Job descriptions should not be too general. They have to be speicific and to the point of each position. In that case, each member in the community can follow. First of all an overal description should be given under somebody's supervion indicated. Secodnly specific responsibilities and duties shuld be listed. Then evaluation ways and qualification are to be added. Taken as a whole, this is the complete job description.
You point to a lot of staffing issues, Christopher. People often don't know their jobs and how the job relates to the mission of the school and student success. And a really big problem is that students don't even realize that faculty and staff are there for them! So it takes orienting staff to be student focused. It requires being sure that staff know that the customer comes first - and that everyone is resonsible for student success, satisfaction, retention, graduation, and placement. It is the job of everyone. That takes a lot of staff training, buy in, and reinforcement. Thanks, Susan
HI Christopher. Certainly does point to the need for complete job descriptions that staff understand. We find when we evaluate job descriptions tasks we thought are getting done are not. And surprising - sometimes more than one person is performing the same task. And few are cross trained. All big problems when running a school. And all can be fixed. Takes time to audit employees. Thanks, Susan
Employee's that know the job description and complete what needs to be done on a daily basis can only ensure the success of the school and the students we teach. I always go back to the student, they are the reason we're here. Everyone in the building has certain tasks that need to be completed, it's also important the student knows where to go or the person to look for when they need anything. Staff knowing their position and how to accomplish the daily goals of the job can also lead to efficiency and perhaps growth.
I agree, and should be no confusion when it comes down to who does what. To many times i've heard people say "oh, I thought so and so was doing that" and perhaps the particular task never gets completed, at least when it should. It is always so much easier to go in the school in the morning know what needs to be done.
HI Gustavo, The more you can write in a job description, then the more likely you'll hire the right person. If you include specific and measurable goals and objectives for performance and benchmarks, then the more likely the employee will perform and do well at evaluation points. Also important to include who the employee reports to and who they may be supervising. It's always a challenge but the more the employee knows about what is expected the more likely for success. Thanks, Susan
I believe that the essential components of an employee job description are objectives, goals, and responsibility. Job description always must be accompanied with a well educational back ground for a specific position.
We agree, Mark. We also think that the job description has to outline expectations in terms of meeting goals and putting in creative ways to save money, streamline the job, and create something new to make a difference. We don't want pencil pushers. We want employees who will be a team to bring our schools to the next levels. Thanks, Susan
Job Title and general description, primary job responsibilities/duties, skill set and education requirements. A good job description clearly outlines what skills or education is required for the position so that you can appropriately match the best candidate to the position and a clear expectation of what the responsibilities of the position are. In this way, the employee clearly understands what is expected of them in their role.
HI Mark, You make good points re a job description. We find it has to be very detailed clearly showing who the employee reports to and who s/he supervises and interacts with. Also we find that a job description should have very specific responsibilities including measurable outcomes such as - enroll 5 students each week, or prepare a weekly report by 5:00 pm every Friday, etc. The job description needs to match up with the evaluation forms. Thanks, Susan
Interesting question. Dealing with the responsibilities of an employee is not an easy task. I am lead to believe that some of the essential components in a job description are:
Who there supervisor is
What hours they report to work
A contact number to their supervisor
I believe that it is not possible to list all the details of the job for any position. That's why I like the last statement on the job description "all other duties assigned." While this is not a fix all to some, it does provide a scape goat to others.
