This document discusses job descriptions and competency models. It explains that job descriptions should be valid, reliable, and accurate to be effective for HR functions like recruitment, selection, performance management, and training. It outlines the typical components of a job description including the job title, overview, department, duties, and requirements. Competency models describe the skills needed across an organization and can be used to guide training and hiring. Developing a competency model involves collecting data from high performers to identify the key competencies.

1. Chapter 3: Job Description and Competency Model
Development

2. Introduction
• Job description defined as a template organizing information about a job
• Serves as a summary of job and is documentation
• Most job descriptions have similar parts
• Job descriptions used for many HR functions and HR activities
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3. Job Descriptions in a Perfect World (1 of 2)
• Job descriptions need to have high validity and high reliability
• Validity related to accuracy of job info
• Reliability related to consistency in job data collection methods
• Low reliability and low validity make for poor HR decision-making
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4. Job Descriptions in a Perfect World (2 of 2)
• HR processes that use job descriptions
• Recruitment
• Selection
• Performance management
• Training and development
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5. Recruitment
• Job postings are reconstituted job descriptions
• Used to generate an applicant pool
• Accurate and up-to-date job descriptions are needed for effective recruitment
• Typical job postings include job title, reporting relationships, KSAOs, and duties
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6. Selection
• Task statements and KSAOs included on job description serve as hiring criteria
• Job description information aids in hiring test development and interview creation
• Accurate job descriptions ensure that one hires high-quality employees
• Inaccurate job descriptions lead to misses
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7. Performance Management
• Job descriptions used to evaluate performance
• Job descriptions communicate to incumbent performance expectations
• Flawed job descriptions lead to poor performance and ineffective appraisals
because of lack of clarity
• Accurate job descriptions are problematic for constantly changing jobs
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8. Training and Development
• Job descriptions are used to build business cases for training and securing
budgetary funds for training
• Training based on job descriptions is only effective to the degree descriptions link
to organizational goals
• Without accurate job descriptions, no information is present on how to improve
one’s performance and what training to seek
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9. Job Description Structure and Format
• Strikes a balance with adequate/medium amount of information about a job
• Typically limited to two to three pages
• Includes the following:
• job title, job overview, department/function, reporting structure, FLSA category,
pay grade, working conditions, education, experience needed, KSAO
requirements, and essential duties and responsibilities
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10. Job Title
• Needs consistency with titles on other databases, forms, postings, and systems
• Important for alignment of processes and systems across organization
• Abbreviations and modified wording create problems
• Wording can affect FLSA status
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11. Job Overview
• Paragraph as a short summary
• Challenging to write
• Completed as last task in job description
• Provides clarity to what job entails and why it exists
• Serves as introduction to more detailing of tasks and responsibilities
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12. Department/Function
• The functional area in which one works
• The proper name or correct name should be used for consistency across firm
• Inaccuracies in department names often result from organizational changes
• Linked to job family and organizational chart
• Reporting structure should be detailed
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13. FLSA Status/Category
• Fair Labor Standards Act affects pay for salaried versus hourly (nonexempt) work
• Job description should state whether exempt or nonexempt
• Classification guidelines are on the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour
Division website (https://www.dol.gov/whd/)
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14. Pay Grade
• Determined by the job evaluation process
• Different jobs across different departments are in the same pay grade
• Structure for pay grades in terms of its minimum and maximum varies across
organizations
• Needs to have logical sequence
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15. Working Conditions
• Information about the work context
• Relates to time period for working
• Refers to work being outdoors/indoors
• Includes information about travel needed
• Speaks to physical requirements of job
• Details whether unusual hours or work is required during certain seasons
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16. Educational Requirements
• Educational and training needs for the job
• For example, diplomas, degrees, certifications, and licenses
• Should detail minimum education needed
• Provides information for developmental purposes if persons are seeking higher
positions
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17. Experience Requirements
• Minimum level or preferred level of experience
• Easier to identify if you consider these requirements across a job family
• Requirements need to align with that of other jobs and job families
• Challenge of work experience/education combination; 2 years of work = 1 year of
college?
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18. KSAO Requirements
• Knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics
• May be similar KSAOs across numerous jobs in an organization
• Some KSAOs may be unique to a position
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19. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
• Job analysis yields information about tasks
• Task statements defined
• Task statements provide the what, when, where, and how a task is performed
• Task statement should describe a group of job duties summarily
• Use active voice and be action-oriented
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22. Competency Models
• Competency model defined
• Skills and competencies needed by all employees core to the company’s success
• Describe how tasks are to be completed across the organization
• May be used to shape training, performance evaluation, hiring processes
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23. Developing a Competency Model
• Models developed for a functional area and management levels
• Data collection needed for model creation
• Uses methods similar to the job analysis
• Data collected from high performers
• Most popular is Lominger Competency Model
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24. Competency Modeling Case
• Competency models are useful for firms with jobs that constantly change in
content
• Models allow for companies to articulate what KSAOs link to their strategic goals
• Competency models applied to global leadership are fairly similar
• For companies with sites in multiple countries one competency model suffices
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25. Summary
• Job descriptions are important organizational tools for many HR activities
• They assist in organizational alignment
• There are several components needed in an effective job description
• Competency models capture organizational relevant characteristics for all jobs
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