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McGraw-Hill - Briefcase Books - Hiring Great People, SAMOKSZTAŁCENIE, Mcgraw-Hill [Briefcase Books]

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Competency-Based
Job Descriptions
in a fairly small town in the Midwest. The new plant was
going to have the best equipment, with all the latest technolo-
gy. The first positions to be filled were for 15 maintenance
workers. Sherri, the human resources manager for the new
plant, was in charge of finding candidates to be interviewed by
the maintenance and production managers. The response to
an ad in the local paper was incredible: hundreds of candi-
dates replied. After four days of interviewing, only three job
offers had been made, and only one candidate accepted.
What happened?
Everyone had a different idea about what a “qualified”
candidate looked like. The HR manager used an old job
description to help her decide who to schedule for interviews.
The maintenance manager felt that, with the new equipment,
Programmable Logic Controls (PLC) experience was definitely
a job requirement, and therefore eliminated all candidates
without that particular skill. The production manager thought
that training in PLC skills would be provided by the company,
so he didn’t even ask about PLC knowledge. Instead, he
focused on the candidates’ ability to work with others,
1
V
exelle Manufacturing Inc. decided to build its second plant
2
Hiring Great People
because he was planning to implement a team-based work
environment. Since everyone was evaluating the candidates
against different criteria, there was no agreement about who to
hire. The end result was that Vexelle had devoted extensive
time and resources to a selection process that yielded only
one hire.
In this chapter, you will learn the first step in developing a
structured selection system that can help identify “qualified”
candidates. Specifically, we’ll provide answers to the following
questions:
• How can a job description accurately define today’s
“work”?
• What does a competency-based job description look like?
• How do you identify “critical competencies”?
• How can a success profile help you select better workers?
How Can a Job Description Accurately Define
Today’s “Work”?
Everyone needs a job! Millions of job seekers scan the
employment sections of the Sunday newspapers regularly,
seeking that perfect job. Headhunters spend their careers try-
ing to fill jobs. The 1990s is the decade of too many “jobs”
and not enough candidates who can actually do the “work.”
Yet with all this talk about “jobs,” we are seeing a surprising
trend away from discussing jobs in the traditional sense.
Traditionally, companies defined a job by a specific set of
tasks, duties, and responsibilities, listed in the form of a job
description. The job description let employees know exactly
what they were expected to do on the job. It also helped the
company make hiring decisions. A candidate’s background
and experiences were compared with the job description.
Often, with this approach, “experience performing the tasks in
similar settings” was a major criterion that managers would
use. Although this approach has worked for many companies
over the years, today it is becoming obsolete.
Competency-Based Job Descriptions
3
The world of work has gone through some dramatic
changes. Many of us have experienced the trauma of some
sort of a “sizing” (whether it’s downsizing, upsizing, or rightsiz-
ing). The objective is always the same—to find more produc-
tive ways to do the work! Increased productivity often requires
a more flexible workforce—one that is multiskilled and able to
perform more than one job. Yesterday’s singularly focused job
descriptions just can’t capture the full array of skills, abilities,
and motivations necessary for tomorrow’s workforce.
Why Should I Develop Job Descriptions?
Don’t misinterpret what we’ve said so far about job descrip-
tions. We are not saying that you should do away with them.
On the contrary, I strongly suggest that you do create job
descriptions. However, the nature of today’s job descriptions
should reflect the nature of today’s work. Let’s take a look at
some reasons why we still need job descriptions.
Ever try sending a friend to the grocery store without a list
of exactly what you want? Breakfast cereals may be breakfast
cereals, but there clearly are different types. Ever try to fill a
position and have the hiring manager reject your top candi-
date? You and the hiring manager need to be reading from the
same list of job requirements. A good job description can
serve as the basis for developing structured selection tools
that will help you identify the best candidates.
Candidates want to know what is expected of them and
how they will be evaluated. A good job description is the basis
of any performance evaluation system.
The value of any job can be traced back to the job
description. You will need information when presenting the
case for how much a job candidate should be paid. Without
the job description, your guess will be as good as anyone’s
regarding how much to pay the new employee.
The job description also serves as a reality check! Too
often we ask for individuals who do not exist in our job market
or in the job’s salary range. So we waste a lot of time search-
ing for job candidates who, even if they did exist, would never
4
Hiring Great People
take the position at the salary we are offering. Run your job
description by other HR professionals or headhunters. This will
ensure that if the job candidates do exist, you will not be wast-
ing your time by offering them noncompetitive wages.
As you can see, the reasons why we need good job
descriptions haven’t really changed that much over the years.
What has changed is what makes a job description “good”
(i.e., accurate and useful).
What Should I Be Looking For?
A good job description accurately reflects the work that
employees will be expected to perform. In the past, a good job
description specifically outlined the duties, tasks, and respon-
sibilities that the employee would perform in the position. This
made sense. Job duties were fairly static, and jobs were dis-
tinct from one another.
Today, it’s not unusual for companies to have 100 or more
specific job titles, based on varying tasks and duties. The
human resources department of such companies could spend
months developing specific job descriptions for each of these
titles. This doesn’t make sense. In addition, the duties and
tasks of today’s jobs are more fluid and dynamic. Employees
are expected to wear many hats—whatever it takes to help the
company achieve its goals. This is another reason why job
descriptions cannot be as narrowly defined as in the past. But
how can we accurately define work without writing a descrip-
tion for every position that involves different duties and tasks?
First, we need to look at work in a broader sense than we
have in the past. Traditionally, it was appropriate to ask,
“What tasks, duties, and responsibilities are required to per-
form the job well?” Today, it’s more appropriate to ask, “What
competencies
are required to succeed on the job?”
For instance, “leadership” is a competency that may
require knowledge of various management techniques, effec-
tive verbal communication skills, the ability to inspire and
empower others, and the motivation to be a change agent.
Competency-Based Job Descriptions
5
Knowledge
The information that an employee
must possess to effectively perform the required
work. This should not include specific knowledge
that will be learned on the job. For example, a Spanish transla-
tor may need to have knowledge of technical vocabulary.
Skills and Abilities
A level of expertise reflected in perform-
ance in relevant areas. Examples of
technical
skills and abilities
are welding, tool and die work, drafting, technical writing, and
accounting. Examples of
nontechnical
skills and abilities are
planning and organizing, oral communication, interpersonal,
decision making, and leadership.
Motivations
Characteristics that motivate an employee to
perform well on the job. (This topic is covered in detail in
Chapter 8.) For instance, a successful salesperson may need to
find satisfaction in interacting with many different types of
people, working on commission, and conducting presentations.
Other Requirements
If it doesn’t fit one of the other three
categories, you can stick it here. Legal documents such as cer-
tificates or licenses are included in this category.
By including competencies and a broader range of respon-
sibilities in the job description, a number of HR functions can
benefit. To begin with, a competency-based job description
will provide greater flexibility in assigning work to your
employees, allow you to group multiple jobs that require simi-
lar competencies under a single job description, and lengthen
the life cycle of your job descriptions.
What Does a Competency-Based Job Description
Look Like?
There are several key elements that make up a good job
description. These include:
•
Job Title:
The title normally found on the new employee’s
business card or the term used to refer to his or her posi-
tion. In a traditional or stable environment, the job title
would be specific (e.g., Second Shift Supervisor, Cab Trim
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