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One of the most important, yet often overlooked, steps of the hiring process is the step of creating detailed definitions of each position in the corporation. Each position should have a clear and concise description that states the responsibilities and duties of the position as well as a list of required skills and abilities necessary to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the job.

It is important that the skills and abilities listed tie into the responsibilities and duties described for several reasons. First, having a detailed understanding of a position gives you and your staff the ability to consistently and objectively fill each position with truly qualified candidates. The second reason is liability. If you include skills and ability requirements that are not truly needed to do the job, include these in your hiring advertisements and then reject applicants based on the lack of the skill or ability, your company could be found in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). By having accurate position descriptions, based on the skills and abilities truly needed to perform each job, you are able to define a hiring process that removes impulsiveness from the hiring processes and protects your company from legal hassle.

It is interesting how many companies do not have accurate, up-to-date, job descriptions. In my personal experience only two of the eight environments I have worked in during my career had up-to-date job descriptions for each position in the corporation. So, where do you get the information needed to accurately define the jobs in you company as they currently exist?
Most corporations have organizational chart providing a good place to begin. If the chart is not up to date (positionally not necessarily personal personnel wise) take the time to update it. An up-to-date organizational chart describes the reporting structure of the corporation and should include positions and the names and contact information of the persons filling those positions. Using the organizational chart you can easily identify managers with direct reports and task them to provide / update job descriptions for each of their direct reports. 

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David

Hi David,

Good point on having accurate job descriptions for current company positions.  I think one of the most important hiring points you can turn is past recommendations.  I have found you can tell a lot about how well someone will work out given there past background in maintaining relationships and satisfying past employers.  History is one of those qualities that helps not repeat mistakes and this weighs in heavily when trying to make the right hiring and team building decisions. Thanks for the insight David great posts. Best of luck!

Moreover, the key responsibilities of each position should also be clearly chalked out.

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