Optional areas

Key result areas (KRAs)

As an example, KRAs for a business analyst might include:

  • facilitate the identification and documentation of current and future business needs
  • assist business units to identify how those needs can be addressed by information technology
  • assist in preparation of business cases for purchase, development and/or implementation of information technology solutions.

KRAs for a personal assistant might include:

  • use advanced secretarial (eg, Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Database software)
  • office administration
  • co-ordinate legal activities
  • research/database management
  • general support to business development team
  • communicate at the highest levels.

Key performance indicators (KPIs)

The KPIs would fall under the KRAs.

For example, KPIs for an employee involved in sales could include:

  • number of calls made
  • total number of customer complaints
  • number of sales made to existing customers
  • number of sales made to new customers
  • average value of sale
  • expenses.

The process of writing job descriptions is actually quite easy and straight-forward. Many people tend to start off with a list of 20-30 tasks, which is okay as a start, but this needs refining to far fewer points, around 8-12 is the ideal.

A completed job description:

  • Provides clear expectations to potential candidates
  • Allows job applications to be targeted
  • Allows potential candidates to eliminate themselves

Job descriptions improve an organisation's ability to manage people and roles in the following ways:

  • clarifies employer expectations for employee
  • provides basis of measuring job performance
  • provides clear description of role for job candidates
  • provides a structure and discipline for company to understand and structure all jobs and ensure necessary activities, duties and responsibilities are covered by one job or another
  • provides continuity of role parameters irrespective of manager interpretation
  • enables pay and grading systems to be structured fairly and logically
  • prevents arbitrary interpretation of role content and limit by employee and employer and manager
  • essential reference tool in issues of employee/employer dispute
  • essential reference tool for discipline issues
  • provides important reference points for training and development areas
  • provides neutral and objective (as opposed to subjective or arbitrary) reference points for appraisals, performance reviews and counselling
  • enables formulation of skill set and behaviour set requirements per role
  • enables organisation to structure and manage roles in a uniform way, thus increasing efficiency and effectiveness of recruitment, training and development, organisational structure, work flow and activities, customer service, etc
  • enables factual view (as opposed to instinctual) to be taken by employees and managers in career progression and succession planning