Kate Morgan Says Your Job Descriptions Suck
Yes, according to the owner of Boston Human Capital Partners, getting them right can take time. But it’s time well spent.
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HUMAN RESOURCES
Kate Morgan offers some hard truth about job descriptions: “The majority of job descriptions I see suck. Too often, they read like overhyped snake oil or come across as just a bunch of bulleted needs and wants that feel more like a grocery list. That grocery list might be intended for the lovely meal you plan to cook, but without knowing what that dish is supposed to be, it’s just a bunch of ingredients. It’s the same when candidates read job descriptions. They learn the ‘ingredients’ of what the job entails, but they don’t see how it all fits together to form a ‘dish.’”
“To attract talent, you need to create a greater vision of how the role you’re hiring fits into your organization so you can attract the right talent. Doing so also helps the right person get excited about the impact they will have if hired. The better a prospective employee can envision themselves in the role, the better chance you have of enticing them to join your organization—and to stay.”
“Before you write the job description, here are a few critical considerations to think about: Hone in on exactly what problem your company needs to solve, not just for today, but how the role will evolve over the next year. Have true clarity on what success means. Calibrate your team on who and how to interview.”
“Here are some questions you can use to understand how a role fits in the overall picture of a company: What is the vision for the role? What impact does the role have on the company? Without having this role, how does it negatively impact your company? Who will they interact with—what people (by title) and/or departments? How do your core values play into this role? After 12 months, what will they have accomplished?”
“Finally, no job is perfect, so talk through what some of the challenges look like. Be candid. Losing someone six months into a role because you didn’t fully explain what they would be up against is an exercise in futility.” READ MORE
