6 Steps to Writing Great Position Agreements and Template

1 HR & RECRUITING TOOL

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6 STEPS TO WRITING GREAT POSITION AGREEMENTS GENDER DIVERSITY AND POSITION AGREEMENTS

As a general note, when writing position agreements and building teams, it is important to remember to avoid unconscious gender biases and using gendered language within the position agreement. “Unconscious bias plays a key, yet often unacknowledged role in decision-making. This extends to decisions made on hiring and building teams.

Acknowledging and addresses biases can break down barriers and open opportunities for new, diverse people and approaches.” The CDC’s note on Tackling Unconscious Bias provides practical tips for reducing bias in people assessment meetings.

“The key to building and maintaining gender-diverse teams is ensuring that there is equal opportunity and development. Companies and firms can do this by assessing where and why gender gaps exists, particularly across wages, promotions and progression, policies, and benefits. Increasingly government and human resources institutions are publishing tools to measure gender pay gaps. The note on Gender Pay Gap Analysis provides guidance on how to use analysis to better understand the reasons for gender pay gaps between men and women, including the most common issues such as recruitment, attrition, progression, promotion and return-to-work rates among women employees.” There are several other helpful tools on the topic of gender diversity in the workplace through CDC’s Gender Toolkit.

STEPS TO FOLLOW

Step 1 List out five to seven (max) “Major Responsibilities” of the position. Keep it simple, it should be no more than two sentences each. The question to ask here is: “What are the major areas of responsibility for this job?”

Step 2 For the five to seven items that you noted under “Major Responsibilities,” list out three to five Objectives and Key Results that would let you know the individual has been successful in carrying out the Major Responsibilities. The questions to ask here are “How will I know it got done?” or another way of saying it is, “What is the measurable results produced that would let me know it got done?” Remember, this should not be a task list, these are the measurable results produced to let you and the employee know the criteria for successful accomplishment. It must be measurable. What and by when.

Step 3 List what “Skills and Qualifications” someone should have to be successful in doing this job. These can be technical in nature as well as years of experience, and soft skills. The questions to ask here are: “What skills and experience should someone possess to be able to do this job effectively?” and “What kind of personality characteristics would they have that are best suited for this position?”

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Step 4 With Step #1 and Step #3 in mind, write out a two to three sentence paragraph that would summarize overall the “Primary Function” of this job. The question to ask here is: “What is the overall responsibility of this job?”

Step 5 Putting it together. “Primary Function” goes first, then “Major Responsibility”, then “Skills & Qualifications”, then “Objectives and Key Results”. The first three should all fit onto one page.

Step 6 Implement the position agreement with staff and use when interviewing prospective employees.

3 HR & RECRUITING TOOL

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SAMPLE POSITION AGREEMENT TEMPLATE POSITION TITLE: PRIMARY FUNCTION: MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES: SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS OBJECTIVES & KEY RESULTS

Put title here Two to three-sentence summary paragraph of the position; what is the overall responsibility of this job?

List all strategic and tactical responsibilities for which this position is accountable; provide a minimum of five to a maximum of seven responsibilities or functions.

List skills, experience and qualifications that are required for someone to be successful in this position This position is accountable for producing the following key performance results (KPI); What is the measurable results produced that would let me know it got done?

SIGNATURES:

1.

2.

3.

Statement of the position holder:

SIGNATURES:

I accept the accountabilities of this position and agree to produce the results, perform the work, and meet the standards set forth in this Position Agreement.

Date: Signature: Name: Statement of the position holder’s manager: I agree to provide a working environment, necessary resources, and appropriate training to enable the accountabilities of this position (result, work, standards) to be accomplished.

Date: Signature: Name: