Performance-based job descriptions eliminate the bias of first impressions

It is hard to get past first impressions. But when one realizes how much bad hires cost to your company in time, morale and opportunities cost, one has to take stock and start doing the right thing. The right thing could mean to radically change the way we hire candidates. Some hiring managers have changed gear already with excellent results.

Lead the effort to prepare the performance-based job description

So, what do we need to do? First of all, we need to sit down with our colleagues and staff and lead the effort to prepare a thorough performance-based job description. This description will entail the philosophy about the position and the main traits we would like the person to have to be part of our team. Then we need to put down the 6-8 things that the person needs to do once on the job to be considered successful.

These things cover the whole business activity: key objectives and secondary objectives, teamwork issues, technical issues, management issues, strategic and cultural issues. Put them all together and prioritise them and come up with 6-8 job deliverables. It may take you up to 2 hours to prepare this job description. Take some quality time without interruptions to do this most important job properly.

Examples of deliverables

For instance, one of the key objectives for the position of a telesales manager could be: Lead the telesales team to generate $3m of business per annum by selling to both NSW and Victoria customers. Sales from new customers to be 30% of budgeted turnover.

A teamwork objective for a product manager could be : In cooperation with manufacturing and sales,, lead the launch of two new products every 6 months.

These job deliverables start with an action verb, are specific and time tested. They will not only form part of the job description but they will also form an integral part of the interviewing process. The other benefit of job deliverables is that they do not steer you away from your main objective: can the candidate do the job? And yes…first impressions are important but you do not want them to cloud your judgement and objectivity. Performance-based job descriptions will help you do just that.

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To hire top performers you should keep improving your hiring and interviewing skills. These articles are from our own experience and have proven a useful source of information to many hiring managers.
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