Hi,

I'm trying to structure job descriptions at a new start-up and I was
interested in creating a format for job descriptions which would not
be editorial.  This is because I'm interested in using them for
mapping processes and workflows so it would be relatively easy to
identify who's job is what, where their boundaries are in terms of
responsibilities and authorities and do those two align well to
complement each other or not.  This is more to do with content
structuring that encourages thinking and analysis of what a person is
supposed to do in the organization.

The document can also be descriptive with text explaining the contents
under each section and what is supposed to be the filled into those
fields and sections.

Job descriptions are an important tool for us from what I'm seeing is
happening at this early stage of evaluating every incident as to who
it falls under and eventually everyone chips in and confuses the right
to suggest with the responsibility to make decisions and take action. 
Also, we're placing people in the hierarchy left right and center from
what I can make out of it.. Their appropriate positioning and how high
up and to whom they should report to is not clear and suggestions now
are getting some important wide scoped people placed in the middle of
the structure and others with narrow roles higher up mostly based on
their personalities and who brought them in rather than their intended
role.

I want it to become easy to digest people's roles into a format that
is not editorial and be able to use its contents in the forming of
processes and workflows easily identifying everyone's authorities and
responsibilities.  The filling of a job description should also
contribute to guiding us where the person would fit on the
organizational chart.

Help! :-)

/Dusty

---

Request for Question Clarification by answerguru-ga on 20 Feb 2004 19:05 PST

Hi Dusty,

Are you interested in a template for coming up with your own job
descriptions, or are you looking instead for "best practices" in job
description formulation?

answerguru-ga

---

Request for Question Clarification by easterangel-ga on 20 Feb 2004 19:21 PST

Hi again dustydunne!

I think that like my fellow researcher answerguru-ga, job description
templates will be a very good bet for you.

Would samples of job description formats be ok as a legitimate answer
so that you can choose among them which is best for your organization?

Thanks!

---

Request for Question Clarification by easterangel-ga on 20 Feb 2004 19:22 PST

An example will be...

http://www2.ucsc.edu/cats/bs/jobs/JD_DCG_DSA.htm

---

Clarification of Question by dustydune-ga on 20 Feb 2004 22:24 PST

Hello Answerguru and Easterangel,

I would need both in combination as you might have noticed from my
question, how to go about filling them in order to get the most use
out of them, specially to be able to map processes and some sort of
guidance as to where best to place the person in the organizational
structure to get the most out of them compared to placing them where
we feel comfortable.

The sample Easterangel referenced look reasonable, but I'm looking for
something more structured in order to clarify vague areas and easily
pin down a person's role elements and be able to comprehend how high
or low they'll be placed on the chart.

Thank you.

/Dusty

Hello again dustydune-ga,

You indicate that you have an urgent need to get a grip on what are
the individual jobs in your organization, how they relate to each
other, how to evaluate individual performance and assign
responsibility and accountability and easily share this information
with everyone in the organization.

This is a very interesting question that all organizations must
address if they are to be successful. Consequently, there is a wealth
of human resources products available to address your needs.

The problem of integrating job descriptions with performance
management and organizational development can be approached from a
variety of perspectives that are encompassed under the broad category
of human capital management.

You have focused on job descriptions and I?ve located a number of
software solutions to help you with writing your job descriptions. You
also indicated that you needed to evaluate and clarify how the jobs in
your organization relate to each other so I?ve identified several
resources for helping you develop and constantly update your
organization charts. These products can exist as stand-alone packages
or be integrated in comprehensive HR management systems.

You also indicated that there is some confusion about the authorities
and responsibilities of individuals and/or positions. These issues
need to be clarified by developing an effective performance management
and employee development system. Employee goals have to be linked to
organizational goals and you need to set up performance monitoring
systems.

Fortunately, there are many HR products available to help you with all
aspects of setting up effective HR systems in your startup
organization. I?ve included a selection of integrated human capital
management products to give you some starting points for developing
your own systems.

I trust that the resources I?ve found will answer your question. There
is a tremendous amount of information available on the web to address
your issues. Please don?t hesitate to ask for clarification if any of
this needs further expansion.

Best wishes for the success of your enterprise.

~ czh ~


================
JOB DESCRIPTIONS
================

http://www.e-janco.com/index.htm
Janco Associates, Inc. is a management consulting firm that focuses on
Management Information Systems, and in particular on the strategic
application of information technology to gain competitive business
advantage.  As part of our practice we create ELECTRONIC products that
we create and sell via the internet.  These included:
 -- Salary Surveys 
 -- Job Descriptions 
 -- Templates for Disaster Recovery and Security 
 -- Polices and Procedures. 

http://www.e-janco.com/Job_Book.htm
The Internet and Information Technology Position Descriptions
HandiGuide® was completed in 2004 and contains well over 550 pages;
which includes sample organization charts, a job progression matrix,
over 175 job descriptions.   The book also addresses Fair Labor
Standards and the ADA, and is in a new easier to read format.  Also
included are tools to help you expand, evaluate and define your
enterprise's unique additional required. Those tools include:
 -- Job Evaluation Questionnaire
 -- Position Description Questionnaire
 -- Job Progression Matrix (Job Family Classifications)*

http://www.ejobdescription.com/
Job Description Bundles

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.jobdescription.com/frame.asp
JobDescription.com is the only online application of its kind. With
JobDescription.com creating individual, customized job descriptions is
fast, easy and done completely online.

***** This site offers a huge library of job descriptions and the
ability to easily create your own. Pricing is based on a subscription
model where you can pay for single use or unlimited use for a period
of time. The website offers good samples so you can evaluate the
suitability of the product.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.wageweb.com/
Introducing Wageweb
We are an on-line salary service which provides information on over
170 benchmark positions.

Our goal is to help you with your compensation needs and provide you
information so that you can keep your most important asset - your
people. National data may be viewed by anyone. Organizations may join
wageweb for a nominal $169 per year for organizations and $219 per
year for consultants. Members may view not only the National Data, but
may also view data from forty major metropolitan areas .There are over
1,400 organizations in our database. We also do specialized
compensation consulting for organizations who prefer to work on an
more individualized basis.

***** If you subscribe you also have access to hundreds of job descriptions.


=====================
ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS
=====================

http://www.orgplus.com/index.htm
HumanConcepts provides industry-leading solutions for managing
organizational change and supporting critical business decisions.
OrgPlus integrates with most HR information systems to automatically
generate charts from existing data, and with Microsoft Office software
for budgeting and presentation purposes.

OrgPlus products work together to provide a framework for
organizations to create reliable business processes around the
discipline of managing and communicating organizational structure and
change.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.orgchart.com/
TimeVision, Inc. produces organizational charting software that
enables you to automate the process of creating org charts as well as
maintaining and analyzing accurate human resource information.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.nakisa.com/contents/products.asp?show=org
Who uses CDS OrgChart?
CDS OrgChart is ideal for organizations that:
 -- Want employees to have easier access to who does what in the
organization, who they report to and what skills they have.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.entraspan.com/
Entraspan products are targeted at Global 2000 companies, but are easy
enough to manage for organizations with as little as a few hundred
employees. Current offerings include OrgTraks, an application for the
creation and dissemination of organizational charts through a
Web-browser. The software is designed to integrate with existing human
resources databases.

http://www.entraspan.com/products/index.html
OrgTraks is a next-generation enterprise application that provides for
the secure management and dissemination of organization charts and a
searchable corporate directory.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.peopleboard.com/
PeopleBoard provides a cost effective organizational charting and
corporate directory solution for any size company.


========================
HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT
========================

http://www.executrack.com/
At the ExecuTRACK Software Group, our mission is the development and
worldwide implementation of first class, industry-independent software
solutions covering talent development, performance management, skill
management, career and succession planning, training and development
management and organizational charting.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.successfactors.com/sf/products/index.shtml
The SuccessFactors' integrated and completely modular Human Capital
Management Suite of Products & Management Dashboards gives instant
access to the relevant information visualizing where the best
performance is, and how to replicate and accelerate it throughout.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.hrmsoftware.com/
HRM Software develops, markets and supports software solutions for
strategic HR. Based in the UK, HRM supports thousands of customers in
over 60 countries through an established network of distributors.

HRCharter
Uses the information you already have to dynamically generate
information-rich organization charts.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.umap.com/triviumsoft/index.htm
Human Capital Transformation

***** This is an integrated HR product that helps you with all aspects
of employee development and HR planning.


===============
SEARCH STRATEGY
===============

job descriptions
org charts
organization chart software
talent management software