7 Steps on how to make the dreaded Job Description a welcome guide
Are your team working from home? Or from other changed workplaces? Getting them to focus on the right stuff is challenging.
Managing through Covid-19 restrictions has brought into sharp image some of the challenges of having our teams focus on the “right” stuff whilst navigating the difficulties of working from home, or in other changed workplaces.
As our clients develop new ways of working together (or apart!) we’ve been asked: “Should we throw our Job Descriptions (JDs) out of the window during this time?” Our answer is “No. Quite the opposite: bring them out, dust them off, review them, tweak them and then use them as a powerful framework to help guide team leaders and their teams through this challenging time.”
How can we do this?
We’ve identified 7 simple steps to help make this a productive exercise.
What steps should we take?
Let’s start by working on the basis there are some reasonably up-to-date JDs in place and they have some standard key elements – identifying the overall purpose and main elements of the job, and results expected from the team member. Let’s not worry about details such as qualifications.
Step 1: Don’t throw the JDs out.
Even if they look a little dated or scruffy, this is not the time to either throw them out or fully re-work them (that time may be when this crisis is over and a new normal needs to be examined).
Use them as a base to build on.
Step 2: Check they have some critical elements in place including:
Primary Purpose: Why is this job necessary?
Key Results Areas: What do we want the person in this job to achieve?
Measures: How will we know when the end results are achieved?
Step 3: Now, consider the current changes to your business wrought by Covid-19 and ask what is currently applicable in this JD?
Take each element and ask the same sorts of questions:
Primary Purpose:
Why is this job necessary in the current environment?
Where does it fit in the organisation and its response to C-19?
Can we have a one sentence description to describe the current “why” of this job?
Key Results Areas:
What do we want the person in this job to achieve in the current environment?
What end results must we have?
Not the “busy” things or activities
Not “how” things are done but rather “what” is produced.
Measures:
How will we know when the end results are achieved?
This is especially important during this period as employees working alone, or in different circumstances, may need assurance that what they are delivering is what is needed, to the right level, quantity, quality, timeliness, escalation channels etc.
A way of achieving this is by setting some shorter-term goals than perhaps is usual for the role. Try using your current JD as a base but adapting the results required and the measures to the current circumstances. Where there may have been an annual or monthly target set previously you may wish to break it down to weekly or even daily goals.
This is also essential to help team members focus in these current times and to report back - encouraging a meaningful exchange fuelled with accountability in a good way
Step 4: Resources and Communications
In the current environment, what resources does the job holder need to deliver the expected results?
What is the best communication/feedback method to support them?
Resources may range from help with IT set up, to access to colleagues’ experience and knowledge; or may be clarity on their level of autonomy/discretion/decision making in the current environment.
Communication may range from agreeing daily/weekly individual contact times, through daily shared “stand ups”, to regular group exchanges, to “lunch room” chats.
Think about your Doers, Thinkers and Carers (Team Roles) here. What you allocate to them and how you communicate will need to vary depending on the needs and style of the individual. Don’t compromise the effectiveness of your delivery in an effort to achieve efficiencies regardless of how intense your workload is during this time.
Step 5: Condense the JD
Brevity helps focus.
If parts of the JD are not currently relevant, don’t risk distraction by leaving them there. They can be added back in when reviewing the whole job again after the crisis – if they are important again.
With critical elements highlighted in this way, both team leaders and their team members can develop the confidence in a tool which gives all parties a guide for performance, satisfaction and feedback.
Step 6: Draw connections between the job, the team and the organisation.
It is especially critical at present that each employee feels valued and knows that what they are doing is making a difference – they want to know they are doing worthwhile work.
Depending on your situation, you may choose to carry out Steps 3 and 4 in conjunction with your team members. Job holders usually know their job better than anyone and they can help their manager through this process.
In situations where team members are reliant on others, or others are reliant on them, ensure all parties are clear on their expectations of each other. This can be a useful group exercise as organisations develop new ways of working together.
Step 7: Lead by example and use the revitalised JDs.
Refer to them often in your exchanges with team members and use them as a welcome guide to enhance the quality of engagement, performance and satisfaction during these challenging times.
We trust you find the steps useful and encourage you to implement these steps even if you anticipate the changes are only expected for a matter of weeks.
Research tells us that even in the “best of times” only half of our employees really know what’s expected of them: which is all the more reason to be proactive and promote clarity in these difficult times. Good employees who feel useful and valued now are more likely to want to stay with you when you start rebuilding your business. And please do not become complacent that people can’t get jobs elsewhere at the moment. There is still demand in multiple industries and smart businesses are looking for talent now.
Note: if you are making fundamental changes to an individual’s role you may need to take a more cautious and considered approach as to how this is agreed and implemented. And as with all other changes, it is often worthwhile stating these are temporary and will be reviewed in coming months.
If you would like help in drafting any Job Descriptions or carrying out an Expectations exercise across individuals and teams, please get in touch to discuss further.