Use Job Descriptions to Communicate Values
How do you teach employees about their organization’s values? Well, you can have separate orientation and training programs, but why not put the values at the point of employee contact with the organization—in the job description.
For starters, get the notion out of your head that a job description is filed away in the human resources department. No, it is a living document that should be used to guide on-the-job plans and actions.
A job description should focus on results to be accomplished not only on duties and tasks to be performed. In this way, the value of the action is described. Not, “Introduce yourself to guests,” but instead,
WELCOMES GUESTS
by
extending a greeting; introducing self by name.
Use the graphic three lines with boldface and capital letters to create the emphasis.
Add job standards: Guests will be welcomed immediately. Or, Guests will be acknowledged within 15 seconds if busy with another guest.
If you have key vision and value words (buzz words or mottos) in your organization, put them in the job description, perhaps as a banner or in a “Values” Section. For example, if your routine reminder is, “Guests are Always Happy,” put this phrase in your job description.
Better yet, use your vision and values language in the results and duties portion of the job description.