The Job Description
Managers discuss the elements of the job description when they interview job applicants, so employees coming into the company know these actions are among their responsibilities. A job's specifications should be reasonable and realistic, yet they should also allow for expansion and growth as circumstances change within your company and the industry. Advances in technology might ratchet up expectations; it's important to communicate even in the job interview the need to stay ahead of the curve. When written correctly, the job description is the platform for the job's measurable standards. The more effectively you establish this in the job interview, the greater clarity new employees will have about your (and the company's) expectations.
Clarity and specific details should characterize all job descriptions, even if performance is difficult to quantify. Sometimes you need to take a step back to look beyond the apparent tasks of the job to assess what factors are within the employee's control. It's neither fair nor wise to hold people accountable for actions and results beyond their influence. Within the factors employees can control, identify and describe specific behaviors. Rather than expressing the concept of “follow-up,” identify the task: “Send thank-you notes to clients after projects are finished.” This distinction makes clear the precise action you expect an employee to take and that you will measure.
Many managers overlook the most highly qualified candidates: current employees. Even when companies routinely post jobs internally before conducting outside recruiting, managers may perceive the need to look outside the company. Taking an employee from another job leaves that department's manager looking for a replacement. But current employees have knowledge of the company and often have surprising skills and interests they don't use in their present jobs.
Ironically, many managers have little or nothing to do with writing descriptions for jobs in their departments. In many companies, the writing of job descriptions, and even the interviewing and hiring processes, are the venue of HR or personnel. This is often the case in companies that operate under collective bargaining agreements. It doesn't hurt, however, to offer your suggestions.
