Virginia Tech Performance Management Program
Instructions for Writing a Position Description
These instructions are intended to assist supervisors in completing the Position Description in People Admin.
Although the primary responsibility for creating the position description belongs to the supervisor, it is important you discuss thisdocument with the employee and seek feedback to ensure that itis accurate and complete.
The reviewer also has a role in the process. The reviewer is the supervisor’s supervisor, or someone at a higher level of authority designated to approve the position description. The reviewer also responds to appeals of performance ratings, and has the authority to change the position description. Reviewers should ensure that position descriptions are appropriate before requesting the Department Head to approve in People Admin.
The position description is used to describe the key responsibilities of the position. The supervisor should review the position description with the new employee and then annually after that to be sure that the employee understands his/her key responsibilities.
The Position Description is approved in People Admin at several different stages.
- Approval of the position description in People Admin will vary by each senior management area. If the reviewer is designated as a Department Head in People Admin then the supervisor can update the position in People Admin and send the updated description to the Department Head for approval.
- If this is not the case (for instance if the Reviewer reports to the Department Head) then the supervisor must update the position description in People Admin, share the revised description with the Reviewer then, assuming the Reviewer agrees with the changes, forward the revised description to the Department Head for approval. There is a notes tab in People Admin that the supervisor can use to indicate that the Reviewer has agreed with the changes.
Creating the Position Description
Step One: Identify and define key responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
Defining the key responsibilities for a position is critical to the overall performance management process. For each responsibility statement, describe whatwork is to be done using a strong action verb and one or more modifying verbs that address why, how, for whom and in what surroundingsthe work is performed. If there is a specific quantitative measure, describe what that is.
EXAMPLES:
Percent of Total Time: / Description of job responsibility/duty: / Essential or Marginal:40 / Sorts incoming mail (what is done) into work unit groups (how it is done) for distribution (why it is done). / Essential
20 / Drafts and edits correspondence to applicants (what is done) using the style manual and procedures handbook (how it is done) informing them of their application status and application requirements (why it is done). / Essential
20 / Writes project reports (what is done)for senior management (for whom is it done). / Essential
20 / Manages a $250,000 (quantity) operating budget (what is done) for the purchase of office supplies and equipment (why it is done). / Essential
Focus on larger components of the job rather than on specific tasks. The following definitions may help:
A task is the simplest/most basic element in the job;
Job duties are a summary of related tasks;
Job responsibilities are a summary of related job duties.
If you are creating a new position description for which there is no existing position that you can use as a starting point, it may help you to start with a list of tasks - all the most basic elements of the job. You then group related tasks into job duties and finally group related job duties into key responsibilities.
Responsibility statements should be written with sufficient level of detail as to describe the work performed but should not include the instructions or procedures for performing the job.
The instructions on how a particular responsibility should be carried out should be defined in standard operating procedures which should be separate from the job description. The number of responsibilities that are initially defined will vary from job to job. Generally, you should be able to describe a job using 5 key responsibilities (no less than 3 and no more than 7).
You may be able to describe the responsibilities for a group of jobs that perform the same functions with minor differences because of the skills of the incumbents. Such minor differences do not need to be reflected in the position description.
The product that you should get at the end of this exercise is a list of 3 – 5 responsibility statements that you can enter into the Job Responsibility section of People Admin.
People Admin will allow you to estimate the percentage of time spent on the area of responsibility as you enter each key responsibility. The total should equal 100%.
Step Two: Summarize the position
Position Summary
Review the job responsibilities and develop a short description that summarizes the job. This description is entered into People Admin under “Position Summary.”
EXAMPLE:
Position Summary: / Acts as main office support for the department. Receives and greets visitors, types a variety of documents and maintains the director’s calendar. Works with other university department such as human resources, purchasing, payroll and the controller’s office to ensure that a variety of business transactions are completed effectively and timely.Step Three: Identify qualifications
Identify the experience and knowledge skills and abilities (KSA’s) that are required and/or preferred and enter these in the “Required Qualifications” space in People Admin.
Required KSA’s are the qualifications that cannot be easily learned. Qualifications that can be acquired within a 6-month period of starting employment are generally among the preferred qualifications.
Experience: Previous history of involvement in a specific set of duties or responsibilities, such as experience as a professional carpenter.
Knowledge: Information needed to perform the responsibilities, such as knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles and bookkeeping procedures.
Skill: Competence to perform a psychomotor act, such as operating a machine.
Ability: Competence to produce an observable product, such as ability to work effectively with clients, or ability to communicate abstract idea.
It is important to keep in mind when defining qualifications that these are things that you will need to screen for in interviewing candidates for the job. So if you are requiring something where there is no way to determine if a job candidate is qualified or not, then it should not be a required or preferred qualification. For instance, if you are asking for a particular skill, but will not require the candidate to demonstrate the skill during the interview then it should not be included as a qualification.
EXAMPLE:
Required Qualifications: / Experience in support of the operation of a professional office environment.Demonstrated knowledge of bookkeeping principles and practices, and accounting databases and software.
Experience using common office software such as word processing (55wpm with high accuracy preferred), and entering data on spread sheet and database applications.
Ability to communicate effectively with a diverse clientele base.
Experience maintaining ledgers and other fiscal documents.
Ability to work cooperatively with coworkers and the general public.
Ability to perform duties in accordance with policies and procedures and in compliance with civil rights requirements.
Identify any educational requirements that are needed. Enter these under “Education” in People Admin.
EXAMPLE:
Education: / An Associate degree in business administration or equivalent level of training in administrative discipline is required. A Bachelor’s degree in business administration is preferred.Identify any specific License or Certification requirements that are needed. Enter these under “Licensure and Certification required for entry into position:” in People Admin.
EXAMPLE:
Licensure and Certification required for entry into position: / Prefer Certified Professional Secretary (CPS).Instructions for Writing a Position Description and Performance Plan (PS/LW) 1
October 15, 2001