The Metiss Group's Blog

Most job descriptions are tucked away in some HR Manager’s dusty cabinet and at best looked at once year or when the position needs to be filled.  If these documents are used, they are likely seen only by one or two people.

Job accountabilities define what is expected out of a job and should be concisely described on one page.  The accountabilities are used regularly by job-holders and their bosses to measure and track success.  Don’t stop there; share the job accountabilities with all people associated with a job.

Sharing job accountabilities lets everyone know what is AND what is not expected of the job.  Co-workers help keep the job-holder accountable and support them in achieving the success factions. Sharing the accountabilities also minimizes the frustration from others who want more of the job-holder than is included in the job.  You’d be surprised how relieved your direct reports are when everyone knows what is expected of them.  Click here to see an example of a job accountabilities report.

Empower your direct reports to share their job accountabilities and they’ll be more successful.

We all remember that one teacher or coach or boss or trainer who really challenged us.  Though we hated being pushed and thought unpleasant things about this perceived tyrant, at the end we were better as a result.

It’s your job to challenge your direct reports challenging them to grow along the way.  You understand their specific role, their particular set of skills, and where you see them contributing in the future. Figure out what else can they do that is a step beyond what they are doing today that leverages those skills.

Push hard; most people don’t want to stretch beyond their existing skill set or comfort zone if it involves taking risk. Encourage them to embrace the opportunity and discover what else they can do beyond the status quo.  For all his faults as a leader, this is where Steve Jobs excelled.

Most people, when left to their own devices, will choose to stay inside of their comfort zone. However, there is nothing motivating about someone doing the same thing they’ve done before, and long term they will be unhappy. So, do them a favor, do yourself a favor, and empower them to achieve greater future success.

Most economists expect there to be much more hiring in 2013 – we certainly have seen an increase with our clients.  Assessment instruments have become more common for hiring managers evaluating new hire candidates.  We recommend hiring managers use multiple assessments to evaluate more than one dimension of a candidate’s skill set.

Whether you are using assessments focusing on behavioral styles (Myesr-Briggs, DISC), personal skills (Hartman Value Profile, DNA), or critical thinking (Watson-Glaser, Ravens) it is important to evaluate more than one aspect of a candidate’s work skill set.  We all have multiple sets of skills and rely on different skill sets for different aspects of our job.

Hiring managers should try to assess as many of these skill sets as possible and not rely on just one assessment type.  Hiring managers also should be cautious that no assessment should be the go/no go factor of the selection process, rather indicators of where to probe more fully in interviews and reference checks.

Empower your hiring managers with multiple assessment tools in evaluating their new hires and you’ll experience better hires and less turnover.