Traditional job descriptions can’t keep up with the variability and fast-changing nature of people’s roles in organizations today. So how can you write descriptions that are more flexible while still helping you recruit great talent and clarify the basic expectations of the role? Consider these three approaches.

* Outcome-focused descriptions. These articulate the outcomes expected from a role—not the specific tasks or duties the employee would be required to perform. This approach gives employees flexibility to determine the best way to achieve those results.

* Skills-focused descriptions. These outline the skills and capabilities an employee should bring to the position (or aim to develop). With this approach, the emphasis shifts from required tasks to required talents—and how those talents could be applied in the role.

* Team-based descriptions. Instead of focusing on the individual role, these descriptions emphasize the collective responsibilities, objectives, and deliverables of the team, who collectively decides how each member will contribute.
This tip is adapted from “A New Approach to Writing Job Descriptions,” by Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez
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