Job Requirements: 

Michelle sent an email asking if we could speak. Michelle was the Senior Director of a device company getting ready to launch a high-acuity cardiac device study. The team needed CRAs, and she had provided me with the job requirements a few days prior. Several CRAs had interviewed – a couple of them had interviewed several times.

“I am finding it difficult to obtain buy-in from all of my team,” said Michelle. 

I asked her what she meant, and she explained that her team didn’t agree with the minimum job requirements. The Program Manager felt the CRAs should have at least 10 years of cardiac device experience. The VP felt 5 years would be enough, but the rest of her team was okay with only 3 years. 

The job description asked for 3 years of experience, so while all of the CRAs met the position’s minimum requirements, there was a gap that needed to be addressed. 

The Real Challenge: Getting the Team In Alignment

The real challenge isn’t finding a qualified candidate. It is agreeing on what ‘qualified’ means. It seems logical that if you want your team to agree that a candidate will be a great fit, you must first make sure the team agrees to the position’s job requirements.  

But how many companies engage their operations team when crafting a job description? And, is engaging the entire team overkill? 

Let’s dig into this concept.

Who Should Be Involved In Establishing Job Requirements? 

Does the entire team need to be involved? Not necessarily. But there can be benefits to involving everyone who will interact with the new team member’s function. 

Improved Accuracy and Quality

Fostering collaboration when creating the job description ensures the requirements will reflect diverse perspectives. In essence, you will have more confidence that the majority of relevant details about the role have been captured while avoiding unconscious bias that may creep in if there is only one author. 

Team members who interact with the position should provide insights into the responsibilities. Tools and workflows should also be assessed by the broader audience with relevant hard and soft skills outlined in the job description. 

Shared Responsibility and Team Buy-In

Distributing the workload among team members can streamline the process while reducing the burden on one person. And importantly, team members who have helped create the job description will ‘buy in’ to the overall position requirements. 

Enhanced Understanding of Role

Collaboration also ensures a deeper understanding of how this role will fit within the team and organization. Team members can learn from each other’s perspectives, which may help refine the role and better align it with organizational goals.

The Challenges of Engaging the Broader Team

Time Coordination

Organizing schedules for collaborative meetings can be challenging, especially if multiple people are involved. This may temporarily disrupt normal workflows. It also means the job description will take longer to create.

If involving the entire team using formal meetings is impractical due to time constraints or size, consider soliciting feedback through other methods such as email or via a Google document. Once the feedback is collected, have HR or the hiring manager draft the description based on collected input and then review it with key stakeholders for final approval.

Be Prepared for Lack of Expertise

Team members without experience drafting job descriptions may unintentionally include irrelevant or non-compliant details. Provide proper oversight, training, or templates so this issue can be mitigated.

Best Practices for Effective Collaboration

Identify Key Contributors

Focus on involving individuals who will have direct interaction with the role, thus knowing the tasks specific to the position. Examples include current team members performing similar tasks, managers, team members taking work direction from the role, and HR representatives.

Use Templates and Guidelines

Standardized formats and clear collaboration guidelines help ensure consistency and compliance across job descriptions. Using templates will also ensure your job descriptions meet legal requirements. 

Appoint a Project Leader

A designated leader can manage input from various contributors, compile feedback, and finalize the document.

Establish a Review Process

Putting a formal review process in place will ensure accuracy, inclusivity, and alignment with organizational standards before finalizing the job description.

Checklist for an Effective Job Description

While individuals experienced with crafting job descriptions will understand what should be included, novice professionals may not. Here is a quick checklist of items to include when drafting your job requirements. 

Position Details

• Job Title: Does everyone agree on the title of the position?
• Flexibility: Are hours or location negotiable? For example, for the right candidate, would you consider remote work, flexible hours, or accommodating family needs?
• Employment Type: Have you confirmed whether the role will be contract, permanent, or temp-to-perm? Consider the pros and cons of each option.
• Compensation: Is there agreement on salary or hourly rate? Has this been approved by finance and senior management?
• Start Date: Is there a clear start date (and end date for temporary roles)? What factors could delay or jeopardize this start date (e.g., project delays or funding issues)?

Internal Processes

• Internal Candidates: Have you considered filling the position internally? Are there any company policies requiring you to prioritize internal candidates?
• Hiring Freeze Risks: Is there a chance of a hiring freeze or financial restrictions that could impact this hire?

Job Skills, Qualifications, and Personality

• Key Qualifications: What are the most critical job requirements? Ask your team to prioritize these and identify which are “nice-to-haves” versus mandatory. Stay with this task until you have consensus across your team. In Michelle’s case, she would have had a faster hire if her original requirements met everyone’s expectations. This is important: You can’t find a ‘great fit’ if the team doesn’t agree with what a ‘great fit’ is. 
• Soft Skills and Personality Fit: What soft skills and personality traits are important for this role? For example, does your team prefer someone bubbly or reserved, chatty or focused? Do you need someone with leadership capabilities? A problem solver? 
• Work Style: Should the candidate work independently or as part of a team? Don’t assume—ask your team!
• Company Background: Does your team prefer candidates from large corporations, small businesses, or specific industries? Past experiences shape professionals differently, so make sure you understand your team’s preferences.
• Career Goals: What career ambitions should your new hire have to align with your team’s long-term goals?

Key Takeaways

When hiring, it’s crucial to clarify both hard requirements (skills, experience, education) and soft requirements (personality, work style, background, career goals). By asking the right questions and aligning expectations within your team upfront, you’ll be well on your way to finding the perfect addition to your workplace family.

Need help writing job descriptions? We are here for you.