This simple step-by-step guide is for compensation & HR professionals who want a simple & effective JD management process that saves 1+ hour per per JD when creating, updating, and managing job descriptions.
It’s a common problem - who owns the creation & maintenance of company job descriptions? How do we minimize inaccuracies & avoid duplicate versions?
With Compensation, HR, and Talent Acquisition misaligned JDs are out of date, inaccurate, and a compliance risk.
With this guide you will create a job description process that works to align your team in managing accurate JDs that facilitate efficient hiring practices & confidence in comp decisions.
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📍Step 1: Create a Central Repository for all JDs
In order to establish a job description process that works you need to have a central repository for all your jobs.
Without it - there is no way to have the oversight required to eliminate duplicate versions and establish consistency in either process or JD architecture.
There are a few ways this could be accomplished:
Establish a dedicated folder or shared file for your JD catalog
Use a specialized software platform like Mosh JD
Here is a sample image of how JD catalogs can be organized in our system for reference.
Organize job descriptions by job family, department, role, and/or level to ensure easy accessibility and navigation.
If using a shared drive, assign clear category naming conventions to each job description file to facilitate quick search and retrieval.
💎Example: Job Family_Title_Location.[filetype]
Mosh JD Tip: ask your HRIS or payroll administrator(s) for a breakdown of your organizational structures to match the HRIS setup (e.g. Department, Location, Division listing, Job Family) for easier collaboration and cross-functional use
📌 Establish a System with Versioning Abilities
It is important to plan for storing different versions of a job description tied to the same job.
For example, your recruiting department may have a public facing or external job description that is designed for your career site and job boards, written to attract candidates to apply to a job.
A second job description might be written for internal use, with more compliance and performance based context.
Below is a screenshot of “Mosh Docs” which allows our clients to achieve the above by storing job postings and related docs with the associated JD for consistency.
📌 Create Consistency with Defined JD Architectures
Maintaining consistency in language and formatting across all descriptions ensures clarity and coherence.
Outline the intended structure of your job descriptions to include necessary information, and govern consistency as the project scales.
If using a system that allows - controls can be put in place to dictate which sections will and will not be included in the job description when updating/creating.
In Mosh JD we do this through templates that lock down JD architectures.
If using Sharepoint, G-Suite, or another method this may require some coding or establishing a reference document that team members use when creating or updating jobs.
Dreading the thought of creating a job description process revolved around a Sharepoint or G-suite job description catalog with no guardrails?
📍Step 2: Consolidate JDs to Avoid Redundancy
Once your job descriptions are centralized, begin by conducting a comprehensive review of all existing job titles within your organization.
Group similar job titles together and compare the descriptions side-by-side to identify any redundancies or overlaps in responsibilities.
A job description overhaul can be overwhelming, and is not feasible for an all-at-once approach.
A job description review & update might take 2-3+ hours for each job, most organizations and HR professionals break out the task by job family or business unit such as department or division.
Once similar roles have been identified, carefully assess whether there are meaningful differences between them that justify maintaining separate job titles and descriptions.
In instances where differences are minimal or non-existent, consolidate by merging the two to streamline your job description library.
📍Step 3: Collaborate - Match the Right Expert with JD Type
💰 Compensation
➡️ Call on your compensation teammates for input on the internal JD.
Comp experts rely on accurate job descriptions to confidently benchmark pay by matching internal job descriptions with external salary/pay publications (aka salary surveys).
Job description hygiene has a huge impact on optimizing pay budgets across the organization.
This pay-setting process ensures the pay range for the job is competitive to market rates while not overpaying for one role at the expense of another.
When in doubt, consult with a compensation professional to ensure an internal job description has the required components (e.g. qualifications), and can be merged or leveled.
We believe the impact of an internal job description is most acutely realized by compensation professionals, and bringing them into the conversation will surely impact the overall success of the project.
🤝 Talent Acquisition
➡️Create an external job description off of the internal job description & store it with the associated JD.
External job descriptions, AKA the ‘job posting’ or ‘career site’ version, have a significant impact on hiring efficiency in the form of attracting candidates, improving applicant quality & reducing time it takes to fill open positions.
Think of the external job description as a marketing tool.
It should be shorter than the JD and include benefits or reasons folks want to work at your company.
Collaborate with recruiters, hiring managers, and ‘front-line’ employees for input to incorporate the best language possible into the posting & promote the attractiveness of the job to external candidates.
Once complete - share final drafts of each job description with all stakeholders (compensation experts, recruiters, team leaders and employees).
This will ensure alignment between job requirements & actual job duties on both internal and external job descriptions.
Wondering how you are going to facilitate a easy collaborative process without friction? Schedule a call with Mosh JD to see if we can help
📍Step 4: Set Up an Automated Cadence for JD Updates
Establish a systematic approach for managing job descriptions by setting up a cadence backed by technology.
Don’t rely on memory, sticky notes, or arbitrary dates on a calendar to update JDs.
Set up regular reviews of existing job descriptions to identify opportunities for improvements based on feedback and evolving organizational needs.
Use project management software or a system that will enable you to track dates to update JDs, send alerts when JDs need update, and provide the ability to assign to others for feedback.
Tools like Asana come to mind.
With Mosh JD users have a dashboard to see aging job descriptions that need updates, JDs by status, & recommendations for edits from collaborators.
Note the progress & timing to ensure progress is made and deadlines are met.
No one enjoys updating a few job descriptions, let alone many when the efforts fall off track.
By adopting project management best practices—setting clear objectives, establishing timelines, and assigning responsibilities—the job description creation and review process will be streamlined.
Ensuring alignment with evolving roles, responsibilities, and organizational priorities without unnecessary bureaucracy or excessive documentation that might impede efficiency and agility.
📍Get Started with Our Checklist
Choose someone at your organization to spearhead this project, use this guide, and our checklist below to get started.
By putting a defined JD process in place more accurate job descriptions will be used on a regular basis.
Not only will this save time & headaches but we estimate it will save at least $15,000 or more per year. Read more on that here.
Follow these best practices & avoid common pitfalls to establish HR a robust description management process that supports talent acquisition, performance evaluation, & organizational development initiatives.
Regularly review and refine the process to ensure ongoing alignment with the evolving needs and objectives of the organization.
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Need help setting up a job description governance system for accurate and updated JDs?
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