Checklist development and implementation best practices

Job Descriptions

There are a number of elements to a good job description. In order to create the job description, the interview will need to find out as much about these elements as possible. The Small Business Association (2013) produces a guide to help entrepreneurs understand the elements of effective job descriptions. The first is to simply define the job in terms of its title and level. Then the broad function and scope of the position need to be understood. Then there needs to be a list of the key duties and tasks that are performed, both ones that have been officially understood and those that are perhaps unofficial. (So a dishwasher would have an official task of cleaning the dishes but unofficially is also the person who takes the trash out most of the time). The job description should have an understanding then of the skills, experience, abilities, education and other traits that are necessary for success in the position. This is a critical part of the job description, and should encompass both formal training and informal skills as well. Lastly, the SBA advises that job descriptions should not be inflexible. Job descriptions should also cover special issues with the position, such as longer than normal hours, dangerous working conditions, travel requirements, physical requirements and other issues that a potential hiring manager or prospective employee would want to know about (Verma, 2013). Further, the reporting relationships of the position must also be described.

The checklists that derive from this are as follows. They should have the following categories: Basic overview, tasks and responsibilities, key requirements, reporting relationships, special issues.

Checklist

Job Title

Job Level

Division

Department

Reports to:

Supervisor of:

Key Duties

Daily tasks

Weekly tasks

Monthly tasks

Occasional tasks

What tasks are individual?

What tasks are team-based?

How much of the work is team-based?

How is the work compensated?

How much of the compensation is team-based?

Is there on-the-job training provided?

Are the tasks measurable?

Skills and Training

What level of formal education do people in this position have?

What degrees?

What majors?

Is this education generally used?

Key physical skills?

Key technical skills?

Key interpersonal skills?

Key computer skills (software used)?

Other skills (languages, etc.)?

Key experience?

Special issues

Are there any special physical requirements for the position?

Is this a full-time or part-time position?

If part-time, how many hours per week?

What are the normal overtime requirements?

How is overtime compensated?

Is there any travel involved?

How much travel is involved?

Is there overnight travel?

What are workplace hazards/safety issues are there?

How much safety training is required?

What safety training is required?

The three major categories of questioning are the key duties, the skills and training and the special issues. There is also a section at the beginning just to provide basic information about the position, such as the job title. The key duties section seeks to understand what the job entails, but also the frequency level of certain tasks. Asking specifically about monthly tasks is important because most interviewees when asked about their tasks without such framing are likely to only consider the more frequent tasks. Yet it is important to understand the infrequent and occasional tasks as well. It is also important to understand how much of the work is individual and how much of this is team-based. This will help to identify skills needed, especially communications skills, but also to help shape the performance measures and compensation for the position, to ensure that these are aligned with the strategic objectives of the organization.

The skills and training section seeks to understand what abilities are needed to perform the job. These need to be aligned with the requirements used in hiring for the position, to ensure that people are not needlessly excluded from the position, and that the compensation for the position is aligned with the skills that are required. Further, this section helps identify for the company where the opportunities lie to enhance the training throughout the organization. Not only is it necessary to ensure that the employees are properly trained for the position, but that there are training opportunities for people to move ahead -- proactively training for the next stages of their careers.