Highlight Results in Job Descriptions

June 23, 2017  |  Posted by: Theresa Torseth  |  No Comments

Not finding the top talent you’re looking for? The problem may be that you’re still using traditional, qualifications-based job descriptions that merely list abilities and requirements. Typically written by HR staffers, these descriptions are good at defining what a candidate’s skills profile should be. But when you boil a person’s abilities down to a list of bullet points, you miss out on important personal traits that could tell you who’s best qualified for the position. Results-oriented job descriptions (ROJDs) focus more on individual performance and competence.

Performance Profiles Replace Job Descriptions

Yes, job descriptions are an important part of a company’s HR and legal requirements. But to attract great talent who will produce the outcomes you need, focusing on results is a far better approach. In a perfect world, good job descriptions would answer three important questions:

1. What result – not activity, process, or program – is the candidate responsible for achieving?
2. How will the work be measured in obtaining these results?
3. What are the consequences when the candidate meets, exceeds, or falls short?

Most traditional job descriptions don’t even get question #1 right. They talk more about what the candidate must do rather than the results they must achieve.

Highlight Results Instead

To switch the focus from tasks to results, start by preparing a job analysis and then use it to develop an ROJD that clearly defines the expected results that help your organization accomplish its mission, strategy, and goals. Set out the prioritized results you expect to see in the next 3, 6, and 12 months. Then, hire the candidate who has the capability and motivation to come through on those results. In other words, focus less on years of know-how and more on chances of accomplishment. Does it really matter how many years of experience a candidate has if they can produce the results your organization needs?

ROJD as Candidate Magnets

A great ROJD can set you apart from other companies. Instead of bland and boring, create job descriptions that appeal to the type of person you’re trying to attract. Make your descriptions engaging for the persons reading them. Use them to weed out those candidates without the necessary skills or motivation to produce the results you need. You’ll tap into a wider range of top-flight candidates and increase your chance of finding the people who will help you build your business, not just bring you a toolbox.