Six Steps to Better Job Descriptions
Understand your most urgent needs.
Do an in-depth needs analysis of the jobs to be done to achieve your company objectives before identifying roles to fill. Don’t let FOMO over the hot new role that everyone seems to be hiring for (e.g. “growth marketer,” “SEO strategist”) get the better of you. Keep your eyes on your goals, not someone else’s. And remember that not every job to be done is a full-time one. Which jobs are the most essential to the business for the next two or three years?
Talk to people in the target role.
If you’re considering whether you need a specific role you don’t have direct experience with, conduct informal interviews with contacts in your network and peruse LinkedIn bios. Ask people who have performed the role what the job actually entails, and also what systems or processes would be needed to do it successfully. Sometimes companies think that hiring for a role will magically solve a problem, without considering the broader ecosystem. If you want to improve your marketing operations, for example, a marketing operations manager is going to have thoughts about what you need in your tech stack.
Scope the role appropriately.
There’s only so much work one person can do. Talking to functional experts in Step 2 will help you understand the range of responsibilities an individual can manage, as well as the level of expertise you need. If you’re still unsure about a role, consider hiring an experienced contractor on a project basis. Another area to consider when scoping is whether someone at your company is currently doing some of this work. What is the expected division of labor once the person is hired? How will the new person work with other teams or departments? (Note: It’s also a good idea to use internal conversations to set expectations with other teams and departments before you hire for a new role. Having to constantly set boundaries and correct misconceptions can make onboarding confusing and frustrating for a new hire.)
Focus on critical strength.
Identify the three most important skills or qualities needed for the role and recruit for those. Hire for strength rather than absence of weaknesses. Stay away from meaningless buzzwords and phrases like “bias for action,” “can-do attitude,” or “self-starter.” If you are trying to solve a specific problem, be explicit. Is the company launching a new product? Starting a new business vertical? Creating an on-boarding process for salespeople? Gathering customer insights to fuel future product development? Each of these business challenges suggests different skillsets. You don’t need someone who can do everything; you need the person who is the best at solving your particular problem.
Optimize for fit, not volume.
The object in hiring is to find the best person for the role, not to generate the most job applications. You should use your job description to qualify candidates who would be a good fit. Instead of providing a laundry list of responsibilities, focus on the activities that are most important to the business, and where the candidate will likely spend 80% of their time. And if you would prefer a candidate with more experience or accomplishments, be realistic about which responsibilities will most appeal to a top performer.
Get feedback.
Once you write the job description, share it with a few trusted colleagues in the same industry or functional area. Is the scope of responsibilities realistic? Are the desired skills clearly defined, and limited to those that are most critical? Does the title reflect the level of authority needed to get the job done?
Source: www.aliciafontine.com