If you haven't read Hiring the Best …, you may not realize how often I say it's ok to iterate on job descriptions.Job descriptions cannot be static. To all you HR folks, sorry, you have to work with the hiring manager to determine what's most important for the position you're filling now. This particular developer/tester/writer/project manager/whomever is not the same as the last person you hired. So you gotta change the job description.Expect to iterate on the job description as you walk through the analysis, and possibly after your first few phone screens. Even after you bring a candidate in, expect that you'll know more about what you're looking for–and what you're not looking for.Take advantage of that knowledge and iterate on your job description. It will save you time in the long run.
Labels: iteration, job description
In all honesty, Johanna, I’m not just being cranky, but why did you choose “iterate” in this context rather than redefine or update.
Doesn’t it simply mean rewrite?
I actually did *not* mean to rewrite; I meant to change the requirements as you go, which to me is iterating. I’ll have to think if there’s another way to talk about it.