The Results-Oriented Clerical Workplace

Clerical jobs, whether word processing, mail room or receptionist, are involved in a lot of detail. When clerical people are so engrossed in the details of their jobs, it's easy for them, for anyone actually, to lose sight of the job's major contribution.

A Results-Oriented Clerical Job Description is different from a traditional job description because it focuses an employee on the several job results that answer the question: What results must this clerical job accomplish for the organization?

Clerical Job Standards added to job expectations tighten management controls by clarifying how well and when results must be accomplished.

Clerical Job Objectives establish management and employee plans by highlighting important current and future results needed.

Job-specific Clerical Employee Management Forms maintain consistent and legally sound management actions by basing manager-employee interactions on job results.

The Purpose of Clerical Jobs

Stated in a results-oriented, three-line style, clerical jobs--

SUPPORT ORGANIZATION FUNCTIONS by

receiving and distributing communications; preparing correspondence; copying information; maintaining supplies and equipment; picking-up and delivering items; greeting visitors.

Types of Clerical Jobs

Some clerical jobs greet visitors in person and refer them to the correct location or answer the telephone and refer callers to the correct department or person. Other jobs deal with information-operating word processing and copying equipment, updating records, filing, and retrieving documents. Still other jobs run errands and mail letters and packages.

Clerical Job Management Tools

Here are actual job examples of how clerical job actions can be focused on results and kept on track using each of our job management tools:

Results-Oriented Clerical Job Descriptions form the foundation of all job management tools. Our uniquely structured job descriptions focus on the result to be accomplished first and prominently, followed by the duties performed in order to accomplish the result. For example,

RECOMMENDS CLERICAL ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Clerical Job Standards sharpen employee attention and management control by defining and communicating how well the clerical results must be accomplished and what benchmarks will be used to measure job results. For example, for the job result above, the job standards might be:

• Clerical situations are correctly understood.
• All options are identified and evaluated.
• Clerical recommendations are ready when needed.

Clerical Job Objectives point the direction for employee actions by focusing job efforts on current and future clerical issues. Job objectives are written in the three-line, results-oriented structure. For example, for the job result above, a job objective might be:

SPEED-UP DECISION MAKING by

reducing time to deliver clerical recommendations by 10% by (date).

Clerical Employee Management Forms tied specifically to each clerical job description are more helpful (and legal) than generic forms used for all different kinds of jobs. Job-specific forms are used to state job qualifications, guide job interview questions, orient new employees, plan job training, and appraise job performance.

Clerical Job Qualifications are stated in the same terms used in the job description. They are not translated into generic (typically behavioral) terms. For example:

RECOMMENDS CLERICAL ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Clerical Job Interview guide questions are inserted directly below each job result in the job description: For example:

• "What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?"
• "Where did you have these job responsibilities?"
• "When did you have these job responsibilities?"
• "How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?"
• "What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?"
• "In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?"
• "How did you overcome the challenges?"

The Clerical Job Orientation guide reformats the job description sequence so that job explanations, policies, protocols, processes, and procedures are logical and complete and can easily be checked off. For example:

RECOMMENDS CLERICAL ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

The manager might say: "Here's the procedure and format we use to analyze and present clerical recommendations."

The Clerical Job Training plan guides a thorough examination of actual job knowledge, skills, and abilities as described in the job description that need improvement or that might be enhanced. For example:

RECOMMENDS CLERICAL ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

The manager might say: "Analytical skills would be improved by enrolling in a statistical analysis class."

The Clerical Job Performance Appraisal guide is a job-specific form. It is not a universal form used for all jobs. The guide adds an appraisal scale below each job result in the job description so that attention can be drawn to each job requirement and expectation. For example:

RECOMMENDS CLERICAL ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

__ Great! Just want we wanted.
__ We have a problem.
__ Improvement is needed.
__ Much, much more than we asked for.

Comments: _________________

Clerical Résumé Template

Potential employers want to know what a job applicant has accomplished in his/her clerical work career. They don't want to be bored with minor details. Our Résumé Template provides:

• an outline to help assemble personal background information.
• a Results-Oriented Job Description to provide the clerical job language-focused on results-needed to write an effective résumé.
• Clerical Job Objectives to orient thinking in terms of accomplishments.
• instructions on how to use a Results-Oriented Clerical Job Description and Clerical Job Objectives to express job accomplishments.

Use the clerical job description responsibility statement as a base:

RECOMMENDS CLERICAL ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Select the clerical job objective that fits your experience:

REDUCE COSTS 10% by

improving clerical processes.

Combine the two into a résumé statement:

Reduced costs 10% by analyzing, identifying, and recommending new clerical system controls.

Clerical Career Links

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Clerical

Clerical jobs training and education needed, earnings, expected job prospects, what clerical workers do on the job, and working conditions.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Couriers and Messengers

Training and education needed to be a courier or messenger, earnings, expected job prospects, what clerical workers do on the job, and working conditions.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Receptionists and Information Clerks

Training and education for receptionists and information clerks, earnings, expected job prospects, what clerical workers do on the job, and working conditions.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Communications Equipment Operators

Training and education for communications equipment operators, earnings, expected job prospects, what clerical workers do on the job, and working conditions.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Information Processing Workers

Training and education for information processing workers, earnings, expected job prospects, what clerical workers do on the job, and working conditions.