The Results-Oriented Environment Workplace

Environment jobs, whether air quality, water quality, or waste treatment, are involved in a lot of detail. When environment 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 Environment 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 environment job accomplish for the organization?

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

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

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

The Purpose of Environment Jobs

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

PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT by

monitoring conditions; testing samples; determining sources of pollution; taking preventive measures; operating and maintaining processing equipment; maintaining records.

Types of Environment Jobs

Some environment jobs specialize in air quality, while others are concerned with water, wastes, refuse, recyclables, and special situations, such as biological waste.

Other jobs plan the efficient and effective use of land, conduct treatability studies, and prepare compliance plans and permits. Still other jobs operate the equipment that treats waste. And, of course, somebody has to manage and supervise the environment people and processes.

Environment Job Management Tools

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

Results-Oriented Environment 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 ENVIRONMENT ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Environment Job Standards sharpen employee attention and management control by defining and communicating how well the environment 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:

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

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

Environment Employee Management Forms tied specifically to each environment 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.

Environment 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 ENVIRONMENT ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Environment 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 Environment 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 ENVIRONMENT ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

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

The Environment 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 ENVIRONMENT ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

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

The Environment 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 ENVIRONMENT 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: _________________

Environment Résumé Template

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

Use the environment job description responsibility statement as a base:

RECOMMENDS ENVIRONMENT ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Select the environment job objective that fits your experience:

REDUCE COSTS 10% by

improving environment processes.

Combine the two into a résumé statement:

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

Environment Career Links

The Environmental Careers Organization

Non-profit organization offering career tips, links to other web sites, answers to environmental career questions, and information about jobs in a variety of environmental fields.

EcoEmploy.com, Environmental Jobs and Careers

Covers environmental employment in the USA and Canada, including biology, conservation, nature/naturalists, sustainability, wildlife, consulting/management, science, engineering, government, green/eco and more.

Princeton University

Job resource guide is from a workshop on Outdoor and Environmental Careers given to students at Princeton University.

Ohio State University, Ubiquity Environmental Careers page

For people interested in a career that is dedicated to the environment; advice on picking an environmental career that, find environmental jobs, learn how to applying for them, and more.

University of North Carolina, Wilmington, Environmental Science

Related major skills, career planning links, related career titles, job & internship search links, professional association links, miscellaneous resources.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Environmental Scientists and Hydrologists

Education and training needed for environmental science jobs, earnings, expected job prospects, what environmental scientists do on the job, and working conditions.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Environmental Technicians

What environmental technicians do on the job, and working conditions, education and training needed for environmental technician jobs, earnings, expected job prospects.