A position description is the manual that will guide both yourself and your employee in understanding the expectations and objectives required of a role. It is important that this document is comprehensive, as it will form the criterion to develop recruitment advertisements, interview questions, measures of candidate suitability and ongoing employee performance and progression.
To help we have determined our 8 necessary components of an effective Position Description, it should address:
- The purpose of the position;
- The title of the individual to whom this role will directly report to;
- The title of the internal and external individual(s) that this role will regularly liaise with;
- The objectives and responsibilities of the role are structured broadly to define the role as WHAT IT IS, whilst accommodating potential role progression and consideration to changing role outcomes and responsibilities. Do not include temporary tasks.
- The personal criteria and standards that you expect of the role, such as prior education, qualifications, knowledge, skills and abilities;
- Create and include Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) that determine measurable and agreeable goals for the individual employee, to guide and improve employee performance and understanding of expectations. Format matters here and it is a good idea to organise KPI responsibilities into subcategories such as Customer Service, Business, Teamwork, Managerial Responsibilities etc.
- Financial KPI’s and salary should correspond with the appropriate award rate and classification level for the job role. If an employee does not sit specifically within one classification or level, we advise you to contact us to assist you in defining the most appropriate. When creating a salary, ensure that you have considered potential overtime, entitlements and allowances that may occur and factor in these amounts to reduce situations of additional payments, back payment and/or Fair Work claims.
- To maintain the integrity and accuracy of a PD we strongly advise that you schedule a review, at least, every 2 years to reflect the changing responsibilities that stem from career progression, increased workload, and changing/ re-direction of roles.
If you have found this to be helpful but still have some queries or questions, do not hesitate in contacting us for a free consult on 1800 577 515 and allow our HR specialist Adrian, to assist you in increasing your retention rates.
