| A
position description is the official record of the duties and responsibilities
assigned to a position by a supervisor or manager to accomplish a
specific job. Develop the PD carefully to capture the important features
of the job so the HR specialist can classify the position properly.
Use the links
below to learn more about writing position descriptions:
Why
do you need to write a position description?
A position description
(PD) officially documents a management decision that certain work
is to be performed by the person hired for or assigned to a specific
position. It is a document used for authorizing payment of public
funds, with legal requirements for accuracy and penalties for fraudulent
certifications.
PDs are important
because they:
- are used
for position management and organizational analysis.
- serve as
the basis for determining the position title, series, grade level,
and pay system.
- describe
the major duties and responsibilities assigned to a particular
job.
- detail the
knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work.
- are used
to determine specialized experience and selective factors when
recruiting for quality candidates.
- aid the supervisor
in developing performance objectives, justifying incentive awards,
and identifying training needs.
- are used
for appeal resolution and reduction-in force competition.
PDs
do not need to be "all inclusive." You don't need to include
every task that you might ask an employee to perform in the course
of a work day. Your position description should cover the major
duties and responsibilities, or those that would establish the grade
of the position.
Back to top
How do you begin to write a position
description?
Writing a position
description does not need to be complicated. When refilling a vacant
position, you should review the existing PD to determine whether
it is still accurate and make necessary revisions to fit current
needs.
For newly established
positions, you can review similar positions within your unit or
other similar positions elsewhere in ARS. Ask your HR specialist
or location/area office staff to assist you in finding similar PDs
to use.
You should begin
working on the PD by:
- Reviewing
standard position descriptions to see whether they would fit your
needs.
- Contacting
your HR specialist for assistance in identifying the most appropriate
classification standard to use to describe your position. A link
to the Office
of Personnel Management Position Classification standards
can be found on the HRD Classification web site.
- Determining
the appropriate format to use when writing the PD. Information
on position
description formats can be found on the HRD Classification
web site.
- Understanding
that your signature on the AD-332, Position Description Cover
Sheet, certifies that the PD is an accurate statement of the major
duties and responsibilities of the position.
A simple guideline
to keep in mind as you're writing PDs is to be concise.
Don't use —
- meaningless
phrases
- flowery adjectives
- unnecessary
words
- technical
terms needlessly
- ambiguous
statements
What are standard position descriptions
and why should you use them?
Supervisors
are strongly encouraged to use the standard positions descriptions,
which were developed to help streamline the classification process.
These can be used as written or tailored to meet your needs. Take
care in modifying these position descriptions, as any changes made
may affect the assigned grade level.
Full text copies
of available standard PDs, including the cover sheet (AD-332), can
be found on the Human Resources Division web site: Standard
Position Descriptions.
What
documents do you need to submit?
After you've
prepared the position description, submit the following documents,
following Area procedures, to the servicing Human Resources Operation
Branch:
- SF-52, Request
for Personnel Action
- AD-332, Position
Description Cover Sheet
- Position
Description(s)
- For non-SY
positions, an AD-332 and PD are needed for each grade for which
you wish to recruit, up to and including the full performance
level.
- For SY
positions only one AD-332 and PD for multiple grade levels is
needed. A full performance PD is not needed.
After this information
is received in HRD, your HR specialist will review it and, if necessary,
contact you to discuss any changes that may be needed to complete
the classification process. Once this process is completed, your
recruitment can begin.
Note: It
is in your best interest to determine the level of work needed to
be performed now, including projected future duties. Projecting
and planning ahead of time provides you with flexibility in recruiting,
retaining, and promoting noncompetitively to the established full
performance level.
What is position management?
Position management
involves the basic managerial functions of planning, organizing,
and controlling the use of people to accomplish the work for which
an organization was established — the mission. Supervisors
and managers play a major role in position management. They are
responsible for the management and classification of subordinate
positions and for ensuring a sound position structure in the organizations
they lead.
Back to top
Additional
resources
Human
Resources Division, Classification Web Site
Standard
Position Descriptions
P&P 431.1,
Position
Classification and Position Management
P&P 431.3,
Research Position
Evaluation System
Manual 431.3,
RPES Case
Writeup Preparation and Guidance for Panelists
Bulletin 01-401-ARS,
Trial Policy
for Assessment of Impact-of-Person-on-the-Job in ARS Category 4
Positions
Back
to top
|
