Job Description X-Ray: What You're Missing

Job descriptions are a key document to connect organizations with great candidates. On average, they're pretty bad. There are lots of ways to improve your next job description, but one of the most powerful (beyond including the salary range) is detailing the core competencies of the role.

As an example, we helped to put together the job description for the Principal role at WHIN Music Community Charter School.

There are three sections I want to point out in particular. The first is "Responsibilities." This section breaks down what candidates can expect to be doing on a day-to-day basis:

Most folks can get this right. Next is "qualifications":

This tells candidates what the minimum bar should be to be considered for this role. We chose to break it down into two sections, which can clarify for candidates what dispositional qualities and education expectations we have. This is also a common section.

The third section, though, is the one that makes the difference: core competencies.

Core competencies tell candidates how they will be assessed throughout the process. After the first step or two in the search process, every candidate is qualified. That makes the "qualifications" section much less useful for determining who would be the best person for the role. By being explicit about the core competencies of the role (which will influence the questions we ask, the way we debrief conversations, etc.) you are reducing bias in the hiring process and making it clear to candidates what excellence looks like.

Have you ever included core competencies in your job descriptions?