STATE OF MONTANA
DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION
STATE PERSONNEL DIVISION
POSITION DESCRIPTION GUIDELINES
The following guidelines will assist you in completing a position description for classification review. A
Position Description identifies the duties and tasks; knowledge, skills and abilities; supervisory responsibilities;
supervision received; effects of decisions made; and the personal contacts required to perform the work
assigned. The Position Description is a critical and primary tool in analyzing the job responsibilities that
will ultimately determine the correct classification title and grade. The required format is provided via
diskette under the file name a:pdmsu. If you do not have access to WordPerfect software, a hardcopy format is
also available upon request.
POSITION REVIEW PROCESS
1.
Submit the completed Position Description Form with all signatures, an additional copy, and the disk to
Employee Relations and Services. The position description may be prepared by either the employee or
supervisor. Required signatures are:
Employee (not required for new or vacant positions)
Immediate Supervisor
Department Head or Director
Signatures indicate agreement that the position description accurately reflects the duties and
responsibilities being performed or expected of the incumbent.
2.
Employee Relation’s Classification Analyst will review the position description and make a
classification decision based upon the information you provide in the position description. Occasionally
additional information is needed. In such cases, the analyst will contact the immediate supervisor by
phone, in person, or by providing a list of additional questions for the supervisor and incumbent to
respond to. In rare instances, a meeting will be arranged with the employee and immediate supervisor to
review the duties and responsibilities of the position. Please note that the position description is the
primary tool in determining classification and additional information is not typically requested.
3.
The Classification Analyst will notify the supervisor of the decision over the phone. A confirmation
letter will be sent to the employee and supervisor.
4.
The effective date of a pay increase through the normal classification review process is the first of the
month the completed position description is received by Employee Relations with all signatures. If an
increase is the result of a formal appeal, the effective date will be the first of the month the appeal form
is received by Employee Relations. A formal appeal cannot be filed until the normal classification
process has been completed.
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PART I:
Identification
Complete Part I by identifying the current classification code, title, position number, and location of the
position.
The "Functional Description of the Work Unit" should describe the overall activity, function, product or
service provided by the department or unit (as a whole) where the position is located.
Part II:
Job Description
Each section of the position description describes different aspects of the position. However, information
provided under 1. Assigned Duties is the key for successful completion of the other sections of: Working
Conditions and Physical Demands, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities, Supervision Received, Scope and Effect
and Personal Contacts.
1.
ASSIGNED DUTIES:
First provide a general statement of what the position does, usually one or two sentences, which
describe the main "goal" of the work or the reason for the existence of the position.
Next, provide the detail about the work by describing specific duties and tasks.
A duty is a large unified segment of the work or a major responsibility. Duties can be described by
explaining the mental and physical operations that are involved in the application of procedures,
techniques or theories in the job; and by explaining the work elements -- the nature of items, data, facts,
concepts, information, and/or issues that must be handled or processed. Management and supervisory
work should also be described.
Most jobs consist of three to five major duties, each of which involves a number of tasks. Duty
descriptions may range from a single word to a complete statement. However described, a duty must
be further defined by the supporting tasks required to accomplish the duty.
Task statements should be written to answer the following questions:
1.
What is the action? ( Verbs should be active and descriptive, as precise as possible, and written
in the present singular tense. Avoid vague words such as "assists," "handles," "processes,"
and "works with” (in other words, rather than saying “assists”, describe the steps or processes
involved in assisting, what do you to assist?).
2.
To whom/what is the action directed?
3.
Why is the action being done?
4.
How is the action done? (Indicate guidelines or instructions, tools or equipment, knowledge,
skills and discretion used. What are the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform the
work.
Example of duty statement (A) and supporting tasks statements (1-4):
A.
Makes travel arrangements using knowledge of travel agencies, department policy and
staff preferences.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Makes airline reservations by contacting a travel agency and requesting the best
route, schedule and rate.
Maintains a tickler file of accommodations by gathering and compiling staff
preferences onto index cards and filing.
Maintains a list of accommodations with reasonable rates using information
gathered from travel agencies, staff comments and knowledge of previous
department travel experience.
Maintains a running total of individual “frequent flyer” accounts, reconciles with
airline documentation, and corrects discrepancies by sending copies of tickets to
the airline.
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5.
If applicable, include supervisory duties. Supervisory duties may include all or some of the
following: hiring, training, assigning and reviewing work, evaluating performance, disciplinary
actions, setting policies, objectives, and work plans; determining methods and priorities.
Supervisory duties do not include:
—
—
—
2.
Occasionally filling in for a supervisor.
Providing co-workers the kind of guidance and advice normally expected of
employees with more on-the-job experience.
Reviewing the work of support staff as a user of the work products (such as
proofreading documents typed by a secretary).
6.
Estimate the percentage of time spent on each duty (not tasks) listed (totaling 100%).
Percentages serve to identify the predominant duties of the position and are a crucial aspect in the
classification analysis process. Positions cannot be reviewed if percentages are not complete.
It is not necessary to identify duties that require less than 10% of the time. If the position
description lists more than seven duties, try to consolidate them into fewer, more general duty
statements and provide details in the task statements.
7.
Also list any equipment or machinery that is essential to perform the job.
WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Working conditions and physical demands may include environmental situations such as noise, odor,
dust, fumes and temperature extremes; physical activities such as moving boxes, shoveling and walking.
Other situations include required travel (indicate time spent traveling), confinement where the environment cannot be changed or risk of injury.
3.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
Describe the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) necessary to perform the duties.
Describe the typical method of acquiring the KSAs, i.e. education and/or experience. List any special
requirements such as licensure, certification or registration.
4.
MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION OF OTHERS:
List the position number, employee's name, classification title and FTE of positions directly supervised.
Work study/student labor may be included, as well as volunteers who provide services on a regularly
recurring schedule and are an essential part of the work force.
Indicate the FTE status (1 FTE = 2080 hours/year) of each position listed.
Indicate the total number of FTE that are indirectly supervised through an intermediate
supervisory level. Indirect supervision is credited if you supervise an employee who also supervises a
staff (you would then be credited for the FTE that reports into the employee you supervise). Indirect
supervision is not credited for employees in subordinate offices (such as departments under a college)
that report to a supervisor in their home department.
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5.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED:
Describe how the position is supervised by answering:
—
—
—
—
—
6.
How is the work assigned -- in what format, by whom?
How are work methods, procedures and priorities determined?
What guidelines, manuals, procedures and references are available and how are
they used?
What assistance is available from others -- supervisor, co-workers, outside
specialists?
How is the work reviewed -- by whom? how often?
SCOPE AND EFFECT:
Consider the overall objectives of the work unit and describe the position's role in achieving them.
Summarize the decisions made by the incumbent for which he/she will be held directly accountable,
and who or what are directly affected.
7.
PERSONAL CONTACTS:
Describe the kinds of interactions with other people that are necessary to perform the work. Indicate
whom contacts are with and the purpose and frequency of these contacts. For example:
—
Daily contact with agency management and employees to gather information about positions.
—
Weekly contact with agency personnel to explain and defend classification actions.
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