Yesterday’s Advisor introduced the “interactive” job description—a productive new take on an evergreen topic. Today we’ll review more interactive job description tips, and introduce a unique new job description system.
Irving H. Buchen, an HR researcher and consultant, is a member of the doctoral business faculty at Capella University. Here are his tips for making the job description more interactive (his remarks appeared on the website Human Resource Executive Online):
–Render the job description as both a descriptive and evaluative PDF document, ideally posted on the company website.
–Tie the job description to the performance evaluation system to ensure updating.
–Design the document as an interactive and responsive form open to applicant inquiry.
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–Build in a series of gatekeeper qualifications for each major area of responsibility and each skill set.
–Create prompts to guide prospective applicants’ access to information.
–Limit your initial implementation to a few highly competitive, hard-to-fill jobs. See whether the new system makes a difference, measured by both the quality of applicants attracted and the degree to which they self-select.
Plant Managers a Good Example
To illustrate an applicant who might seek specific information, Buchen takes the example of a plant manager. They are hard to find and hard to keep. Their value is that they are know-it-alls. Nothing escapes them. Nothing about their plant is too small, trivial, or distant for them to dig into. And that’s the way they are when they look for a job—they want to know everything.
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For example, they want to know the extent to which their decisions may be checked by marketing or finance. If there are multiple sites, they want to know whether multidisciplinary or virtual teams provide cross-lateral functions.
The typical “flat” job description offers none of this perspective. And it turns job prospects off.
The bottom line? Give them steak, not pablum, in their job descriptions, Buchen says.
Job Descriptions Are Fundamental
Job descriptions are in many ways the basic HR tool. Yet, as Buchen found, job descriptions are neglected in many organizations.
It’s not hard to see why—job description maintenance is easy to put off, and it’s not exactly glamorous HR. But that doesn’t mean it’s not critical.
What’s the best way to manage a whole company’s worth of job descriptions? We asked the BLR editors, and they came up with an amazing new program, the Job Description Manager.
Job Description Hassles a Thing of the Past
Now you can easily create, maintain, and organize your job descriptions on BLR’s Job Description Manager website. This online tool provides you with:
–Job descriptions for more than 2,400 job titles
–Customizable to fit your specific needs
–Stored on our site and accessible 24/7 from any computer, anywhere
–Easy to access and update—your latest copy is just clicks away
–Available to download and print or even e-mail your job descriptions
The Job Description Manager is the most comprehensive and useful job description tool on the Web. And we’ll stand behind that pledge: If you are not totally satisfied at any time, we will refund your entire subscription cost.
Like many other HR executives, I have an aversion for any degree (but, especially doctoral degrees) from Capella University and similar for-profit, on-line schools and “diploma mills.” Why do people spend large sums of money to get a worthless degree that will make it more difficult for them to get a job in a very difficult job market?
Great posting, Steve — we fully support the concept of interactive job descriptions.
Candidates are frustrated by the “black hole” of job listings in which they apply for jobs or contact employers (by email or web forms) and rarely hear back.
I believe all job postings/descriptions will be interactive some day.
Check out Ongig.com for an example — there is a comment section on the right-hand side of every job posting. Candidates can ask employers questions (either anonymously or with their identity).