Writing a

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Human Resource Services
Writing a Professional Staff Job Description
Questionnaire ( JDQ )
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What is a Job Description?

• Job Descriptions outline
• Major responsibilities and duties
• Decision making authority
• Supervisory/managerial requirements
• Budgeting
• Organizational Relationships
• Knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs)
• Working conditions

Who
Where
Does What Work
Why
How
When/How Often
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Why Complete Job Descriptions?

• Job descriptions can be used to
• Assign work and document work assignments.
• Help clarify and align with the organizations
  mission values.
• Establish performance requirements.
• Act as a communication tool between employees
  and managers.
• Determine classification and benchmark to the
  external job market.
• Recruit for vacancies.
• Explore reasonable accommodations.
• Train employees.
• Help the organization comply with legal
  requirements related to equal opportunity,
  equal pay, FLSA (overtime eligibility), etc.
• Make decisions on work flow and job
  restructuring.
• Suggest ways to enrich the work experience.
• Support and inform succession planning efforts.

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When Do I Write or Review Job Descriptions?

• The JDQ should be written, reviewed or revised as
  a cooperative effort between the employee and
  manager when
• Adding/revising major job duties and/or
  responsibilities (not intended for minor
  changes).
• Requiring additional and/or new minimum
  qualifications.
• Creating a new position.
• During the annual review process (Performance
  Evaluations).
• Recruiting for a replacement in an established
  position.
• During re-design/re-organization efforts.
• Identifying revisions based on exploring
  reasonable accommodations.
• Development of other HR-related programs such
  as
• Work Planning
• Performance Management
• Work Re-Design
• Succession Planning

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Ask Yourself

• In the past, have you completed a new job
  description focusing on
• --what you want to pay?
• --what level of position you want?
• --the skills or potential of the employee?
• --the desire to give someone a raise?
• FOCUS ON THE WORK, NOT THE PERSON
• There are two systems that impact employee
  compensation
• --Classification System (based on job duties)
• --Compensation System (based on employee
  performance)
• The JDQ is designed to describe actual work
  performed and is not intended to drive the
  compensation system.

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Job Descriptions JDQs
First Section Identifying information about
position, department, incumbent, supervisor and
account codes/distribution.
Question 1 Indicate purpose of job description
and summarize position changes
Question 2 Brief statement on job purpose.
Answers why does this job exist?
Question 3 Major Duties and Responsibilities
typically the largest most detailed area of the
JDQ.
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Job Descriptions JDQs
Question 4 Include positions responsibility for
a program or departments budget
Question 5 Indicate supervision responsibilities
and list staff supervised
Questions 6 7 Describe internal and external
organizational relationships and provide examples
of decisions made
Supervisors Section List Minimum Qualifications
(MQs) at the entry level of the position
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Job Descriptions JDQs
Question 4 Attach an organizational chart
reflecting the reporting relationships of this
position
Question 5 Report information about physical
demands if the jobs work environment is
something other than an office setting
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Job Description Questionnaires
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),
job duties are categorized as either essential
or non-essential. Job duties may be considered
essential (E) if

• The position exists primarily to perform that
  duty
• The duty is highly specialized
• There are a limited number of employees among
  whom the job duties can be distributed

A job duty may be considered non-essential (NE)
if

• The duties can be eliminated or assigned to
  another employee

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Tips for Writing Job Descriptions

• Organize like an outline
• Describe and group the primary duties of the
  position into 3 5 major sets of duties
• Estimate the approximate amount of time spent in
  each major heading
• List more important duties first
• Identify each set of duties as essential (E) or
  Non-Essential (NE)
• Update JDQ as necessary (major changes in job
  duties or reorganization, for example)

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Tips for Writing Job Descriptions
When writing duties, structure sentences in the
format of verb / object / explanatory phrase.

• Collects (action verb)

• key job information (object)

• from various sources, e.g., work interviews and
  
  direct observation (explanatory),

• Analyzes (action verb)

• the data (object)

• to identify job content and critical evaluation
  issues (explanatory),

• Prepares or revises (action verbs)

• job descriptions (object).

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Tips for Writing Job Descriptions
Caution

• When writing a job description,
• beware of the inflationary effect that can
  occur
• when describing the extent of responsibilities
• or scope inherent in a task.

• Be sure to consider the full working year
• and the full range of duties throughout the
• school year, calendar year or business cycle.

• Do not include duties that are cross-covering
  in someone elses absence unless its a set
  responsibility to fill in for that position (for
  example, an Assistant Director filling in for the
  Director or acting in absence of the Director).

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Tips for Writing Job Descriptions
No need to reinvent the wheel! Referring to
good examples can ease the time-consuming task
of writing JDQs. Sample materials used in job
descriptions are available online at
http//hrs.boisestate.edu/compensation/jobdescript
ions.shtml
Caution
Remember, sample documents are very generic and
general in nature and it may be tempting to copy
these examples directly which can result in an
inaccurate job description. If you utilize a
sample job description, be sure to clarify the
duties to the specific job and department and
involve both the employee and supervisor in the
development process.
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Achievement Action Verbs
The terms reflect typical achievement activities
whose definitions can be found on the Note Page
form of this slide (click on View, Notes Page).
Activate Check Decide
Delete Determine Encourage Enforce 
Execute Expedite
Further Implement Initiate
Maintain Motivate Organize Prevent
Return Stop
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Activity Action Verbs
The terms reflect typical activity actions whose
definitions can be found on the Note Page form of
this slide (click on View, Notes Page).
Accept Accumulate Acquire
Allocate Buy Collect Compile
Deliver Distribute
Exchange Forward Furnish
Gather Get Give Issue
Keep Obtain Pick-up Procure
Provide Purchase Receive
Render Secure Solve
Submit Supply Take Transfer
Withdraw
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Administrative Action Verbs
The terms reflect typical administrative
activities whose definitions can be found on the
Note Page form of this slide (click on View,
Notes Page).
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Assistance Action Verbs
The terms reflect typical assistance activities
whose definitions can be found on the Note Page
form of this slide (click on View, Notes Page).
Advise Aid Conduct Cooperate
Counsel Explain Guide
Instruct Participate
Protect Serve Show
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Communication Action Verbs
Inform Inquire Interview Mail
Negotiate Notify Pull Recall
Recruit Report Request
Sell Send Solicit
The terms reflect typical communication
activities whose definitions can be found on the
Note Page form of this slide (click on View,
Notes Page).
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Control Action Verbs
The terms reflect typical control activities
whose definitions can be found on the Note Page
form of this slide (click on View, Notes Page).
Allocate Assign Audit Commit
Conserve Edit Ensure Evaluate
Guarantee Regulate Restrict
Verify
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Creativity Action Verbs
The terms reflect typical creative activities
whose definitions can be found on the Note Page
form of this slide (click on View, Notes Page).
Create Design Devise Develop
Estimate Forecast Formulate
Install Originate Project
Schedule
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Evaluative Action Verbs
Appraise Analyze Ascertain Check
Compare Consider
Criticize Evaluate
Examine Identify Inspect
The terms reflect typical evaluation activities
whose definitions can be found on the Note Page
form of this slide (click on View, Notes Page).
Interpret Investigate
Measure Rate Research 
Resolve Study
Summarize Survey
Test Weigh
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Online Resources
Link to Job Description Questionnaire (JDQ)
form http//hrs.boisestate.edu/forms/professional
staffjobdescription.doc Link to Sample JDQs
http//hrs.boisestate.edu/compensation/jobdescript
ions.shtml
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Human Resource Services
For more information, please contact Human
Resource Services Classification/Compensation
staff Joan Thies 426-1648 Andy Cover
426-4419 Debi Alvord 426-1740