How Clear Job Descriptions Result in Unimpressive Resumes
Think back to the last time you reviewed resumes for an open position. Did you see lists of responsibilities or lists of achievements? A lot of job seekers make the mistake of describing what they were supposed to do instead of telling you what they achieved.
For example, you may read "Responsible for $120 million in packaging spend across five locations" when you would much rather have learned that the candidate "Achieved 5% cost reduction year over year on $50 million in packaging spend." Embarrassingly, the first example came from my resume not too long ago.
When we are making hiring decisions, we want to feel like we know what the candidate will achieve for us. That's why achievement-focused resumes are so attractive. But the funny thing is, most of those duties-focused resume bullets appear to have been copy/pasted from a candidate's past or present job descriptions. So perhaps in the pursuit of crystal clear job definition, we hiring managers are failing to define roles in terms of opportunities and desired achievements.
The mysteries of "other duties as assigned"
Turning to job descriptions, when was the last time you looked at your own? If you've been in your role for a couple of years or more, it's likely that the final bullet point of "other duties as assigned" is doing some pretty heavy lifting. Every job evolves. The market, the organization, and the strengths of the team all change. Key employees step up to take on new challenges without worrying whether all of the new responsibilities or opportunities are documented. In general, this "leveling up" approach is positive.
Over time, however, failing to update job descriptions to reflect reality creates significant risks for a business. Departures of key team members can cause severe disruptions when previously invisible activities suddenly stop. Newly hired employees can find themselves asked to take on duties outside the scope of the job they applied for. In some cases, duties they aren't capable of performing.
3 documents to review this week
With these concepts in mind, set aside 30 minutes this week to review three documents -
Your resume
Your job description
The job description of the employee whose work you respect most
Ask yourself these questions -
Does this document reflect what I know I/they have been achieving for the organization?
What is missing from this document that I know is a large part of my/their role?
If I/they won the lottery tomorrow and didn't show up for work, what wouldn't get done and who would notice first?
Is that activity noted in my resume or the job description?
If we can help you assess and address institutional knowledge and knowledge transfer within your organization, we'd be honored to have the opportunity.
