Writing a
Position Description
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What is a Position Description?
Position Descriptions outline:
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Who
How
Major functions and duties
Responsibilities
Knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs)
Effort
Working conditions
Does What Work
Why
Where
When/How Often
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Why Position Descriptions?
Position descriptions can be used to:
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Assign work and document work assignments.
Help clarify and align with the organization’s mission & values.
Establish performance requirements.
Determine classification and benchmark to the external job
market.
Recruit for vacancies.
Explore reasonable accommodations.
Counsel employees on career opportunities and vocational
interests.
Train employees.
Comply with legal requirements related to equal opportunity, equal
pay, overtime eligibility, etc.
Make decisions on job restructuring.
Suggest ways to enrich the work experience.
Support and inform succession planning efforts.
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When Do I Write or Review
Position Descriptions?
A Supervisor or Unit professional or an
Employee writes, reviews, and/or revises a
Position Description when:
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Changing/Adjusting job duties and/or responsibilities.
Requiring additional and/or new qualifications.
Creating a new position.
During an established annual review process (Performance
Evaluations/Merit Cycle).
Recruiting for a replacement in an established position.
During re-design/re-organization efforts.
Identifying revisions based on Exploring reasonable
accommodations.
Development of other HR-related programs such as:
• Work Planning
• Performance Management
• Work Re-Design
• Succession Planning
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Ask Yourself:
In the past, have you started with:
what you want to pay?
what salary grade you want?
which FLSA status you need (exempt/nonexempt)
a desire to give someone a raise?
FOCUS ON THE WORK, NOT THE PERSON
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UM Position Description Form
Part One – Employee (Incumbent)
Information
Part Two – Department and
Immediate Supervisor Information
Part Three – Proposed New
Classification Information
Part Four – Supervision
Responsibilities
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UM Position Description Form
(con’t)
Part Five – Other Employees
in (Benchmark) Like Positions
Part Six – Duties & % of Time
(Effort)
Part Seven – Position
Qualifications
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UM Position Description Form
(con’t)
Part Eight – Additional Comments
• Accountabilities
• Relationships
• Working Conditions
Part Nine
•Funding Plan
•Business Case
Employee and Supervisory
Signatures = Agreement
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Exercise – Why Position Descriptions?
In summary, position descriptions document:
•Work design in alignment with business of the organization
•Information used for recruitment job postings, interview questions,
reference checks, etc.
•Work outcomes, performance, competencies, etc.
•Information to measure performance - work plan, evaluation, etc.
•Articulate differences between levels within a classification series.
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Position Descriptions and the ADA
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), job functions
are categorized as either essential or marginal.
A job function may be considered essential if:
•The position exists primarily to perform that function
•The function is highly specialized
•There are a limited number of employees among whom the job
function can be distributed
A job function may be considered marginal if:
•The function(s) can be eliminated or assigned to another
employee
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Position Descriptions and the ADA
(con’t)
According to the ADA, use these items to determine
whether a function is essential:
• Written job descriptions prepared before advertising or
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interviewing
The amount of time an employee must spend
performing the function
The consequences of not requiring the function be
performed
The terms of a collective bargaining agreement
The work experience of incumbents and/or past
incumbents in the job, or in similar jobs
The nature of the operation and organizational structure
ADA Coordinator: Carole Dubritsky 764-3425
June 2006
HRAA Compensation & Classification
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Position Descriptions and the ADA
(con’t)
PHYSICAL DEMAND CATEGORY
HELPFUL VERBS
Strength
Moves/transports
Removes/replaces
Puts
Installs/takes out
Positions/places transfers
Climbing or balancing
Ascends/descends
Works atop
Traverses
Walking/running/stooping,
kneeling, crouching, crawling
Moves (about or to)
Traverses
Positions self (to)
Reaching, handling, fingering
and/or feeling
Detects
Removes/replaces
Attaches
Handles/tends
Measures
Signals
Compiles/retrieves
Collects
Serves/services
Diagnoses
Operates
Positions
Applies
Uses
Inputs
Makes/constructs
Inspects
Installs/places
Adjusts
Sets up
Activates, feeds or controls
Modifies
Drafts/writes
Creates/fabricates
Prepares
Talking and/or hearing
Communicates
Discerns
Discusses
Detects
Converses with
Conveys
Expresses oneself
Exchanges information
Seeing
Detects
Identifies
Estimates
Inspects
Assesses
Determines
Recognizes
Judges
Compares
Distinguishes
Perceives
Discerns
Observes
Other demands
Detects
Discerns
Uses
Perceives
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TIPS FOR WRITING
POSITION DESCRIPTIONS
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5 – 7 major sets of duties
% effort > 10 or < 50, as a guideline
Transactional ….. Larger “chunks” (%s)
Complex ….. Smaller “chunks” (%s)
More important, higher level listed first
Update often
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Tips for Writing
Position Descriptions
When writing duties, structure sentences in the
format of verb / object / explanatory phrase.
•Collects (action verb)
•key job information (object)
•from various sources, e.g., work interviews and
direct observation (explanatory),
•Analyzes (action verb)
•the data (object)
•to identify job content and critical
evaluation issues (explanatory),
•Prepares or revises (action verbs)
•position descriptions (object).
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Tips for Writing
Position Descriptions
(con’t)
CAUTION
When writing a position description,
beware of the “inflationary effect” that can occur
when describing the extent of responsibilities
or scope inherent in a task.
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Tips for Writing
Position Descriptions
(con’t)
No need to re-create the wheel!
Referring to “good examples” can ease the time-consuming
task of writing position descriptions. Sample materials used
in position descriptions are readily available online at
Occupational Information Network
http://online.onetcenter.org
OR Bureau of Labor Statistics
http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm
Beware
One temptation is to rely solely on these samples which can result
in a position description not accurately describing the work.
Be sure to involve both the employee and supervisor
in the development process.
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Achievement Action Verbs
The terms reflect typical achievement
activities whose definitions can be found
on the Note Page form of this slide.
Activate
Check
Decide
Delete
Further
Determine
Implement
Encourage
Initiate
Enforce
Maintain
Execute
Motivate
Expedite
Organize
Prevent
Return
Stop
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Activity Action Verbs
The terms reflect typical activity
Accept
actions whose definitions can be found
Accumulate
on the Note Page form of this slide.
Keep
Acquire
Obtain
Allocate
Pick-up
Buy
Procure
Collect
Provide
Compile
Purchase
Deliver
Receive
Distribute
Render
Exchange
Secure
Forward
Solve
Furnish
Submit
Gather
Supply
Get
Take
Give
Transfer
Issue
Withdraw
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Administrative Action Verbs
The terms reflect typical administrative
activities whose definitions can be found
on the Note Page form of this slide.
Adapt
Administer
Appoint
Delegate
Approve
Direct
Arrange
Establish
Authorize
Manage
Control
Order
Coordinate
Plan
Consult
Require
Review
Supervise
Train
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Assistance Action Verbs
The terms reflect typical assistance
Advise
activities whose definitions can be found
Aid
on the Note Page form of this slide.
Conduct
Cooperate
Counsel
Explain
Guide
Instruct
Participate
Protect
Serve
Show
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Communication Action Verbs
Inform
The terms reflect typical communication
activities whose definitions can be found
Inquire
on the Note Page form of this slide.
Interview
Mail
Negotiate
Notify
Pull
Recall
Recruit
Report
Request
Sell
Send
Solicit
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Control Action Verbs
The terms reflect typical control
activities whose definitions can be found
on the Note Page form of this slide.
Allocate
Assign
Audit
Commit
Conserve
Edit
Ensure
Evaluate
Guarantee
Regulate
Restrict
Verify
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Creativity Action Verbs
The terms reflect typical creative
activities whose definitions can be found
on the Note Page form of this slide.
Create
Design
Devise
Develop
Estimate
Forecast
Formulate
Install
Originate
Project
Schedule
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Evaluative Action Verbs
The terms reflect typical
Appraise
evaluation activities whose
Interpret
Analyze
definitions can be found on the
Investigate
Ascertain
Note Page form of this slide.
Measure
Check
Rate
Compare
Research
Consider
Resolve
Criticize
Study
Evaluate
Summarize
Examine
Survey
Identify
Test
Inspect
Weigh
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For more information, please contact
Flint – UHR.
Call 762-3150
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