Writing an Effective Position Description
An effectively-written position description (PD) is brief and concise.
These tips will help supervisors develop accurate content for the “Basic
Function” and “Basic Duties and Responsibilities” sections of the
Interagency Post Employee Position Description, DS298. It will also
serve as the basis for completing the Job Discussion Help Sheet
(JDHS).
MClass provides drop-down menu selections for much of the PD
1. General Hints
content required for “Desired Qualifications” and “Position Elements.”
The words and phrases you use to describe a job are very important. They will convey
your meaning quickly and clearly -- or provide only a vague picture of what the job really
includes. For example, following are a few phrases actually used in FSN position
descriptions:
·
Carries out high level contracts regarding the program.
·
Provides facilitative support.
·
Coordinates the maintenance work of the post.
·
Reviews visa applications.
·
Processes input for all data contained in the post’s DRS files.
Can you explain exactly what the writer meant in each case? Of course not! These
examples are only vague statements. They do not provide a clear indication of exactly
what is done, how it is done, or why it is done.
If those who are directly responsible for a position can‟t define it clearly, how can an HR
Classifier be expected to classify the position with any degree of competency? Or, how
can a new employee understand the kind of work he/she is expected to do?
Following are some simple suggestions to consider when describing any job:
a. Use plain, clear language. Choose your words carefully.
b. Write simply and precisely. Avoid technical phrases, acronyms, and
ambiguous statements.
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c. Do NOT use words which imply responsibilities or complexities greater than
actually exist for the position. For example, do NOT describe a task as “Maintains
liaison with representatives of the business community” when the task is
“Locates and issues various commercial library information as requested by
members of the local business community by telephone, letter, or personal visit.”
Impressive sounding words and complex sentences oftentimes result from “cloudy”
thinking. In most cases, they indicate that the person who wrote the PD did not spend
enough time studying the position and analyzing its various tasks.
Sometimes, impressive sounding verbiage indicates that the writer is trying to qualify a
position for a higher grade by exaggerating the importance of its functions. Be
forewarned: This technique is so obvious it almost never works! Position classification
is the process that establishes and maintains equitable compensation and grading
structures across all locally recruited positions in a Mission. Trying to manipulate the
outcome of a particular classification by „swelling‟ the qualifications or duties of a job
undermines the integrity and equity of the entire Mission position structure..
2. Verb Selection
a. Active Verbs
Always use active verbs when describing duties which must be performed. By definition,
an “active verb” indicates that the subject does something -- that is, performs some
action. In the case of a position description, the implied subject is always the incumbent
employee.
Three examples of active verbs are: posts, designs, and types. Following are examples
of these verbs used in sentences describing a particular task:
·
Posts specific information from purchase documents to stock record cards.
·
Designs art work for posters, magazine covers and other information materials to
meet specified needs, but with some freedom to use creative judgement.
·
Types letters, memoranda, reports, and lists in final form from handwritten drafts.
b. General Verbs
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Selecting the verb that most accurately describes the action performed is a major
concern when writing a PD. Like other words, some verbs can be so general or vague
that they do not indicate exactly what must be done.
Five general verbs which are often used on PDs are:
assist, prepare, handle, examine, and research.
Although it‟s fine to use these verbs, you still need to explain the action involved in more
detail.
3. Statements of “Difficulty”
It is important in most PDs to provide a sense of how difficult the duties and
responsibilities of the position are. The level of difficulty definitely has an impact on a
position‟s ultimate classification and grade. Often the difficulty level of various tasks is
described using the following terms:
·
routine difficulty
·
average difficulty
·
considerable difficulty
·
unusual difficulty
CAUTION: You must provide enough details to indicate exactly the difficulty of the
position‟s work.
4. “WHAT-HOW-WHY” Format
Each major duty and responsibility is best described using a WHAT, HOW, and WHY
format. This format is concise, efficient, and orderly.
a. Begin each statement with an ACTION verb which tells WHAT action
(duty/responsibility) the incumbent must perform.
What task must be performed ?
b. Continue by explaining HOW (method/technique) the incumbent should perform the
action.
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How should the task be performed ?
c. Complete the statement by indicating WHY the incumbent should perform the action.
Why does this task need to be performed ?
The WHY portion of any statement is the RESULT expected – that is, the REASON
FOR performing the task.
Following are two examples of duties described using this format:
EXAMPLE #1:
·
WHAT ? Files various documents in three separate filing systems:
·
HOW ? (1) an alphabetical system (by procurement item), (2) a
chronological system (by procurement date), and (3) a numerical system
(by voucher number)
·
WHY ? These files serve as a complete record of all procurement
transactions at post, and as the source documents in support of the
accounting system for procurement transactions. *
EXAMPLE #2:
·
WHAT ? Researches foreign trade developments
·
HOW ? by reading daily newspapers, trade publications and economic
journals and making regular visits to the local Chamber of Commerce,
Ministry of Trade and Development and various trade associations
·
WHY ? in order to compile data on Country Z’s trade relationships and to
analyze foreign trade trends.
NOTE *: To avoid an overly lengthy statement, the “why” portion often can be
presented as a separate sentence following the initial “what” and “how”
statement -- as in Example #1.
Careful thought and preparation should go into the writing of every position description.
Without this special attention, it is not possible to prepare an accurate and complete
explanation of any job. As you prepare for and write any PD, always focus your
thoughts on the POSITION and NOT on the employee assigned to the position. It
usually helps to think of the position as VACANT.
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Some of the basic questions you need to ask yourself about any position are:
1. What duties are assigned to this position?
2. How is the incumbent expected to perform these duties ?
3. Why must these duties be performed ? What is their purpose ?
4. Under what conditions must the duties be performed ?
5. Steps to Developing a PD
Fact Gathering
a) Collect and review all available information about the position and any details which
relate to, or impact on the work of the position. For example:
1) The post‟s staffing pattern
2) All relevant organization charts
3) Any functional / descriptive statements about the position or any related position
4) Agency and/or local instructions and procedures concerning the work of the
position
5) Any existing PDs which describe the position, a similar position, or another job
with one or more duties which are comparable to those of the subject of the
position.
Suggestion: If possible, study existing PDs only AFTER reviewing other relevant data.
This process will stop you from forming preconceived ideas about the job before you
have examined all the pertinent data.
b) Discuss the position with other staff members who have responsibility for and/or
information about the work of the position.
1) If the position‟s FSN supervisor is preparing the PD, he/she should begin by
interviewing the incumbent employee (if any) and then questioning other
employees who may have knowledge of the position. This supervisor should then
discuss the job with the American supervisor. If the position‟s American
supervisor is preparing the PD, he/she should consult with both the FSN
supervisor and incumbent employee, as appropriate.
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2) Depending on how much he/she knows about the details of the job before
interviewing the incumbent, it may also be a good idea for a supervisor to
prepare a preliminary list of major duties to discuss with the employee and/or
another supervisor.
3) Supervisors should conduct their interviews with incumbent employees at the
work site. An on-site discussion makes it possible for the supervisor to observe
the work area, the forms and equipment used, the work process, and other
pertinent factors related to the work of the position. Viewing the physical
environment, while discussing the position‟s duties and responsibilities, makes
these tasks more understandable. This process makes it much easier for the
supervisor to describe the position.
Note: Even supervisors who work in the same or nearby office find it illuminating to
sit with the incumbent at the work-site. Facts which are easily overlooked during
occasional day-to-day contact often come quickly into focus during this visit.
Organizing Facts
Once you have collected and reviewed all significant facts about a position, you are
ready to organize these facts into a logical order. Do this as soon as possible after
studying a position, while all the details are still “fresh” in your mind.
a) Prepare a list of the MAJOR KINDS of work performed.
1) Consider the various functions of the position and the work performed in
carrying out each of these duties.
2) Group like or related duties and tasks together in a logical manner.
b) Examine the items on the list to see if they are all different from one another -- or if
some of them are generally concerned with the same kinds of duties /
responsibilities. Can any of the items be combined or eliminated ?
c) Make any necessary changes to the list which you believe are necessary -- combine
items and/or re-group them as necessary.
d) Arrange the various kinds of work IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE. (This is the best
arrangement for classification purposes. Do NOT organize the list in the order in
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which the work is performed or by the amount of time spent performing each kind of
work.)
e) Expand the list into an outline. Add any relevant details, explanations, or notes under
the appropriate major headings you have established.
f) Review the outline and make any necessary changes or additions. Is it clear and
easy to understand? The more detailed your outline, the easier it will be for you to
complete the PD.
g) Estimate the percentage of time spent performing each major element of the work.
Keep in mind as you make your estimates that 5% of a 40-hour work week = 2 hours
per week. (Your estimates at this point is just preliminary; they may change when
you complete your final description of the duties and responsibilities under each
grouping.)
4. Position Management Review
The appropriate supervisor (American and/or FSN) should review the position outline
from a position management point of view to determine if this is the way in which he/she
wants the job to function. For example, the supervisor should consider the following
questions:
1. Do the duties of the position overlap with those of other positions in the office/
unit?
2. Is there a mixture of important and routine duties?
3. Should some of the duties be shifted to other positions?
Based on the answer to some of these questions, the supervisor may wish to add or
delete some of the duties / responsibilities of the position. Supervisors should be
mindful, however, that whenever a change is made to the duties of one position it will
impact on one or more other positions. Therefore, other PDs should be reviewed and
revised as necessary.
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