Being asked to write own job description

[Paquitalaflor]

Looking for a bit of advice:
I have worked at the same charity for over ten years (oh god, sob) and my team of three have been asked to write our own job descriptions so that we can be considered for re-grading. We have a fairly new CE who is shifting people around, making more managers than seems viable and this exercise was undertaken in another department. There a manager had left so one worker was upgraded to manager and the other one went up two grades after writing her own job description (although her job would have changed considerably following the removal of the original manager).
Our jobs have technically remained the same but have shifted over time as we have changed external relationships, altered what we produce, etc.
Firstly, I was not aware we were following any grading format. Secondly, I feel that my employer should already have a detailed of my job description based on what they ask me to do every day......
Where do I stand on this? I have the distinct feeling we are about to be thrown under the bus and possibly down graded. Even if we stay on the same grade, we will all be working at a much higher level of responsibility than the colleague who was upgraded in the other department.
Am I able to demand to see the management's and board's criteria for each grade?

It is quite common to ask individuals to update their role profile (they are the ones that know their role best after all). It's usually then discussed and agreed to make sure it's a true reflection of the role.

You could demand to see the criteria but 'demanding' anything immediately creates conflict, it would be much better to ask how it works

We were asked to do this once, but were given the booklet from the company HR used to grade roles which was very helpful (don't think our manager was supposed to give us the "answers").

We already had a company format for the role profile which made it easier to get all the point in. If I remember correctly it was a grid with information such as:

• job title
• education level required, or any certification
• functional role - complexity
• internal and external relationships
• accountability (budget or asset in £££s, responsibility for compliance)
• functional skills required
• soft skills - decision making, problem solving, innovation, consulting, freedom to act were high ranking
• experience
• management responsibility/number of subordinates (rated higher than customer facing responsibilities)
• working environment / hours

mention levels of above required i.e. basic or advanced.

There is much more that would need to be included. Could you ask to see other company job descriptions in the grades around/above yours to give you an idea what is required?

Thanks for that BrokenWing - those are very helpful starting points!
What I am most concerned with is getting the description right considering the objective is for re-grading and not just for accuracy of the role. It is quite nervy to think we could be downgraded depending on our own creation of our job description.

That sound like a far better option for you than having your role evaluated based on someone else's idea of what you do.

Just makes sure you on;t miss anything out and add in everything you have responsibility for, even if you don't do the actual tasks yourself.

Google writing a job description and I think it's also worth googling NHS competencies framework. Not that you are doing a health related job but they use the same framework for jobs whether it is health related, office based or anything else - it helps to define the areas that you need to have knowledge/skills in even though the skills themselves are different depending on the role. Make sure you include all your responsibilities even if you only do them once a year (year end) or when someone is on holiday (especially if that is work usually done by someone above your paygrade).
Don't exaggerate but don't be modest.

Who knows, done correctly, you may well be upgraded.

"this exercise was undertaken in another department. There a manager had left so one worker was upgraded to manager and the other one went up two grades after writing her own job description"

Sounds positive!

"Firstly, I was not aware we were following any grading format. Secondly, I feel that my employer should already have a detailed of my job description based on what they ask me to do every day...…"

Well ideally, yes, but presumably if they did already have one, you would know and would have seen it, and they would at least be giving you that as a starting point. So it seems fair to assume they don't currently have a detailed one which is why they are asking you to write about what you do.

"Where do I stand on this? I have the distinct feeling we are about to be thrown under the bus and possibly down graded." Why do you think that? You say yourself that elsewhere in the organisation where people have been asked to do this, they've been upgraded as a result!

"Am I able to demand to see the management's and board's criteria for each grade?"

I wouldn't "demand" anything. But if you were unaware your organisation was using any kind of formal grading system, I would suggest you ask for information about the system and about the criteria for grading, yes, so you can see what's what. Ask your manager, as well as asking him/her for details of what format they would like you to use.

Being invited to write your own job description for the purposes of regrading is a brilliant opportunity. Obviously it will need to be approved, but doing this gives you the opportunity to make sure all your responsibilities are taken into account when assessing your grade.