The Results-Oriented Quality Workplace

Quality jobs, whether verifying standards, conducting tests or improving processes, are involved in a lot of detail. When quality 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 Quality 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 quality affairs job accomplish for the organization?

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

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

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

The Purpose of Quality Jobs

Stated in a results-oriented, three-line style, quality affairs jobs--

ASSURE QUALITY PRODUCTS AND PROCESSES by

studying product and consumer requirements; studying manufacturing and engineering requirements; devising testing methods and procedures; establishing and enforcing quality standards; testing materials and product.

Types of Quality Jobs

Some quality jobs monitor the processes through which products are manufactured whereas other jobs test the results of the process. Still other jobs review regulations regarding product or service standards. Somebody needs to write the quality procedures that must be followed. And, of course, somebody has to manage and supervise the quality people and processes.

Quality Job Management Tools

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

Results-Oriented Quality 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 QUALITY ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Quality Job Standards sharpen employee attention and management control by defining and communicating how well the quality affairs 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:

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

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

Quality Employee Management Forms tied specifically to each quality affairs job description are more helpful (and quality) 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.

Quality 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 QUALITY ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Quality 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 Quality 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 QUALITY ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

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

The Quality 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 QUALITY ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

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

The Quality 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 QUALITY 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: _________________

Quality Résumé Template

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

Use the quality affairs job description responsibility statement as a base:

RECOMMENDS QUALITY ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Select the quality affairs job objective that fits your experience:

REDUCE COSTS 10% by

improving quality affairs processes.

Combine the two into a résumé statement:

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

Quality Career Links

American Society for Quality, Careers in Quality

Career overview, job definitions, articles, career paths, certification preparation, blogs.

Princeton University, The Princeton Review, Career Profiles: Quality Assurance Engineer

A day in the life, paying your dues, associated careers.

American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians

Organization providing health care education and certification for physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.

Junior Achievement Center, Quality Assurance Pathway

Employment, job outlook, salary.

Career Voyages, Biotechnology - Quality Control and Assurance

Collaboration between the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Education to provide information on high growth, in-demand occupations along with the skills and education needed to attain these jobs.

Vault.com, Career Information, Quality Assurance Engineer

Overview, qualifications, articles.