Things you want to say to employees but can't because you're professional...

I actually said to a senior manager once (in relation to a post we had been trying to recruit to for approximately 12 months): "I'm sorry, but I think we're hunting for a unicorn here"

I often think (but don't say to managers) "What do you want me to do, start cloning people?!"

As for employees...well...grow up is something I frequently think!

I actually said to a senior manager once (in relation to a post we had been trying to recruit to for approximately 12 months): "I'm sorry, but I think we're hunting for a unicorn here"

I often think (but don't say to managers) "What do you want me to do, start cloning people?!"

As for employees...well...grow up is something I frequently think!

When I used to give talks on HR to managers I used to offer an example about recruiting: Imagine you have opened a new admin' department, to which you recruit three Admin' Clerks. In 12 months time, one leaves. What job-description will you need?

(The answer was almost inevitably several puzzled mutterings of "Admin' Clerk").

But the reality is that those three people will have "gravitated" towards the tasks they like best and/or do most efficiently... One will have been the first to answer the phone, one will have focused on the filing, one will have been the one who chased-up the end-of-month-statistics.....and so on.

So the replacement they need will maybe have a quite different J-D from their predecessor, or the dusty copy in the filing cabinet.

Hire the person you really need, not just a "replacement" of the job-title or what that says you need.

(Indeed, your review of "who does what" for the J-D might reveal you don't need a replacement at all!) :-)

P

Oh god, this!

In my current organisation, jobs are often badged to an individual they think they want to hire (small community so everyone knows everyone) and JDs are written to describe that individual's strengths, rather than actually reflecting the role that is needed. It's so frustrating as when that person inevitably moves on, we're left with a JD which bears no relation to the job that is required or the skills of possible candidates, yet managers are reluctant to update the JD because that involves effort and they would have to wait for the role to be re-graded. They then complain when we can't find an exact duplication of the person they had before or no one will do the job for the salary advertised as the role and responsibilities have expanded but the pay/grade hasn't!

Ah, but Emily, was it a standard unicorn or the more elusive feathered unicorn... :)

Lesley, this is otherwise known as the 'Mrs Jones' syndrome. Mrs Jones has done the job for the last 130 years, she knows it inside out, things are done without having to be asked for, we want - no, we DEMAND - another, identical, Mrs Jones...

Or the rarely-seen bushy-tailed Unicorn? :-)

That is why one of the sneaky-suggestions to float is that by examining the (real) role and creating the J-D from it , then the Person-spec from the J-D, you might save some of their budget.... (A giant, honey-flavoured carrot to dangle before any budget-holding manager)

(You don't mention it could also cost them more)

Devious? Moi? Perish the thought..... :-)

Ooo Peter, don't tell me you've actually seen one? I'm so jealous! I've always been led to believe that the last one was run over by Santa's sledge whilst being chased by a rampant gang of Tooth Fairies high on Colgate fumes... ;)

I thought I caught a glimpse of one once, but it was actually a flying squirrel.

Alas I fear you may be right that they are no more.... So sad :(

Yes, we will be trying that one.

I've got reviewing our whole JD/PS, org design and evaluation processes on my very long wish list of activities, because it's certainly not meeting the needs of our services at the moment, but that's one for another day! A few fires to put out in the meantime.