Position Description Best Practices Keep the Job Summary brief but informative.

Make sure there is no discriminatory language including, but not limited to, sex, race, appearance, or personality.

Use clear and concise language. Avoid exaggerated terms, abbreviations, or jargon.

Identify specific competencies that will allow the Taleo system to evaluate applicants.

Group duties with similar themes. Avoid detailed procedures or policy.

Be careful to require only essential licenses and physical requirements.

Figure the percentage of travel and indicate it clearly in the requirements.

Present department policies at the interview or during the hiring process, not in the position description.

Be careful not to use internal titles that double as academic or broadband titles.

When you arrive at the Position Description Home Page, you will have four options.

The green plus icon will allow you to begin a position action, including new, updated, or reclassified positions.

The pencil icon will allow you to edit or update any position action you previously began.

The checkmark icon will allow you to approve position actions requiring your attention, if you are part of your department’s approval process.

The binoculars icon will allow you to view position actions begun previously.

When beginning a position action, you will enter information in necessary fields on each page. For Page 1, you will need

Effective Date – This is the date of your action, and often will be today’s date.

Select whether this is a new position. If not, you will work to update a previously existing position.

Position number, job code, and titles – These identify the specific position you are creating. For assistance identifying a position to begin with, you can contact Human Resources.

Proposed salary – You can set a salary range using the salary information provided for the title.

Full-Time Equivalence (FTE) – Full-time positions will work 40 hours per week. Contact Human Resources with questions.

Position Summary – This is a brief description of the role of this position in your department.

Freeze Form Status – Indicate whether your freeze form has been approved, initiated, or some other status.

On Page 2, you will need

Supervisor – You can identify a supervisor using the six-digit employee ID, or use the Supervisor Override to enter information into the text fields.

Position Location – Enter the campus, department, and address for the position. Positions located away from the department can show the address of the position location here.

Page 3 will include job duty information, including

Supervision – Indicate whether this position will supervise any others. If so, indicate the titles and number of individuals supervised.

Duties – Enter between 5 and 15 job duties and whether they are essential or non-essential duties. These are broad categories of work engaged in rather than specific tasks.

Duty Percentage – This is the percentage of the work any essential duties take up during a given week or month. If an employee will do a certain task for 5 hours during a 40-hour workweek, this duty would be 12 or 13 percent of their work.

Physical Requirements – Enter physical requirements from the system library that are necessary for the work. Any given requirement need only be entered once.

Work Conditions – Indicate the level of stressful, uncomfortable, or dangerous conditions necessary for the position.

Advertised Physical Requirements – These are a summary of any physical requirements for the position.

On Page 4 you will enter position qualifications, including

Education and Minimum Experience – These are the bare minimum necessary for the position. For questions, call Human Resources.

Certifications and Licenses – These are any certifications that are necessary to engage in the work.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) – These are required basic skills to accomplish essential tasks. They are included in the system and can be searched.

Departmental Preferences – These are qualifications, certifications, or KSAs that are ideal but non-essential for candidates.

Additional Info – Indicate here whether hiring is contingent on a background check (recommended, often required), driver’s license check (required for positions where travel using university vehicles is an essential duty), and drug testing or POET (required for select departments).

On Page 5, you will indicate

Action Reason: This is the purpose for the position action. Contact Info: This is a point of contact for the position within your

department.

On Page 6, you will be able to add any necessary attachments, including organizational charts, financial documentation, or memos indicating the necessity of the position.

When you are finished, you may either put the position on Hold, which will allow you to return or complete it later, or Submit the position for approval.

When you submit the position for approval, you will be shown its progress as it works through the approval process.