How do you define a job so the person who matches the definition is truly the solution to your current business requirement?
For many companies, the job description, or spec, is the domain of the human resources team. There is a certain logic to that ”“ the HR people are involved in hiring and firing every day, so who is better to write the job spec and get the talent search under way, right?
Wrong. The answer is the hiring manager. HR should be involved, of course, and ask the questions, challenge the thinking, guide the process and then determine how to undertake the search. But the definition of the job and the requirement to be filled needs to begin with the person making the hire. He best knows what the requirement really is.
Dusting off an old job spec from the last time the position was open is not the answer. Consider changes in the marketplace, in technology and in the workplace. While the old spec will provide valuable input, this is an opportunity to take a fresh look and create a new spec for your current requirements.
When writing up a job spec, employers often focus on responsibilities for that position only. It”™s an ideal place to start, but there is a lot more to be done to prepare for a talent search. Consider the following strategies.
Define the role and responsibilities. This should be a detailed description of the position and a profile of the ideal candidate.
Define the requirements of the person who can best fill that role. This includes:
- Experience. This is less about an absolute and more about a proxy for skills. If a CPA has five years of experience, you might assume he is skilled at doing audits ”“ but experience does not equate to expertise. There are lots of people who have been doing a miserable job at something for a long time.
- Skills. Since experience is only an indicator, determine a finite list of actual skills and the level of mastery required at each.
- Expertise. The buzzword these days is SME ”“ subject matter expert. Exactly what SME status and capabilities are truly required for this position? Nobody is a master of all aspects of the job, but you need to identify where true expertise is required.
- Behaviors. This is the least considered but most critical aspect of successful hires. Identify the critical success factors ”“ What behaviors are a must to succeed in my company? Then identify the critical failure indicators ”“ What behaviors have preceded people leaving or being asked to leave in my company?
Evaluate “must haves” versus “nice to haves” in each of the four categories above. Then go back and question if each item in your “must have” list really is an absolute requirement.
To help clarify “must haves,” define a minimal standard and a preferred standard. The successful candidate will need to minimally satisfy all must-have aspects but you would like for that person to meet the preferred standard in several categories if possible.
Determine what is truly compelling about this opportunity. What will perhaps motivate a gainfully employed person in a similar function in another company to leave that perch for your opportunity?
Hiring is never easy. It is really a race for talent and to win you have to recognize the right person for the job.
It”™s a lot easier when you know what you are looking for.
Donald J. Zinn is co-founder and managing partner of Exigent Search Partners, a search firm in Tarrytown. He has nearly 30 years of sales, management and hiring experience, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University and an MBA from New York University.
