Truth in Advertising

     You are a newly promoted mid-level manager in a large mixed transport/emergency service ambulance agency operating in multiple counties. At your monthly supervisors' meeting, the regional director advises you that you will be working on an important recruitment project to fill several interfacility EMT positions that have been intermittently vacant for a year. Touching base with Human Resources to clarify application procedures, you find out that these positions have been periodically filled with personnel, but that the candidates rarely last more than a couple of weeks. Curious as to why these spots pose a retention problem, you visit the Transport Supervisor and discover that the 0700–1900 shifts are predominantly assigned to cover a county government campus with a medical center, outpatient clinics and jail facility. In addition to the work with the clinics, the EMTs placed there are expected to bring prisoners back and forth between the jail infirmary and the hospital several times a day for medical care. Evidently several EMTs who were hired for this shift complained that they were never told they'd have to work with prisoners and subsequently resigned. It seems Human Resources advertises for the position of EMT-Basic, telling applicants of the hours, benefits and salary range--but not the type or location of the work required.

Introduction
     Like many other policies, procedures and documents you create as a manager, writing functional job descriptions is a task that requires focus and time to perfect. A functional job description represents a list of functions and responsibilities required in a particular position. Prior to writing the job description for a particular position, it is important to spend some time evaluating the current job description (if there is one) or the responsibilities of the position. Writing a job description should be part of an overall strategic planning process for your organization.

Components of a Description
     Job descriptions can be created in several formats. However, in order to write a functional job description, the following elements must be included:

• Title (organizational and functional)
• Description (role of position in the organization)
• Requirements (knowledge, skills, abilities)
• List of functional performance standards.
  As manager, it is best to think these areas through carefully to ensure all points described meet your organization's requirements for the job.

Job Titles
     The job title you select is the first impression a potential candidate will have of the job and your organizational needs. The manager should carefully consider what the title of the position should be. The job-seeker reviewing hundreds of job listings should be drawn to your company based on a desirable title. Emergency Medical Technician is more desirable than staff EMT. The word staff connotes ordinary and routine, common, like others. Additionally, the title will be used for resumes and signature blocks--and it will be how this employee represents your company.

     However, be careful not to select a general title when a position requires a specific subset of responsibilities or is assigned to a certain task or location. In these cases a functional title should accompany the official title. Consider this example from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health:

     Official Title-Program Manager VII
     Functional Title-Director, Office of Emergency Medical Services.

Description
     The description section is a summary of what a person does in this particular position. An applicant should be clear on whom they'll report to, what their primary functions will be, what standards or laws govern the position and what time commitment they're expected to fill. For example: Under the direct supervision of the Operations Manager, the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) is responsible for providing prehospital care as directed pursuant to public-health law. The EMT is expected to work 12-hour shifts for a minimum of 36 hours per week.

Requirements
     Listing a job's requirements is straightforward if a manager takes time to think them through. But many EMS managers get into trouble by creating a wish list instead of simply outlining minimum requirements to fill the position. By way of example, there isn't an agency out there that would refuse to hire a "full-time, nationally registered paramedic with more than 15 years' 9-1-1 experience; a field training officer who, in addition to having an Associate's degree in paramedicine and an RN license, is an ALS hazmat technician and has worked as a technical advisor for TV shows such as ER and Rescue Me."

     Realize that this is not a realistic way to approach the requirements section of a job description. Managers need to be cognizant of the fact that some new hires need time to grow and develop in their positions. Many highly successful companies endorse a philosophy of "hire for attitude, train for skill." In the world of EMS, prehospital medicine certifications and licenses are required, but focusing also on the overall knowledge, skills and abilities of desirable candidates will garner a wider pool from which to select. Writers of job descriptions can design this section so narrowly that it actually turns people away from applying. In this case, it is possible that an organization may miss a diamond in the rough.

Functional Performance Standards
     A list of functional performance standards is the meat and potatoes of any job description. This is the section where all standards are broken down into categories, the details of which will be the candidate's blueprint for success. Each category should relate to a measurable standard. It is important to engineer this section with enough detail for an employee to be absolutely clear as to the criteria a manager will use to evaluate his/her performance. Some elements that should be included are organizational support, dress and appearance, communications, daily duties and record-keeping, to name but a few. Any category that falls in line with the organization's strategic plan should be included in the performance standard section. These criteria will provide a detailed outline the employee will use to perform the essential functions needed to grow and develop. If an employee performs all tasks within a job description correctly, that employee should expect an "average" or "meets the standard" on a yearly evaluation.

     Finally, it is important to note that the catch-all statement "Performs other duties as requested" is included on many job descriptions to reflect an ever-changing work environment. Especially in our field of emergency services, it can be impossible to document all the duties that might come up in the course of doing business. Including such a statement helps prevent situations with difficult employees who use the argument "It's not in my job description" to avoid tasks that arise unexpectedly. Care should still be taken to ensure that these "other duties" are needed to complete the mission of the organization and are consistent with at least the spirit, if not the letter, of what that job is expected to accomplish.

     There should be an administrative area in the conclusion of the job description that provides the following information: author, approver and date of last revision. This important information is used to validate the job description.

Conclusion
     The job description is often a prospective employee's first introduction to your organization. Carefully planned job descriptions aid in organizational cohesiveness, assist in hiring qualified candidates and ensure employees fully understand how their tasks support organizational goals.

     Managers can craft a well-written job description and increase their chance of attracting the employee they need by:

• Using a desirable (and accurate) title;
• Providing a precise and descriptive overview of job responsibilities;
• Outlining broader-based requirements that encourage more applicants;
• Establishing clear performance standards.

     Overall, the functional job description must be just that: functional. That is to say, it must be useful in conveying the day-to-day expectations of the position it describes. Administrators spend countless hours developing strategic plans for their organizations. An accurate job description that translates into expected employee performance is a small but vital piece of that plan. By properly crafting a functional job description, an organization can clearly communicate its personnel needs and expectations. The functional job description also helps recruitment and retention issues, prevents hiring prejudices, aids employee efficiency and provides a tool to evaluate employees.

Daniel E. Glick, BPS, AEMT-CC is the executive director of the Mountain Lakes Regional EMS Council (NY) and a member of the 109th Air National Guard Fire Department. He can be e-mailed at dglick@nycap.rr.com.