Job Description Writing Fundamentals

Description

This workshop is designed for people leaders, human resources professionals, and compensation practitioners in post-secondary institutions who want to strengthen their understanding of how to write clear, effective, and meaningful job descriptions.

Well-crafted job descriptions are foundational tools that support organizational clarity, employee success, recruitment, compensation, and workforce planning. A strong job description helps employees understand the purpose and expectations of their role, supports fair and effective hiring decisions, and provides an important framework for compensation and organizational alignment.

This practical and interactive workshop will provide participants with the tools and confidence needed to prepare, write, and revise job descriptions more effectively. Participants will explore the language and structure of job descriptions, deconstruct existing examples, and practice rewriting them using clearer and more purposeful language.

WORKSHOP GOAL

Participants will develop a stronger understanding of how the language used in job descriptions shapes role clarity, organizational effectiveness, and compensation outcomes, and how to apply that understanding when writing or revising job descriptions.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Understand the role and importance of effective job descriptions
• Apply the fundamentals of writing a clear and meaningful job description
• Develop well-constructed function (duty) statements
• Use language more intentionally to accurately reflect role responsibilities and expectations
• Review and revise existing job descriptions with greater confidence and consistency

Facilitator(s):

Kevin Commerford has been with the Public Sector Employers’ Council Secretariat (PSEA) since 2014, serving as both a Labour Relations Specialist/Negotiator and Director of Compensation Research and Costing.

Prior to joining PSEA, Kevin was Director of Human Resources at Douglas College and spent 12 years with the Health Employers’ Association of BC (HEABC) as a Senior Compensation Consultant supporting both unionized and management roles. He also led Affiliate Services, overseeing labour relations support for more than 180 healthcare institutions across the province.

Kevin has played a key role in developing major classification and compensation systems in both the health and post-secondary sectors, including the Health Services and Support – Community Subsector classification system, the Nurses Classification Profile system, and the current excluded management compensation system for PSEA members. He is also the current lead for developing the post-secondary Joint Job Evaluation Plan for BCGEU support staff employers.