The Results-Oriented Collection Workplace

Collection jobs-getting people to pay their debts-are involved in a lot of detail. When collection 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 Collection 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 collection job accomplish for the organization?

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

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

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

The Purpose of Collection Jobs

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

SAFEGUARD AND RECOVER ORGANIZATION ASSETS by

monitoring customer accounts; notifying customers with exceeded balances; suspending service of high-risk and past-due accounts; collecting delinquent accounts; establishing repayment terms and schedules.

Types of Collection Jobs

Some collection jobs study current and proposed business transactions and apply appropriate collection principles and practices. Other jobs maintain monetary and bank records. Still other jobs set up collection systems and procedures for the collection department as well as for other departments. The collection department bills customers for products and services purchased, tracks commissions earned by sales people, and studies and monitors claims and contracts, including government contracts.

Somebody needs to know exactly how much it costs to produce products and services. Bookkeepers determine which accounts should be used to record transactions. When numbers get out of whack, somebody has to figure out what went wrong and reconcile them. To make sure things happen the way they should, internal controls are put in place, followed by someone to audit compliance and improve inadequate controls. And, of course, somebody has to manage and supervise the collection people and processes.

Collection Job Management Tools

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

Results-Oriented Collection 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 COLLECTION ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Collection Job Standards sharpen employee attention and management control by defining and communicating how well the collection 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:

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

Collection Job Objectives point the direction for employee actions by focusing job efforts on current and future collection 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 collection recommendations by 10% by (date).

Collection Employee Management Forms tied specifically to each collection 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.

Collection 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 COLLECTION ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Collection 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 Collection 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 COLLECTION ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

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

The Collection 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 COLLECTION ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

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

The Collection 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 COLLECTION 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: _________________

Collection Résumé Template

Potential employers want to know what a job applicant has accomplished in his/her collection 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 collection job language-focused on results-needed to write an effective résumé.
• Collection Job Objectives to orient thinking in terms of accomplishments.
• instructions on how to use a Results-Oriented Collection Job Description and Collection Job Objectives to express job accomplishments.

Use the collection job description responsibility statement as a base:

RECOMMENDS COLLECTION ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Select the collection job objective that fits your experience:

REDUCE COSTS 10% by

improving collection processes.

Combine the two into a résumé statement:

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

Collection Career Links

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bill and Account Collectors

Learn about the training and education needed for bill and account collecting jobs, earnings, expected job prospects, what workers do on the job, and working conditions.

Association of Credit and Collection Professionals

Knowledge base for the credit and collection industry.