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Using a Job Spec to Attract Top Talent

Given that hiring the right person for the right job at the right salary is so important, what should you look for when hiring and promoting people in your organization?  According to a recent study in Library Leadership and Management, one of the keys to successful hiring and promoting lies in the writing of the position description.[i]

A good position description will include the fundamental responsibilities of the job, as well as the role the position plays in the overall organization.  A well-written position description is key in attracting candidates who are qualified for that job.  By contrast, vague or poorly-written job descriptions can attract people who may or may not be what you are seeking.  Consider the difference in these two position descriptions:

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A:  Girl Friday for busy law office.  Must have basic clerical skills and be available for overtime.

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B:  Position Summary:  Clerical support person for law office, reports to senior administrative partner and is responsible for all clerical duties as assigned by three of the firm's partners and two of the firm's paralegals.  Equipment to be used:  Mac computer including legal software, word processing software, and spreadsheet software, copy machine, ten-key adding machine, multi-line phone, and coffee-maker.

Responsibility and Authority:  The incumbent in this position is responsible for and has the authority to accomplish the following: typing legal briefs as dictated, researching precedents through online law library, filing documents with local courthouse both electronically and in person, greeting clients and making them comfortable with a beverage, tracking billable hours, keeping day planners current, assuring most efficient use of time for all assigned attorneys, and answering phone calls / taking messages.

Position Requirements:  High school diploma or equivalent, ability to successfully coordinate multiple tasks, ability to juggle priorities as situations develop, keyboard speed of at least 80 wpm, physical fitness to allow lifting of large law books.

Estimated time to full competence:  18 months.

Other considerations:  Must be able to maintain proper decorum in a law office.  Must be able to contribute in a team setting.  Must be able to work overtime when needed.

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As you can see, position description A reads more like a classified job posting, where the writer is paying by the number of characters in the posting.  Comparing a pool of candidates to this job description gives no basis for separating the wheat from the chaff.  Virtually every candidate who applied for the job would qualify. 

However, with position description B, we get a much clearer picture of what is involved in the day-to-day flow of work.  We know from the equipment involved that the candidate must know how to make coffee, make copies, use a Mac computer and associated software, and answer a phone.  The responsibilities and authorities section makes it clear that the candidate must be able to deal with working for several bosses.  The position requirements give a specific standard which must be met before a candidate can even be considered, while the estimated time to competence assures the candidate that he or she will not master the job within the first week of employment.  The other considerations section gives an inkling that proper attire and composure is required, as is the ability to work well with others and to keep working until the job is done. 

Obviously, you would never post a help-wanted ad in the newspaper as detailed as the B position description, but with the growth of online job boards, you likely won't be posting many positions in the newspaper anyways.  A properly-written job spec can also be used in-house when considering existing employees for a job opening.