What Is a Classification Questionnaire?

MAY 2008

Position Description Form (PDF) Training

Presented to Shoreline Community College Staff

Richard Shea

Presenter

Position Description Form Training May, 2008, page 16

Introduction to the Position Description Form 3

What is a Position Description Form?

What is a Classification Specification?

Why is a Position Description Form Important?

Writing the Position Description Form 4

When Should A Position Description Form Be Prepared?

Who Writes The Position Description Form?

How Is A Position Description Form Written?

Processes 6

If The Employee Disagrees With The Supervisor’s Statement

Organizational Charts

What Happens To A Completed Position Description Form?

When Should A Desk Audit Be Conducted?

Reallocations 7

Reallocation Action

Appendixes 8

A Glossary of classification terms

B. Positions Description Form

Please note: The term “represented employees” does not apply to represented employees in higher education institutions where the contract was negotiated directly with the union.

Introduction to the Position Description Form

What is a Position Description Form?

A PDF is a document prepared by the supervisor of a position that describes the specific duties assigned to that particular position.

What is a Classification Specification?

A document which defines and outlines the primary purpose and job functions of a specific class. In order for a position to be appropriately allocated to a specific class, the PDF must indicate that the primary job functions of the class are performed a majority (51%) of the time.

The Department of Personnel Director is the only entity having authority to adopt the establishment or modification of a classification. Class specifications are composed of the following elements:

¨ Class Concept – describes the general purpose of a class series to differentiate from other similar series (e.g. clerical, secretarial, word processing). Unlike the below which are standard elements of a class specification the “Class Concept” may or may not be included.

¨ Definition – defines the primary purpose, function and goal of a class.

¨ Distinguishing Characteristics - describes the difference between similar classes or between levels within a class series. May contain explanation of special or specific class features

¨ Typical Work – outlines duties performed in order to meet purpose and goal of the class.

¨ Knowledge and Abilities – outlines skills, knowledge and abilities necessary to perform the duties assigned to a job classification.

¨ Legal Requirement(s) – describes education and/or licensure required by law for all positions within the class.

¨ Desirable Qualifications - outlines the education, training, certification, license and/or experience desired that should provide the skills and knowledge necessary to perform duties of the job.

Why is a Position Description Form (PDF) Important?

· It is the primary document used to determine allocation to the appropriate class. A PDF identifies the job duties, responsibilities, and level of authority assigned to a specific position.

· It is used by personnel staff and others to trace the evolution of duties over a period of time.

· It highlights trends that may indicate changes to the current class specifications.

Writing the Position Description Form

When Should A Position Description Form (PDF) BE Prepared?

· When a position is established.

· When assigned duties are or will be changed.

· During a class study.

· If the last PDF is more than three years old.

NOTE: PDF's must be reviewed annually (normally during the employee evaluation process) by the incumbent and supervisor as part of the evaluation process. If the duties and the incumbent of the position have not changed, it is not necessary to rewrite a PDF. PDF’s submitted for a class study must reflect current signatures and dates.

Who Writes the Position Description Form?

· The supervisor. The supervisor has the responsibility to determine the duties to be accomplished and has the prerogative to reassign or change duties.

The supervisor may seek assistance from the incumbent, and the incumbent may offer suggestions. Human Resources staff is also a good resource.

How is a Position Description Form Written?

SHORT

¨ Describe fully and highlight the major duties and responsibilities of the position. Minor duties can be covered in a sentence or two.

¨ Try to limit the job task descriptions to two pages.

¨ Avoid the use of functional statement, statistics, and other program information. This information normally will not assist in determining duties performed or level of responsibility and is available elsewhere.

¨ Avoid repetition

¨ Include an estimated percentage of time each functional area requires. The majority of time (51%) is critical in determining the class that best fits the position.

SIMPLE

¨ Use short, plain, everyday words such as, "issue" instead of "promulgate"; "after" instead of "subsequent"; "about" instead of "approximately".

STRONG

¨ Use concrete, specific words such as, "types" instead of "prepares"; "composes correspondence" instead of "handles correspondence".

¨ Give the essential facts about the duties and responsibilities of the position.

SINCERE

¨ Use action words. Examples of words that work:

Answers collects composes calculates compiles

¨ Avoid meaningless words such as:

Prepares handles assists complex high-level

¨ Avoid meaningless phrases such as:

“performs with widest latitude for independent judgment”

“to the fullest possible extent”

“highly skilled”

Meaningless words and phrases are exactly that – meaningless! They do not add anything of substance that will help determine the level of duties performed.

¨ Do not draw conclusions by giving your opinion on how difficult or how important the duties are. Such phrases as "most difficult", "highly complex", "initiative of a high order", add little if anything to the job description. What is difficult, complex or of a high order to one person may not be so for another. If there is a need to use these words or phrases, they should be explained in terms that offer a means of measurement.

¨ Do not use misleading words. Examples:

“Monitors” when the actual task is “tracks”

“Investigates” when the actual task is “reviews”

“Conducts research” when the actual task is “gathers, collects, and/or compiles data, information or material”

“Assigns or delegates work” when the actual task is “refers or distributes to appropriate staff”.

Common Errors

¨ The PDF is too brief or too lengthy.

¨ Percentage of time does not add up to 100%.

¨ A variety of tasks in different areas of work are lumped under the same percentage of time.

¨ Major responsibility is not highlighted or not identifiable.

¨ Wording is vague, abbreviated, or in-house jargon.

¨ Not all portions are completed, including signatures.

¨ The words "supervise" or “supervises” are used when there are no subordinates. (One does not supervise programs, but rather people).

¨ Description of supervision of employees in inconsistent with between the job summary and supervisory relationships.

Processes

if the employee disagrees with the supervisor’s statement

If the employee disagrees with the position description form prepared by the supervisor, or with the supervisor’s comments, he/she may note the disagreement in writing on a separate sheet of paper.

Organizational charts

Organizational charts should be attached to a Position Description Form. The charts should be current and contain official class titles, position numbers, and incumbent names. Organizational charts provide important information such as reporting relationships, titles and number of subordinates, and relationship to and affect on other positions in the organizational structure. In some situations, the chart may be the key in determining the appropriate allocation.

What happens to a completed position description form?

Agencies or institutions will determine the appropriate class for allocation of a position. Each has internal processing procedures. Contact your local human resources staff for guidance.

When should A Desk Audit Be Conducted?

· When there is disagreement between the supervisor and incumbent about duties performed.

· When the PDF is not clearly written.

· When the allocating authority has difficulty identifying a class that fits the duties as written.

· When a class study is being considered or already in progress.

· When the employee, supervisor, or allocating authority requests an audit (generally, at the digression of the allocating authority).

The desk audit may be conducted by the personnel staff from the agency or institution or from the Department of Personnel. The purpose of a desk audit is to determine:

· The duties performed.

· The methods or processes used or followed.

· The tools, aids, reference materials, laws, and/or documents used.

· Who is responsible/accountable for results of functions performed?

· The consequence of actions taken.

· What guidelines are provided?

· How much supervision is exercised or received, and when.

· What relationships are required?

· Any other facts.

Reallocation

Reallocation action

If a position is reallocated, the incumbent will receive a letter that includes;

· New job class.

· Effective date of the action (earliest date the PDF was date-stamped into the personnel office that has the authority to allocate the position).

· Incumbent status.

· Appeal rights.

Positions may be reallocated upward, downward, laterally or remain the same. A request to reallocate a position upward does not guarantee upward movement.

Status of the employee when the position is reallocated a class with a higher, equal, or lower salary range maximum is covered by the provisions of WAC 357-13-090.

Appendix A: Glossary of classification terms

Advise – Identify options and recommend a course of action to be followed in resolving problems or making decisions.

Class – a level of work within a series.

Complexity of work – Refers to the scope, variety and difficulty of the duties, responsibilities and skills required in order to perform the work. Complexity may be categorized as follows:

Basic – Consists of clear-cut tasks that are directly related with little choice involved in respect to the rules, procedures, materials or equipment which will be used.

Routine – Involves the performance of several related and repetitive tasks, which require some judgment in respect to the rules, procedures, materials, or equipment that, will be used.

Complex – Requires the use of a wide variety of rules, processes, materials, or equipment that requires an application of specialized knowledge or skills. Decisions must be made independently regarding which rules, processes, materials or equipment to use in order to effectively accomplish work assignments.

Highly/Most Complex – Consists of broad responsibilities including extensive research and analysis of systems, facts, figures, or similar information to determine the nature and scope of problems which need to be solved. Work involves originating new policies, procedures, and/or techniques to deal with these problems.

Coordinate – Independently organize, monitor, evaluate, and make adjustments for a program or activity without supervisory responsibility over program or activity participants.

Direct the work of others – Provide work guidance or direction but is NOT a “lead”; does NOT have the responsibility of assigning, instructing and checking the work of others on a regular and ongoing basis.

Independent – Has the authority to make decisions without supervisory approval regarding the work processes and methods which will be used; can modify procedures as long as such changes conform to agency/institutional and departmental policies and regulations.

Journey-level – Fully competent and qualified in all aspects of a body of work and given broad/general guidance, can complete work assignments to standard under minimal supervision. Also referred to as the working or fully qualified occupational level.

Judgment – The latitude an individual has in making decisions such as work priorities, workflow, work methods, and formulating, revising, and interpreting policies and procedures.

Lead – An employee who performs the same or similar duties as other employees in his/her work group and has the designated responsibility to regularly assign, instruct, and check the work of those employees.

Nature of work – Refers to the basic types of work assignments performed by the class:

Clerical – Work involves the use of skills required to support office operations.

Administrative – Duties performed involve determining and/or actively participating in making policy, formulating long-range objectives and programs, and reviewing the implementation of programs for conformance to policies and objectives.

Professional – Work (a) requires knowledge of an advanced type in a field of science or learning customarily obtained by a prolonged course of specialized instruction or study; or (b) is original and creative in character in a recognized field or artistic endeavor and the result of which depends on invention, imagination, or talent. Duties are predominately intellectual as distinguished from routine or mechanical. Discretion and independent judgment must be exercised in carrying out assignments.

Technical – Work requires specialized knowledge or skills which are gained through academic and/or vocational courses such as those offered in technical and community colleges, or equivalent on-the-job training.

Coordination – Duties performed involve independently organizing, monitoring, evaluating, and making adjustments for a program or activity without supervisory responsibility over program or activity participants.

Supervisory – Work involves assigned responsibility for participation in (1) selection of staff, (2) training and development, (3) planning and assignment of work, (4) evaluating performance, (5) adjusting grievances, and (6) taking corrective actions. Participation in these functions must not be of a merely routine nature but requires the exercise of individual judgment.

Managerial – Duties performed involve planning, coordinating, integrating, executing, controlling and evaluating activities and functions of an organization including formulating budget, policies and procedures, service delivery, and staff supervision.

Trades – Duties require the use of specialized manual or mechanical skills and dexterity and a comprehensive knowledge of work processes, normally acquired through an apprenticeship or other formal training program.

Policy – A general statement of an organization’s principles or objectives.

Procedure – A prescribed written course of action or method for completing assignments; the how-to steps to produce a desired result.