Here’s a scenario that all business leaders are familiar with. You’ve invested time and resources in the search for a new candidate for your organisation. You’ve spent money advertising the role, spent countless hours reviewing applications and CVs, gone through the process of interviewing candidates, shortened your list and finally selected who you believe to be the most appropriate match.
April 2017
Yet, the highly qualified and charismatic individual you met at the interview is now floundering in their new role, and you begin to ask yourself what went so wrong? Did this individual understand the kind of job that they were applying for? Or were you not clear on what was required?
In Human Resources (HR), there is no tool more valuable than a clearly defined job description. From the moment a position is advertised to the day the candidate is appointed, the job description and employee’s role in the company must be clearly stated.
This is important for several reasons. When your employees understand their roles, they understand why their work is important, how it affects those around them, and what to measure themselves against.
In other words, your employees won’t waste time and resources NOT doing what they’re meant to be doing. Define your vision of success and define how your employees can achieve it (through critical success factors and key performance indicators), so that they can contribute to the growth and success of the business.
Each employee’s position and work role should include:
- Job Description: Employee’s responsibilities and their job title
- Job Tasks: Set of daily activities needed to produce a particular result
- Role: Responsibilities or expected results associated with the position
- Competencies: Skills required to perform the job successfully
- Work location and conditions, including physical requirements, equipment, schedule and potential travel
- Performance Management: How the position’s performance is measured and its impact on the company
- Critical Success Factors (CSF): The influences that impact performance
- Key Performance Indicators (KPI): Metrics and performance targets that provide detail on expected performance
- Experience required: Necessary past experience for candidate to have the knowledge and competency to perform the role
Consulting with an outsourced HR and recruitment services provider enables you to implement the right human capital strategy to achieve your strategic goals. HR consulting firms take your organisation’s unique needs and culture into consideration, and conduct an HR audit that identifies and evaluates potential deficiencies and requirements.
In other words, by utilising an objective and professional service provider, you can effectively define role definition, work design, performance management and role grading for each position within your company.
When you don’t tell your employees what they should be achieving, your team will fail to deliver the results you expect. Define employee roles from the start and you will be more likely to interview and hire the most suitable candidates. Not only this, but you will ensure your employees’ and your own continued success.
