Maintaining an accurate and up-to-date position description is essential for ensuring that everyone understands his/her job responsibilities and that the position level and the job responsibilities are appropriate. Having clear knowledge of responsibilities also enables managers and employees to work towards common goals and shared expectations. It is both the manager’s and employee’s responsibility to communicate regularly on responsibilities and to review changes at least annually. Major updates to position descriptions may create a need to request HR to review a grade level and/or for the department to discuss career step opportunities with Human Resources.
Human Resources provides resources to aid in ensuring accurate descriptions:
- Semi-generic and sample descriptions maintained in a Position Description database (the most up-to-date description may still be retained by the Department).
- Standard forms used to re-evaluate positions.
- Position Description Template;
- Position Questionnaire to help create new positions; and
- Position
Comparison Form to help in considering a career step change or
reevaluation when job duties have changed.
- Role
inventories providing generic language for levels in different families of
positions unique to
- Job Classification Manual providing more details on creating new positions, updating and re-evaluating positions.
- Other resources including sample descriptions, thumbnail statements and help in writing may be requested through HR Generalists in the Human Resources Department.
More detailed instructions on the use of forms noted above are also with each form. The process works as follows:
