Reduce Employee Turnover With a Better Job Description
You may notice a trend in certain positions or fields within your company, and it may not be a positive one. Does your company struggle to retain employees in particular jobs Don’t worry, you aren’t alone. Many businesses struggle to fill and keep promising employees in various roles. The problem is fixable though, and the first thing you should do is take a look at the job description. Is the position poorly defined Are the requirements of the job contradictory or inconsistent You can quickly reduce employee turnover with a well-written, clearly articulated job profile.
Creating a successful position description will greatly increase your chances of attracting and retaining top talent. Pay special attention to the particular duties of the job, and try your best to communicate these to potential applicants, preferably in writing. You’ll be amazed at the difference you’ll see in candidates and the increased rate of retention you’ll achieve when you create a distinct position profile.
Define the Key Requirements
One of the best secrets to hiring top talent and keeping them long-term is to describe the job itself, rather than focusing on a list of tasks that would any candidate’s head spin. The most important thing is to articulate an overall sense of purpose. Reduce employee turnover by providing the applicant with an idea of what the job entails and why it’s an important role for your company. Here are a few basic components to help you get started.
-The Job Title
You can select any job title, but it needs to reflect the job itself. It should also mention where the position fits into the overall pyramid of the company (Senior Vice President, Manager, Assistant, etc.).
-A Summary of the Position
Keep it relatively brief, but provide the applicant with a narrative that contains information about the essential aspects of the position, including the duties, skills or licenses required, special equipment that will be used, and any physical abilities required to successfully perform the job.
-Qualifications
Ensure that you list out the knowledge, abilities, skills and any other necessary qualifications the candidate needs to complete the job.
-Responsibilities
To effectively reduce employee turnover, you’ll want to start with the most important tasks and responsibilities first. Focus on the items the prospective employee will spend the majority of their time performing. List all of the major tasks and consider adding in the minor sub-tasks if you feel it necessary or they are an essential part of the job.
-Work Environment
Provide the applicant with an idea of the working conditions, including the amount of labor performed inside or outside, the equipment to be used, etc.
-Supervision and Management
Use the job description to explain how this job is supervised or managed, and consider identifying whom the individual in this role will report.
Focus on the Hiring Position
Many recruiters make the mistake of immediately informing job applicants that their role will be required to help many other departments when they need it. This is a difficult concept for a new employee who is still trying to learn their own daily routine, and may cause them to be overwhelmed. Reduce employee turnover in your company by allowing the new hire time to adjust in their own role. Of course there are times that every company needs employees to pitch in help with other departments, but you shouldn’t have to itemize it in the job description. Consider mentioning it during the interview, but don’t spend too much time dwelling on it, as the employee won’t spend much of their time working on it.
Identify Irrelevant Components of the Job Description
Some hiring manager or recruiters innocently create job descriptions that lack focus. Have you ever seen the catch-all phrase ïother duties as requiredï in a position profile It isn’t a problem unless the employee spends the majority of their time focusing on those other duties. When you include a miscellaneous category in your description, make sure you aren’t trying to hide something. Qualified and professional employees don’t want to resent a portion of their job because it was camouflaged in the profile.
When you take time to clearly identify the key components of the job, you naturally delete the irrelevant ones. This allows you to see what parts of the position are necessary and which should be reassigned to another person. Share your thoughts and conclusions with your co-workers and management, and don’t stop working on it until you have a coherent, accurate and workable job description that allows your organization to hire top talent and reduce employee turnover.
For more recruiting tips, check out the rest of the articles available on Mighty Recruiter. We’ve done all the important research so your organization can reap the benefits.