Overview
Talent management is a lot easier and more effective when valid and dynamic positions descriptions are available to provide clear and measurable requirements. Descriptions underpin recruiting, hiring, promotion, compensation and benefits, induction/on-boarding, training, professional development, performance evaluation, disciplining, improvement planning, career-pathing, job matching/optimizing, succession planning, retention, termination, building high-performing teams, and staffing plans.

And while few would argue with the point just made, most position descriptions are DOA! The following chart compares the typical position description with those created by The Bryan Group which are high utility, interesting, and very impactful.

The Need for the TBG Approach

The way job descriptions have historically been used needs an overhaul for the 21st century. Jobs aren’t as static as they once were, particularly given the advances in technology. Organizations in both the business and education sectors must be much more agile, as they respond to today’s ever-changing demands. Descriptions, done right, can contribute significantly to an organization’s bottom line, in terms of measurable outcomes, by:

• Helping employees to better understand how they are expected to provide value – expectations are clear and employee performance is enhanced
• Providing more equitable compensation among employees from a legal and values perspective
• Streamlining processes and interactions between employees, increasing efficiency and effectiveness
• Creating quality, flexible, and dynamic job descriptions that increase employee satisfaction and retention!

Research has shown that role clarity is the single most important factor in job productivity and satisfaction, and the best way to provide and maintain that clarity is with a dynamic job description that is updated and referred to frequently. When this description is informative, clear, and concise, employees know exactly what is expected of them and what elements they will be evaluated on in a performance review. There are no surprises and providing a platform for discussion of measurable roles and competencies enables an employee to have more agency to create and grow their role in the organization.

When it comes to hiring, a good job description is essential in finding candidates with the needed competencies, but also to eliminating candidates that demonstrate failure factors. Equity in hiring is directly tied to whether a case can be made for candidates’ match to desired roles and associated competencies. Only a solid competency-based job description – along with an interview method (Guided Storytelling – more on that coming soon!) that can actually identify candidate competencies and truly reduce bias in the hiring process while highlighting the best candidate for the position.

Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing more info about job descriptions and how they can increase employee performance and satisfaction in your organization. Email us at [email protected] if you’d like to know more about creating enhanced position descriptions!