security clearance.

Nonessential Duties (Secondary Skills)

Nonessential duties could be called peripheral, incidental, or minimal parts ofthe job. The majority of job descriptions do not list nonessential duties.

Examples

* May perform basic duties in other areas of the department.

* Participate and attend staff training, programs, and other training sessions.

* When requested, performs weekly reports and account summary reports.

* Perform additional duties as directed or assigned.

* Sales experience within the telecommunications industry would be an advantage,but not essential.

* Familiarity with culture, customs, and traditions helpful.

* Active affiliation with appropriate networks, organizations, and communityinvolvement preferred.

* One to two years' work experience, preferred.

* Advanced supply chain experience recommended.

* Other duties as assigned.

Essential Duties and the Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 (ADA) requires employers to considerthe essential duties of a job in evaluations and applicant's qualifications. Anessential duty is any task that is a basic, necessary, and integral part of thejob.

In addition, when considering essentiality, one must focus upon whether the dutyis essential to this particular job and not to the department as a whole.

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Excerpted from Perfect Phrases for Writing Job Descriptions by Carole Martin. Copyright © 2010 by Carole Martin. Excerpted by permission of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc..
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Edition details

• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0071635602
• ISBN 13: 9780071635608
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208