For the last few weeks, we have given some tips focused on the review process. I hope that some of these have been of benefit to you and your co-workers. The next area that we will address is the screening process for employees.

The screening process is not limited to background checks and personality testing. It encompasses the entire process from inception of need to fill a position, to the placement of a qualified individual being put into the position.

For any screening program to be effective, it needs to be consistent, valid, have no negative impact on any protected group and gather information that relates directly to the position. To insure this takes place there needs to be a solid foundation from the beginning and that foundation is the job description. This will insure that the advertisements, skills required, questions to be asked, etc. all have a direct correlation to the position.

I have never met anyone that really enjoyed writing job descriptions but there is a way to get this done with very little pain or suffering. Gather together two or three top performers in the position that you are going to create the job description for, buy pizza, and bring a flip chart with tape. When everyone is together in a quiet room (turn cell phones off), ask the question "What do you do from the time you get here until the time you go home?" Do not analyze; just write the responses and number them.

As each page fills up with the things that they do, tear them off and tape them to the wall where everyone can see them. When there are no more additions to this list and all the pages are hung and can be seen by everyone the next question is, "When you do these activities, which item numbers are grouped together or related and what heading would we give this group of tasks?" You then highlight the numbers of tasks that go together and list them under the various headings or areas of responsibility.