When writing job descriptions, one of the hardest sections to write is the Job

Responsibilities/Essential Functions/Competencies section. The purpose of this section is to

define the work that needs to be performed in the role and the things an employee in the job will
be accountable for. It's also the information most vital to your other talent management processes
since it defines the criteria that should be used for assessment and development.
This section often ends up being an exceedingly long and detailed list of tasks that is tough to
maintain, but even tougher for an employee to remember and apply in their day-to-day work.
Further, a lengthy task list is often not very usable when it comes time to create a job
requisitions, evaluate an employee's performance, address development needs, define learning
paths or compare jobs for classification/pay scale creation.
So how do you write effective job responsibilities that are useful and manageable, while still
capturing all the important details? How do you ensure the employee clearly knows what is
expected of them and what they are accountable for?
As Dr. Gordon Medlock, Sr. Talent Management Consultant with HRIZONS, explains, there are
three general approaches to writing job responsibilities, essential functions or job specific
competencies. They involve creating:

A detailed task list,

A list of job responsibilities and associated tasks, or

A list of job specific competencies.

Each approach has its own merits and limitations.

What are job responsibilities?

Job responsibilities are what an organization uses to define the work that needs to be performed
in a role and the functions that an employee is accountable for. Job responsibilities also include
the information most vital to your other talent management processes since it defines the criteria
that should be used for employee assessment and development.

The detailed task list

The detailed task list is perhaps the easiest approach, and the more traditional way of describing
job responsibilities.
To create the task list for a job, you go through a typical day on the job and write down the tasks
that are performed.
An effective task statement includes:

An active verb

A description of the task

The intended result or outcome

Here's an example of a task list for a medical assistant:

(Source: Job Descriptions & Talent Management: Building the Foundation for Organizational
Success, Gordon Medlock, HRIZONS, Halogen 2011 User Conference)
1. Assists with treatment ordered by physician as supervised by physician or registered
nurse. Performs select clinical duties.
2. Interviews patients, measures vital signs and records information on patients' charts.
Prepares treatment rooms for examination of patients.
3. Performs basic clerical duties including answering phones, maintaining records, and
filing.
4. Performs basic material management function to include ordering and stocking of
supplies. Assists with maintaining a clean and orderly environment.
5. Provides coverage for office administrative staff as needed, such as calling for lab results,
logging in samples to medicine closet, checking for expired drugs, filing and answering
phones.
6. Schedules tests and procedures for physicians and obtains pre-certification/preauthorization for these tests and procedures as required by insurance carrier.
7. Works with the center staff to coordinate patient flow and to assure that operations are
working smoothly. Pulls patient charts.
8. When necessary, coordinates with Operating Room to assure that patient surgeries are
correctly posted and all equipment for procedures are available.
9. Calls pharmacies to refill prescriptions under the direction of a physician and obtains
authorizations for prescriptions and prescription refills as required by insurance.
10. Prepares patients charts prior to scheduled visits with the required forms and by gathering
pertinent medical information from the electronic medical record and from outside
medical offices and testing facilities. Prepares charts according to each physician's
individual preference. Completes all necessary documentation including immunization
records and logs.

11. Performs lab procedures. Accurately completes and submits paperwork to appropriate lab
based on managed care contracts.
12. Receives and gives referrals to patients.
13. Accurately and thoroughly enters scheduling data. Always documents no shows/
cancelations/add-ons. Enters all demographics properly and accurately. Completes
insurance verification for all patients.
While this approach results in a fairly comprehensive list of tasks, the list is often too long and
unwieldy to be used. And it doesn't assign or reflect any priority to the tasks. It's also hard to use
this list in job requisitions, performance appraisal forms, or to determine appropriate learning
and development activities.

The list of job responsibilities and tasks

This next approach typically identifies 37 job responsibilities or essential functions for each job.
As with the task list approach you:
1. Go through a typical day on the job and write down the tasks that are performed.
And then you:
2. Take the task list and group similar tasks into job responsibilities or essential functions.
An essential function is a responsibility that is considered essential to performance of the
job.
3. For each job responsibility or essential function, write an accountability statement that
supports your talent management processes.
Here's an example of an essential function for a director:
(Source: Job Descriptions & Talent Management: Building the Foundation for Organizational
Success, Gordon Medlock, HRIZONS, Halogen 2011 User Conference)
Enterprise-wide HRIS strategy and planning
Lead short- and long-term enterprise wide strategy and planning efforts to define how the
hospital will deploy additional HR applications (third-party systems and/or internal
systems) while managing key stakeholder relationships with management sponsors,
internal users, and external business partners.
Strong performance includes mastery of the following skills, tasks, and related behaviors:

o Be the primary liaison with HR leadership for entity planning and implementation
efforts. Coordinate on-going entity project training and testing needs.
o Work collaboratively with key stakeholders to determine areas of optimization,
deconstruct issues and develop solution approach.
While this approach results in a more manageable list, it doesn't easily map essential functions
and tasks to competencies. It can also be hard to use this list in job requisitions, performance
appraisal forms, or to determine appropriate learning and development activities.

The list of job-specific competencies

This third approach invites you to reframe essential functions or job responsibilities as jobspecific competencies. It's the method recommended by HR expert and consultant Dr. Gordon
Medlock from HRIZONS.
Because it uses competences as its basis, this approach allows for the greatest integration with
your other talent management programs. It avoids duplication of information between job
responsibilities/essential functions and the competencies in your library. It also means the same
set of competencies is being used for all assessments of performance.
With this approach, the competencies in your library need to include the results or outcomes that
should be seen with demonstration of a competency, and describe proficiency on the job, not just
an ability or capacity. With this additional detail though, competencies can be used more
effectively to evaluate performance and determine learning/ development needs.
As part of the Job Responsibilities/Essential Functions/Competencies section, a job-specific
competency statement includes:

Competency name

A summary description that includes:

o The summary of tasks and/or behaviors the person will perform and is
accountable for
o The results or outcomes the person is accountable for
o The internal and/or external customers the person is accountable to
o A list of the specific, measurable tasks and/or behaviors that characterize
successful performance

Every job should have 3-7 job-specific competencies that reflect the things they are accountable
for.

Here are a few examples of job-specific competencies, used by Halogen Software customer St.
Anthony's Medical Center (Source: Dynamic job descriptions that drive performance (webinar),
Gordon Medlock, HRIZONS, Suzanne Beattie, Saint Anthonys Medical Center)
Clinical systems assessment
Completes an accurate assessment of all required physical systems without any patient
complaints and ensuring quality patient safety and care.
o Completes physical systems assessments of patients within thirty (30) minutes of
patient admission, within 1 hour of coming on duty for shift, and at transfer or
discharge from unit.
o Completes assessment of all required systems, including neurological,
cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, musculoskeletal,
integumentary, incision/wound/dressing, psychosocial, and discomfort/pain.
o Three or fewer incidents of non-compliance and no legitimate complaints with
regard to chart reviews.
o No incidents of non-compliance and no legitimate complaints for transfers or
discharges from unit.
o Documents shift assessment on the medical record within two (2) hours of coming
on duty, performs reassessments and documents changes on the medical record
according to guidelines.
Accountability
Takes responsibility for own actions, including the impact of own decisions on patients
and others. Takes appropriate action when anyone in the organization violates standards
or regulations. Acts in a way that demonstrates deep personal integrity and serves as a
positive example of why others should trust the organization. Views oneself as a
reflection of the organization by following through on commitments and accepting
ownership of any mistakes he or she might make.
Service standards
Alters behaviors based on feedback, when behaviors are perceived by others as offensive
or embarrassing.
Adheres to all policies and procedures identified by St. Anthony's.
Treats others respectfully and actively listens when someone is speaking to them.

Greets others in elevators, hallways, etc., introducing self and purpose as the situation
warrants AIDET.
As you can see, these job-specific competencies could easily be used in a job requisition or on a
performance appraisal form. You could also identify learning activities that would help develop
these job-specific competencies.

Read how others are leveraging job descriptions in their

organizations
At Cabell Huntington Hospital, they aligned their job descriptions with their performance
appraisal process so their performance appraisal forms now reflect the content of their job
descriptions.
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