Create a Position Description
Responsible party: Hiring manager in collaboration with departmental leadership, SAHR, and appropriate stakeholders.
- Decide how to (re)configure the role and department. Consider how the department’s justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) work and staff development in making that decision.
- Write a job summary. The job summary should briefly describe the job’s purpose and why it exists. Sample:
- About this position: The [Role] is a member of the [Department] department, who [plays a key role in ABC (#1 workstream) to help achieve EFG (#1 goal of role) by XYZ (key actions)]. The [Role] oversees [list any direct reports]. Some of the primary responsibilities for the [Role] include [list of 2-3 key workstreams]. A successful candidate for the role is someone who is committed to [list 1-2 of the most important competencies] and who has robust experience in [2-3 required qualifications and/or strongly preferred qualifications].
- Review language choice for bias in describing job responsibilities. recommends doing this by:
- Removing pronouns.
- Reviewing word choices. Examples: "Analyze" and "determine" are typically associated with male traits, while "collaborate" and "support" are considered female.
- Avoiding superlatives. Excessive use of superlatives such as "expert," "superior," and "world class" can turn off candidates who are more collaborative than competitive.
- Noting alternative working strategies exist.
- Include diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice competencies appropriate to the role. Consider demonstrated commitment and track record for creating inclusive, socially just campus initiatives, environments, and/or programs.
- Write or review your position description to distinguish "must haves" from "nice to haves." By focusing on must-have position specifics, you can widen the candidate pool to attract a more diverse slate of applicants. Put the must-have hard and soft skills in the minimum requirements section, with nice-to-have hard and soft skills in the preferred qualifications section. See this resource from
- Broaden requirements, minimum qualifications, and types of degrees to be more inclusive of diverse, relevant experiences and education. Through a racial equity lens, consider alternative credentials and remove what may not be necessary.
Examples:
|
Type |
Common example |
Challenge |
Possible Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Education |
Bachelor’s degree required |
Educational attainment rates vary by race and ethnicity. Are we using education a proxy for knowledge that could be acquired in other ways? |
Bachelor’s degree or four years of relevant work experience required. |
|
Industry |
Counseling experience in higher education |
White people are overrepresented in many areas of higher education. What other industries provide transferable experience? |
Counseling experience with young adults |
|
Required vs. preferred |
Experience using [software x] required |
Women are less likely to apply if they do not meet every requirement. Which skills can be learned on the job? |
Required: ability to learn new software. Preferred: experience with [software x]. |
|
Job experience |
2 years of experience staffing a front desk |
Attracting candidates with diverse experience strengthens our teams. In what other jobs could someone acquire relevant skills? |
Demonstrated experience fielding fast-paced requests (for example, front desk, customer service, host, retail) |
|
Specific skills |
Strong communication skills required |
Being specific helps applicants understand what’s required. In what context will the applicant use these skills? |
Ability to convey calm when communicating with students and parents during crises -or- Ability to write persuasive reports to senior leaders -or- Ability to convey technical information to lay audiences |
|
Accessibility |
Ability to lift 25 pounds required |
Is this ability convenient or essential? Is 25 pounds the right amount? |
Reduce as much as possible, and omit if not essential |