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We do a lot of consulting work
with businesses,

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and we run
into two kinds of businesses:

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those who have job descriptions,
but nobody ever looks at them,

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and then those
who don't have job descriptions

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and think they should.

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So let me give you some ideas

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for how to build a dynamic, useful,
effective job description.

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It should have five components;
they're very simple.

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Number one
is it should have a title.

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And the purpose for a title
for the job is so that people

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from the outside world
know how to relate to you.

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And so think
about what's the best title

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for the outside world
to connect with us.

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It's not about status.

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It's not about prestige.

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It's about how you
can build quick rapport

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with people on the outside.

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Number two, a good job description
tells you who you answer to.

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It's amazing
how many entrepreneurial businesses,

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you ask people who their boss is,

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and they don't know exactly
to say who supervises them.

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So it clearly identifies
who the supervisor is.

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The third part
of a good job description

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is that it has a brief summary
of why the job exists.

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It really answers the question,
this job--

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or it completes the sentence:
This job exists to--.

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And then in 1 or 2 sentences,
it describes why the job exists,

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not the person, but the job.

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Number four,
what are the key results

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that reflect superior performance
in this job.

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So a great position description--

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and this is where
a lot of companies miss it,

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they list all the activities,
all the tasks,

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the responsibilities,
and accountabilities.

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Focus on what are the key results

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that reflect superior performance
in this job.

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And then you can put the activities
as bullets

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underneath those points

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if you'd like.

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But every job should have three,

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or four, or five key results 
that result in superior performance.

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And then number five, last of all,

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what are
the minimum qualifications,

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the absolute minimums,
for somebody to be in this job?

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So if they don't have these,
they don't qualify.

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So for instance,
if it's a nursing job,

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they have to have
a nursing degree,

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or if it's a CPA,
or if it's a CFO,

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maybe they have to have
a college degree,

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but what are
the minimum qualifications?

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So, if you cover
those five things,

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and do it
in no more than two pages:

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What is the job title?

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Who do they answer to?

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What's the basic
or the summary description of the job?

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What are the key results
that reflect superior performance?

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And what are
the absolute minimums required

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for somebody to be in this job?

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That's a great position description
that will get used over

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and over and over again
to guide a person's performance.

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