If trust, adaptability, democratization, fluid boundary definition, long-term strategy, collective thinking and maintaining continuity while dealing with constant change are benchmarks for the “new” organization, then job descriptions detailing specific tasks that narrow an employee’s attention span are definitely not “haute” style.

A results-oriented job description charts an organization responsibility that defines goals to be accomplished, and invites employees to apply their talents in pursuit of the organization purpose.

To modernize the civil service and administration of multi-tiered government, the World Bank International Development Association Program includes results-oriented job descriptions for all provincial, district and tehsil units in order to focus on service delivery outcomes.

In the report, The Role Of The Public Service Commission In Management Of Human Resources, to the Caribbean Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD), Sir Carlisle Burton and associates advocated the strengthening of human resource management systems in the Public Services of the Commonwealth Caribbean, including promotion of high level of performance and productivity, setting of work standards, development of results-oriented job descriptions, and techniques that contribute to high morale, motivation and job satisfaction amongst officers.

Telecommuting forces a manager to take a different managing style with employees, actually one that’s more in line with good managing, that is, managing for results. What matters at work—wherever the work is performed—is what an employee accomplishes, that is, the output, the outcomes, the results of doing the work.

With a teleworker, you can’t just walk up to the workstation to see what’s going on. (In fact, don’t even hire a teleworker whom you can’t trust to manage his/her own work.) Maybe you can track inputs and time on line, but mainly what you want to check is results produced.

So, the job description of a teleworker (well, actually of any worker) should center on expected results, including the standards by which the results must be accomplished.

Personal work styles differ, too. People work at different paces. When you stop to think of it, working in an office can be pretty constricting where overseeing is fairly obvious. When managers and employees agree on expected results, and measure according to results, employees are free to take responsibility for their actions and to accomplish desired results in different ways.

The Espanola New Mexico National Education Association local worked with their Superintendent to implement an agreement giving the local a partnership in the study of wages, hiring, and promotions, and in the development of new policies. The agreement was signed to resolve the non-financial issues of a grievance, and includes the use of the NEA’s Results-Oriented Job Descriptions Program.

During 2006, ADB will (i) establish skills inventory and results-oriented job descriptions, (ii) develop the gender action plan III, (iii) develop an enhanced HR policy framework for resident missions and offices, (iv) review the staff complement system, (v) implement the assessment and development center, and (vi) implement the technical career stream. The implementation of the new HR strategy will be completed in 2007.

Training participants to write results-oriented job descriptions is an essential ingredient in this United Nations Human Settlements Programme training program.

Alliance HR Network, a full service human capital evaluation and acquisition consulting firm, specializes in evaluating applicants for new hire and internal promotion. They offer talent acquisition and assessment training, and encourage organizations to “develop results-oriented job descriptions that clarify measurable objectives for every position.”

The Mission of the Ministry is to manage and develop the entire fabric of the Service including its structures, functions, processes and human resources towards creating an efficient and effective system of public administration thereby satisfying the varied needs of the general Public.

One of their functions is to research, analyze and evaluate existing jobs and work processes, develop results-oriented job descriptions, set work standards and adopt such measures and techniques that would contribute to high staff morale and increased productivity.

Simplicit Job Analysis includes a comprehensive role definition audit, the development of results-oriented job descriptions, and the establishment of key performance indicators, benchmarking and metrics for each employee. Through the use of management training sessions, organizations can utilize the analysis of roles and functions to its full capacity.