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Guidelines Guidelines For WritingFor WritingPosition Position Descriptions Descriptions A Practical Guide for Managers and Team Leaders

“A position description describes the job, not the person in it!”

Human Resources

Best HR Practice Developed by Tony Vinckx Version 2, November 2008

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING POSITION DESCRIPTIONS 2

POSITION DESCRIPTION GUIDELINES1. INTRODUCTION

These guidelines are designed to assist you to write a position description in the prescribed format.

When a position is defined, we determine what skills, experience, qualifications, knowledge and attributes are required to successfully perform a job. At XYZ, we capture this information as a position description (PD). A position description should provide the reader with a good understanding of the role by providing information that clarifies and describes the job, its functions and reporting relationships.

The format in this guideline involves breaking the job into the following components.

Purpose of the section/department Reporting relationships Working relationships Major responsibilities Basic functions Qualifications Experience Key result areas

Additional components may include:

Personal attributes Organisational chart Physical requirements

2. WHAT IS A POSITION DESCRIPTION?

A “position description” (PD) is a written statement that provides detail about a position within the organisation. It provides information relating to the:

primary purpose of the position; accountabilities and responsibilities; working relationships of the position; essential/desirable qualifications of the position; and work related requirements (i.e. knowledge, experience and skills required).

Position descriptions are required for recruitment, evaluation, establishments and classification. It is important to note that the information must pertain to the position itself and not the individual who currently holds the job. The job should be described as it is being done now. Remember, a job specification is not the same as a person specification. Training & development can be given to a person to “fit” a job through a skills or gap analysis.

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3. WHAT ARE POSITION DESCRIPTIONS USED FOR?

A position description is used to capture the skills, experience, qualifications, knowledge and qualities required to successfully perform a job. It provides an understanding of the role by providing information that describes the job, its functions and reporting relationships. The process of preparing position descriptions is also a valuable aid to supervisors and their staff in clarifying position responsibilities.

The position description supports a number of human resource processes:

establishment recruitment job evaluation and classification performance management career planning training and development managing change

To be used effectively for any of these purposes, it is essential for a position description to be factual, concise, complete and unambiguous and to be written in a uniform style and format.

When writing a position description you should bear in mind that:

1. You are describing the job, not the person in it.2. The position description must describe what the job is, not what it was, will be

next year, might be, or ought to be. The aim is to describe the permanent ongoing job. Omit any temporary duties or personal interpretations and characteristics.

3. List tasks and responsibilities in a logical sequence, for example in order of importance.

4. The position description must not make explicit or implicit reference to the sex of the position holder.

5. Minimise jargon or acronyms.6. If using abbreviations, spell them out the first time they appear.7. Write in an active voice – use action verbs wherever possible.8. Do not assume the reader has prior knowledge of the position.9. The PD should not exceed 3 – 5 pages.10. PD’s are “live” documents.

The position description is usually prepared by the supervisor and the HR Manager. If the position is currently occupied, the incumbent should also be consulted when developing, modifying or updating the position description.



4. STRUCTURE OF THE XYZ POSITION DESCRIPTION

The XYZ position description format is comprised of the following sections:

a. Position Information

This section provides basic information on the position, such as position title. This information helps distinguish individual positions. This information is consistent with the establishment details.

1. Position Title2. Position Number3. Reports to4. Department5. Business Unit6. Location7. Employment Type8. Classification Stream9. Classification Level

The above information is completed by Human Resources. The table below provides an example of the position information in a XYZ position description.

Position Title: Logistics OfficerPosition Number: XYZ-000Employment Type: Permanent Full TimeReports to: Logistics SupervisorDepartment: BMGBusiness Unit:Location: XYZClassification Stream:Broadband: x - xApproved – Functional Manager:Approved – Human Resources:Written By:Date: xx/xx/xx

People often get confused regarding the title of positions. A position title has three main aims:

It should identify the position in a way which is clear and recognisable both internally and externally,

It should indicate the function of the position, It should reflect the level of the position in the organisation structure and be

consistent with similar roles.



b. Purpose of Section

This section gives an immediate understanding of this positions importance to XYZ. The purpose of the role is described in a brief one or two sentence statement that answers the following questions.

1. What is the section/department?2. What are the main objectives for the section/department?

c. Basic Functions

The purpose of this section is to provide a brief overview of the position and how the job helps the organisation to achieve its goals. One or two paragraphs are normally sufficient. It may be relevant to state if this is a newly created position. Address the following points by providing a few brief sentences/points to generally describe the role of the position:

1. What are the main purpose/key objectives for the position?2. What functions is this position responsible for?

The purpose of this section is to provide information at a glance on the type and level of work performed. You will probably find it easier to complete this section once you have completed the remainder of the position description.

1. There should be a broad statement of the overall objective of the job. This requires one sentence, seldom exceeding three or four lines that answers the questions: “What, Why and How”.

2. Job purpose states the broad view: avoid detail such as coordinating, liaising, forecasting, planning, giving

information, or policy implementation - these are not ends but means; the purpose statement should cover the whole of the responsibilities of

the job but not go beyond them.



Consider the following example:

BASIC FUNCTION

This position is part of the Logistics team and works under limited direction and routine supervision, the Logistics Officer provides has varying levels of responsibilities, determined in consultation with the Business Manager, across the following areas:

inventory requisitions warehousing shipping

d. Reporting Relationships

This section covers the basic information on where the position fits within the organisation, what position the position reports to and if the position is responsible for any staff. Brief statements should be used to provide this information. An organisational chart maybe attached to provide the reader with an overview of the area and where the position fits in the area.

Consider the following examples:

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS The Logistics Officer works as part of a multi-functional team and reports to the Logistics Manager.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS The Payroll Officer reports to the Business & Finance Manager.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS Reports directly to the Electrical Team Leader.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS This position is one of five, reporting to the Manager.



e. Major Responsibilities

This section describes the tasks and activities that are performed. Describe in 5 – 10 statements the key tasks and activities of this position. Functions performed by this position as distinguished from those performed by its subordinates.

This is the most important section of the position description. Its purpose is to describe the main duties and responsibilities of your position and the percentage of your time spent on each. Start with the most important function first and list the remainder in descending order of importance. Start with an action verb (See Appendix II for a list of common action verbs) and then describe WHAT you do, HOW you do it, and WHY you do it.

The following table may be helpful in determining the percentage of time involved:

1/2 hour per day is 7% 1/2 day per week is 10% 1 hour per day is 14% 1 week per year is 2% 1 hour per week is 3% 1 day per month is 5%

You will find the task easier and the results better if you take time to do some preparatory work. We suggest that you first jot down all the major duties or responsibilities of the job and then combine these into a number of closely related functions or responsibilities. These items should then be written in the proper format and entered on the position description form in order of importance.

The three components of a duty statement:

These represent all the expected key outputs of the job. It is worded to emphasise action leads to an end result. It does not use broad or vague statements and it is not time related.

Once you have completed approximately 5 - 10 statements, these will form the structure of the positions performance criteria, that is, the main areas of things that get done.


The Function

Describe the Function

List the Activity’s



INVENTORY Maintain inventory records includes:

Establishing user requirements for spare parts and equipment needs No stock item discrepancies, goods are correctly identified and adequate

stock levels are maintained whist adhering to internal warehousing procedures.

Maintain transactions relating to DSN repairable and consumable stock items

Maintain documentation for the receipt, storage, issue and disposal of equipment and supplies

To ensure full accountability for auditing purposes Create new stock records as required Establishing and specifying inventory levels for operating and reserve

stockholdings

ITAR COMPLIANCE Manage all export control compliance activities including:

Conducting the annual ITAR compliance audit Develop and monitor ITAR compliance procedures Undertake continuous improvement activities to enhance the ITAR compliance framework Ensure records related to ITAR data are appropriately maintained

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT HRM tasks include (but not limited too):

Developing human resource policies and procedures and to provide input to HR strategic plan to ensure maximum opportunity for their successful utilisation and maintained so as to positively improve the relevance, adequacy and effectiveness of human resources services.

In consultation with the Human Resources Manager, ensure that XYZ conforms to statutory and legislative requirements.

Promoting and facilitating an effective and transparent internal human resources audit process across all sections.

Contributing to the development of innovative solutions to Human Resource services.

CUSTOMER SERVICE Undertake a variety of customer service duties:

Supervise the Customer Service Officer and the day to day operation of the Customer Service Centre.

Maintain the training schedule. Supervise the balancing of the daily float and conduct end-of-day reconciliation of cash

registers. Complete monthly customer service management performance reports. Assist in the development of relevant budgets. Deal with complaints, requests and inquiries. Liaise with Professional / Technical staff to resolve issues. Maintain a high level of understanding of work processes and practices.


3. List the Activities

2. Description of the Function

1. Identify the function


f. Working Relationships

This section describes the reporting structure of the position and indicates how it relates to the other positions in the department or section. It sets out the number and roles of positions that report directly and indirectly to this position and the frequency of the interaction. These relationships are also shown on the organisation chart.

1. Who does this position report to?2. What other positions also report to the supervisor/manager of this position?3. What positions report directly to this position?4. What positions indirectly report to this position?

You may also want to think about what official forums, key committees or working groups does this position belong to and what is the role? Does this position report to any Government agencies?

You may find it helpful to divide the relationships into internal (within XYZ) and external (outside of XYZ) groups.

The frequency of the interaction is defined as follows: Daily (interaction occurs every day) Periodically (interaction is frequent but not daily eg: weekly) Intermittent (interaction is irregular or sporadic eg: every 2 months)

The type of the interaction is defined as follows: Direct (communication or access to a stakeholder is immediate or instant eg:

supervisor) Indirect (communication from a stakeholder is not immediate or direct)

Consider the following example:

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS Internal External

Supervisor – Daily Team – Daily All staff – Daily

??? – Indirect and intermittent ??? – Indirect and intermittent ??? - Indirect and intermittent ??? - Indirect and intermittent ??? - Indirect and intermittent

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS Internal External

Section Manager - Weekly Team – Daily Staff – Daily

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g. Qualifications

This section should only contain qualifications, not experience or the skills required as these are covered in the Key Selection Criteria.

Qualifications are actual verifiable qualifications (i.e. degrees, certificates, Year 12, licenses etc.). Only formal qualifications required for the position should be listed as mandatory. Not all positions will require a mandatory qualification.

Mandatory Qualifications: If a qualification is mandatory it is the minimum standard for the position and only applicants with this qualification can be considered for selection. A mandatory qualification is to be used as an exclusion criteria.

The qualifications cited will be used in the recruitment/selection process to select the appropriate person. Therefore only qualifications required to undertake the position should be listed.

For example: Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering.

If a specific qualification is not required the following may be used,

For example: Diploma in Accountancy or equivalent education and/or experience.


QUALIFICATIONSEssential Desirable

AQF Level 2 - Certificate 2 in Warehousing, Logistics, Transport or Distribution or equivalent.

Forklift licence

Current drivers license

Doggers / Riggers ticket, or equivalent

Nationally recognised certificate in Dangerous Goods Handling

Chemical safety / awareness First Aid


A technical trade qualification in an electrical discipline

An ACT electrical licence

Current drivers license

Higher qualifications in an electrical discipline

Project management or supervisory course


AQF Level 6 in Electronics Engineering or equivalent education and/or experience Current drivers license



h. Experience

This section outlines the level or amount of work experience required to perform the job effectively. It should answer - what type, how much and at what level of previous work experience is required for competent performance in the position.


EXPERIENCEEssential Desirable

At least three years experience in a Logistics role, preferably within an industrial environment.

Asset management Import / Export Purchasing


Minimum 4 years experience in a complex business/application environment

Demonstrated experience with administration and management of major corporate business applications including Financial, HR, Records Management, Asset Management and Regulatory business applications

Demonstrated experience working with leading technologies and implementing new and improved business processes and practices

Demonstrated change management and testing strategies

Demonstrated quality management strategies

A knowledge and understanding of the principles and practices of EEO and OH&S, and an ability to apply them to existing work practices;

A good working knowledge for the support of Microsoft Windows 2003 server and XP desktop, Exchange 2003 and Office 2003 suite of software;

A knowledge and understanding of management principles including supervisory skills to be able to relieve/act in the position of Manager ICT


Extensive and varied engineering experience within a system engineering management role.

Leadership and management experience in an environment of change.

Leading multi-disciplinary teams in a team focused environment.



i. Key Result Areas

The Key Result Area (KRA) is also known as the “Selection Criteria”, which is critical to the recruitment/selection process. This section contains the experience, skills and abilities that are required to undertake the job. It details the performance criteria. Applicants use these to assess their suitability for the job. They are also used by the Selection Panel to select the appropriate candidate.

The key selection criteria must be objective and consistent with the requirements of the position. When preparing the key selection criteria it is advisable to place more emphasis on measurable human qualities rather than abstract ones. There is no point in specifying attributes, which cannot be assessed when selecting applicants.

Positions would usually have a 4 - 7 criteria. Each criterion should be a separate point. They should be numbered and listed in order of importance. The following categories should be addressed in the key selection criteria:

Experience/Knowledge - what type, how much and at what level of previous work experience is required for competent performance in the position. The first criterion should specify the amount and type of experience required. Due to EEO legislation experience cannot be specified in the number of years, instead statements such as Proven, Demonstrated, Substantial and Extensive can be used.

Preferred Qualification - a preferred qualification is the desirable level of education for the position.

Skills/Abilities - the demonstrated capacity to perform an observable behaviour. What type of demonstrated abilities are required in this position, eg. if a position supervises staff it would be expected that an ability would be "Demonstrated ability to supervise staff".

Personal qualities - these are the personal qualities required to perform the duties of the position. These would include personal abilities such as interpersonal relations, working under stress, adaptation to change and communication skills.

j. Authorisation

The supervisor of the position should develop the position description. The supervisor and the HR Manager must sign off all final position descriptions.

In reviewing a position description, the supervisor should ensure that:

the proper format has been adhered to; the description represents a complete and accurate picture of the position

described, i.e., no major duties or responsibilities have been overlooked and the correct emphasis has been placed on each;

the examples given for decision making, problem solving, interpersonal skills and supervision received are realistic and do not overstate or understate the case;



the entrance qualifications are reasonable and not unduly weighed by the incumbent’s own qualifications;

the supervision exercised data and the information on organisational relationships are accurate.

Once the initial review has been completed, the content of the position description is to be discussed with the employee and any differences of opinion resolved. The agreed changes should then be made and the description should be signed by the supervisor who will forward the document to the HR Manager for further comment and approval.

k. Additional Components

The following components are optional elements in a position description.

a. Other relevant information

For some positions, this section is not relevant and can be removed from the PD. This section can be used to add relevant information about the position that is not outlined in any other section, for example travel requirements, committee membership, out of hours or rostered work, shift work, etc.

b. Organisational Chart

A current organisational chart of the department/section or work area showing the position and its reporting relationships maybe attached.

c. Physical Requirements

This is a list of the physical functions required for the position. This takes into account the needs of people with a disability. For example, manual handling, noise exposure, hazards, personal protective equipment.

d. Progression Statement

This is used only for broadbanded positions. For example:

The incumbent will normally be expected to have reached the top level X prior to progression to level X. Criteria for progression to level X will require the incumbent to gain the appropriate qualification, as determined in consultation with the Section Manager and documented in the Individual Development Plan, or perform work in accordance with the relevant classification descriptors. In addition, it will also be based on satisfactory performance of all duties and accountabilities at level X and a demonstrated capacity to take on the duties and accountabilities of the position at level X.



APPENDIX 1

CHECKLIST FOR PREPARING A POSITION DESCRIPTIONIf filling an existing vacant position

Has the job changed? (eg. new duties, new skills, new work area) Is the position description still appropriate for the position designation and salary level, and

if required, has it been updated? Can the position be broadbanded?

If creating a new position Have you drafted a position description that accurately reflects the tasks and

responsibilities of the new position? Can the position be broadbanded?

Job Purpose Have you included a brief description on the overall job objective?

Duties of the position Are all the duties listed? Are the duties specific to the job? Are any duties discriminatory? Have you listed appropriate EEO/OHS duties required for the type of position under

consideration?

Skills/abilities Have you listed all those skills and abilities that are capable of being demonstrated and are

required for the job?

Qualifications Have you listed any necessary qualifications for the position? Have you considered whether demonstrated experience is a suitable equivalent to a stated

qualification?

Relevant experience Have you listed the types of previous experience relevant to the requirements of the

position?

Essential criteria Have you identified skills, knowledge, etc. that are indispensable to the duties needed to

perform the job, that is, the essential criteria? Have you listed and grouped together the essential criteria? Have you identified any priorities within, or relative weighting of, the essential criteria?

Approval Has the vacancy been discussed with and approved, by the HR Manager and Site

Manager? Confirm with the HR Manager, that the vacancy is listed in the establishment?



APPENDIX 2

EXAMPLES OF TYPICAL ACTION VERBSFACT FINDINGAnalyse Compute Identify Investigate StudyAudit Evaluate Initiate Observe SurveyCalculate Examine Inspect Review ValidateCheck Experiment Interview Score Collect Gather Inventory Search

PLANNING AND SCHEDULINGArrange Compile Forecast Prepare StockAssemble Control Formulate Provide StoreAssign Describe Lay Out Regulate SubmitBudget Determine Organise Requisition SupplyCatalogue Estimate Plan Schedule

INFLUENCING AND/OR ESTABLISHING STANDARDS/POLICY DEVELOPMENTAdopt Create Develop Modify RecommendApprove Decide Devise Originate SetClassify Design Establish Prescribe SpecifyConstruct Determine Initiate Present

RELATIONSHIPSAccept Consolidate Exchange Maintain SellAdvise Contract Expedite Negotiate SendApprove Contribute Explain Participate TranslateAssist Cooperate Facilitate Procure TransmitAttend Co-ordinate Furnish Provide UtiliseCollaborate Counsel Guide Purchase Commit Deliver Install Receive Confer Demonstrate Interpret Select

CONDUCT OR DOINGAct Direct Implement Perform SuperviseAdminister Disseminate Instruct Process TeachBrief Draft Lecture Program TransportCarry out Edit Maintain Proofread WriteConduct Execute Manage Repair Control Exercise Monitor Research Coordinate Fabricate Operate Revise Demonstrate File Orient Staff

ADVISINGAdvise Explain Prescribe Report SuggestContribute Guide Recommend Review Counsel Inform


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