Job Descriptions and The Accidental HR Manager

Job Descriptions are the most unlikely topic for a fun but informative podcast. And yet, our guest today, Karen Young, CEO of HR Resolutions, stopped by and somehow turned the dull, dreaded job description into a lively conversation. Karen shares why the job description is the hub of talent management, not a legal document only taken out of the drawer only when it’s time to post jobs and terminate employees. Karen is also the author of Stop Knocking on my Door: Drama Free HR to Help Grow Your Business.

Karen refers to her books as “the primer for the accidental HR manager.” In case it’s not clear, Accidental HR Managers are the people that have either fallen into their HR position because of the way they moved up in a company or because of their experience in a similar position- the managers who have “fallen” into the position and didn’t necessarily start out with the intent to ever work in HR. Without prior recruitment training or experience, these are the Human Resource Managers that are “Googling” for answers to their HR questions and crossing their fingers what they read works.

Helping these “accidental managers” to succeed defines Karen. The first item on her list of advice? The proper writing of the dreaded job description, aka the “hub of the wheel” when it comes to recruitment.

On the show, we go in depth about the information a job description should include, as well as what’s important and what isn’t when it comes to the “essential skills” that should be listed.

One of Karen’s other goals is creating a drama-free HR department.

You might be asking how a drama free HR department could EVER be a possibility. Turns out, a drama free workplace starts with a clear job description. When written well, job descriptions can be used for discipline, medical issues, and in workman’s compensation cases. Karen states that “If we have crystal clear expectations from the start between the employee and employer, when things go awry we have an easy way to approach the employee.”

The conversation with this employee might go as easily as asking the question, “do you remember when we discussed your responsibilities as written in the job description? Let’s revisit that conversation and get back on track with our mutual expectations of each other.” Having a clear set of written expectations laid out before the candidate is even hired gives one the ability to be able to avoid large amounts of drama as well as have an easy segue into a conversation that involves correcting behaviors.

Another important thing to remember when it comes to writing a job description is to involve current employees in the writing. Why?

• Because no one knows the ins and outs of the position like the employees who work it!
• It’s an easy way to increase your employee’s sense of well-being by letting them feel listened to and needed.

The Geeks Geezers and Googlization show is broadcast live every Wednesday at 1 PM ET on W4CY Radio (www.w4cy.com). W4CY is part of Talk 4 Radio (http://www.talk4radio.com/) on the Talk 4 Media Network (http://www.talk4media.com/).

You can reach Karen at karen at HRResolutions.com or visit HR Resolutions.

You can purchase “Stop Knocking on My Door: Drama Free HR” on Amazon.