Managing the Inner Contractions of Job Descriptions: A Technique for Recruitment

Summary and commentary by: Ian Mondrow, M.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology

A job description is a document composes of several sections, including: job title, supervisor title, job responsibilities, and qualifications for hiring. This single document is sole resource for many organizational operations such as recruitment, performance review, training/development, organizational structure, and more. However, Stybel (2010) claims that job descriptions are merely intended for audiences within the organization. However, issues occur because job descriptions are also used for external and internal job postings. Such that, job descriptions are written to be "public" friendly and do not always obtain the most accurate information needed for the internal operations.

Stybel and Peabody (2007, as cited by Stybel, 2010) introduced a new section into the job description called the "Leadership Mandate". This new section communicates how an individual advances within the company's strategic plans. They now use 2 documents when conducting a candidate search: (1) a job description for the general public to attract candidates in applying and (2) a leadership mandate which is given to final candidates. Stybel (2010) claims that creating these two documents protects the company against fraud charges.

The leadership mandate is merely another section of the job description that is limited to specific audiences. This new section defines what changes the company expects within the 90-120 days, what responsibilities are considered critical/time-sensitive, which responsibilities are to be placed on the back-burner (not address immediately) for the next 4 months, what is to be avoided at all costs in the upcoming 90-120 days.

IMPLICATIONS FOR HR PROFESSIONALS
This article does emphasize the importance of job descriptions for both internal and external purposes. It provides the foundation on what tasks a specific job is responsible and what is considered successful in finishing this work. Every job within an organization should have a description. Using the same job for multiple positions produces a variety of risks for a company including: employee turnover [since the job was not what they thought], adverse impact [success factors are not consistent], inadequate opportunities for growth [because there is no defined career path], and more. Therefore, this articles emphasis on the value of job descriptions is extremely beneficial.

To be blunt, this idea of creating two documents is crap. While the notion of the leadership mandate and its content are good, the fact is that the information is not static. In January, the leadership mandate could be entirely different from the leadership mandate in May. Change occurs every day in an organization and therefore, creating such a document can be time-consuming and counter productive. Finally, creating such a document does not prevent fraud as a job description should include all responsibilities expected in a position.

On the contrary, it is the responsibility of the recruiter and the hiring manager to clearly communicate this content to candidates (which is emphasized more in the article title than article text). Creating a leadership mandate would be more beneficial to remind managers of what candidates need to be informed about. A leadership mandate is more suitable as a tool to help managers and not as a formal HR document.

It is crucial to emphasize the value of communicating the leadership mandate information to all job finalists. It will give them an accurate portrayal of what to expect in the months to come. This will reduce turnover and increase job satisfaction as the hired employee(s) will not be caught off guard. As HR professionals, we strive to ensure that applicants are satisfied in their jobs. This is one way to prevent any unexpected disappointments or dissatisfaction.




REFERENCES
Stylbel, L.J. (2010). Managing the inner contradictions of job descriptions:a technique for use in recruitment. The Psychologist-Manager Journal, 13, 105-110.


** I am not a lawyer or legal professional and therefore it is important to be aware of all state and Federal laws before considering implementation of any content read in this posting. I hold no liability for your actions. 

Survey Results: Resume Objectives

Summary and Analysis by: Ian B. Mondrow, M.A.

An online survey was conducted examining the importance of resume objectives. Participants were gathered using LinkedIn and Twitter. Overall, there was a total of Twenty-two (22) participants. Fourteen (14) participants held a recruiter position (7 internally and 7 externally).  Five (5) HR employees and three (3) hiring managers were also included. Seventeen (17) of the participants had more than 5 years of experience. Unfortunately, job-seekers were not permitted to complete the survey as their answers could have altered the results and provided inaccurate information. Please see the appendix for the frequencies of each question (Fair warning: Blogger is not chart friendly and therefore formatting maybe off in the appendix). 


Participants were asked the following questions:
(Quantitative - Participants rated the questions on a scale from 1-5)
What role do you play in your organization?
How many years of experience do you have in this position?
Objective statements on resumes are redundant.
Objectives help me understand the goals of a job candidate.
Most recruiters do not understand the value of an objective statement.
Most of the candidates that I select will have an objective statement in their resume.
I rarely take the time to consider an applicant's objective on their resume.
Objective statements are just advice that college career centers give students.
Every resume should have an objective statement.
I will not look at a resume if there is no objective.
I quickly skim objectives as I scan resumes.
There are other options that candidates can use instead of objectives that are far more appealing.


(Qualitative Questions)
What do you want to hear from job applicants in a an objective?
What is the most memorable objective that you have read?
Do you feel objectives are beneficial on resumes? Why or why not?


RESULTS

• Seventeen (17) out of Twenty-two (22) participants agreed that resumes do not require objective statements. 
• Twenty participants (20) continued to show that excluding an objective will not negatively affect an applicant in the process.
• Nineteen (19) participants agreed in some sense that there are no alternatives to a resume objective statement. 
• A resume objective is not viewed as redundant according to eighteen (18) respondents.

When asked what respondents look for in objective statements, most responses centered around what an applicant can bring to the organization and/or the position. Several respondents stated that there is no need that to state that one is looking for a job because that is already obvious. Instead, they are looking for a culture match and characteristics that may be beneficial to the job.


When asked about the most memorable objective statement they have seen, most respondents provided no answer. One participant mentioned that one applicant had done their research on the organization and focused their objective statement on the information he/she have found. When asked what recruiters want in an objective statement, almost all respondents mentioned that they want specified information about their company and the position. Some respondents mentioned that a summary is more useful than an objective statement.


DISCUSSION
The results of this survey reveal helpful advice for jobseekers. First and foremost, an objective on a resume is not required, especially if the objective is vague. Recruiters will often look at objectives but it is not their main focus on a resume. Job applicants should focus their attention on a summary section as the information it is helpful to recruiters.


An objective can be an easy method for applicants to show their value to the potential employer. This can be achieved by researching the company to provide information on how you, as a potential employee, could contribute to the organization. This is the perfect opportunity for candidates to carefully review the job description and determine the employers needs. Think of the objective as a short cover letter with 1-2 sentences and embrace your strengths as they relate to the company and the job.


Thank you for everyone who participated in the survey. Please watch my Twitter account to participate in the next occupational survey.




APPENDIX

Objective statements on resumes are redundant.

		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Disagree	1	4.5	4.5	4.5
	Somewhat disagree	2	9.1	9.1	13.6
	Neither agree or disagree	1	4.5	4.5	18.2
	Somewhat agree	5	22.7	22.7	40.9
	Agree	13	59.1	59.1	100.0
	Total	22	100.0	100.0

Objectives help me understand the goals of a job candidate.

		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Disagree	8	36.4	36.4	36.4
	Somewhat disagree	4	18.2	18.2	54.5
	Somewhat agree	7	31.8	31.8	86.4
	Agree	3	13.6	13.6	100.0
	Total	22	100.0	100.0

Most recruiters do not understand the value of an objective statement.

		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Disagree	4	18.2	18.2	18.2
	Somewhat disagree	4	18.2	18.2	36.4
	Neither agree or disagree	7	31.8	31.8	68.2
	Somewhat agree	2	9.1	9.1	77.3
	Agree	5	22.7	22.7	100.0
	Total	22	100.0	100.0

Most of the candidates that I select will have an objective statement in their resume.

		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Disagree	7	31.8	31.8	31.8
	Somewhat disagree	4	18.2	18.2	50.0
	Neither agree or disagree	5	22.7	22.7	72.7
	Somewhat agree	4	18.2	18.2	90.9
	Agree	2	9.1	9.1	100.0
	Total	22	100.0	100.0

I rarely take the time to consider an applicant's objective on their resume.

		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Disagree	4	18.2	18.2	18.2
	Somewhat disagree	5	22.7	22.7	40.9
	Somewhat agree	6	27.3	27.3	68.2
	Agree	7	31.8	31.8	100.0
	Total	22	100.0	100.0

Objective statements are just advice that college career centers give students.

		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Disagree	1	4.5	4.5	4.5
	Somewhat disagree	4	18.2	18.2	22.7
	Neither agree or disagree	6	27.3	27.3	50.0
	Somewhat agree	4	18.2	18.2	68.2
	Agree	7	31.8	31.8	100.0
	Total	22	100.0	100.0

Every resume should have an objective statement.

		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Disagree	13	59.1	59.1	59.1
	Somewhat disagree	4	18.2	18.2	77.3
	Neither agree or disagree	2	9.1	9.1	86.4
	Somewhat agree	3	13.6	13.6	100.0
	Total	22	100.0	100.0

I will not look at a resume if there is no objective.

		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Disagree	19	86.4	86.4	86.4
	Neither agree or disagree	1	4.5	4.5	90.9
	Somewhat agree	1	4.5	4.5	95.5
	Agree	1	4.5	4.5	100.0
	Total	22	100.0	100.0

I quickly skim objectives as I scan resumes.

		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Disagree	2	9.1	9.1	9.1
	Neither agree or disagree	4	18.2	18.2	27.3
	Somewhat agree	6	27.3	27.3	54.5
	Agree	10	45.5	45.5	100.0
	Total	22	100.0	100.0