Most businesses post jobs before they know what they need. They write job descriptions from templates. They hire people who don’t fit.
This creates problems. New hires struggle. Teams misalign. Money wastes.
Design roles before you hire. Map work to responsibilities. Define what success looks like. Then post the job.
This process prevents hiring mistakes. It creates clarity. It saves money.
Key Takeaways
- Map work—identify all work that needs doing
- Group responsibilities—cluster related tasks
- Define roles—create clear role boundaries
- Write descriptions—document role requirements
- Post jobs—hire based on clear design
Table of Contents
Why Role Design First
Hiring without role design creates problems. You hire the wrong people. You create confusion. You waste resources.
Role design first prevents these problems. It creates clarity. It enables better hiring.
The reality: Most businesses skip role design. They post jobs from templates. They hire people who don’t fit. Role design first creates alignment and prevents mistakes.
Work Mapping
Start with work. Not roles. Not headcount. Work.
Identify All Work
List everything that needs doing:
- Current work tasks
- Missing work areas
- Future work needs
Why this matters: Work identification shows requirements. If you identify work, you see requirements.
Categorize Work
Group work by type:
- Strategic work
- Operational work
- Support work
Why this matters: Work categorization shows patterns. If you categorize work, you see patterns.
Prioritize Work
Rank work by importance:
- Critical work first
- Important work second
- Nice-to-have work last
Why this matters: Work prioritization shows focus. If you prioritize work, you see focus.
Measure Work Volume
Quantify work amounts:
- Hours per task
- Frequency of tasks
- Total work volume
Why this matters: Work volume shows scale. If you measure volume, you see scale.
Pro tip: Use our TAM SAM SOM Calculator to evaluate market opportunity and inform role design. Calculate market size to understand work requirements.
Responsibility Grouping
Group related work into responsibilities. Don’t create roles yet.
Find Natural Clusters
Identify work clusters:
- Tasks that belong together
- Skills that overlap
- Outcomes that connect
Why this matters: Clusters show natural groupings. If you find clusters, you see groupings.
Define Responsibility Boundaries
Set clear boundaries:
- What’s included
- What’s excluded
- Where boundaries lie
Why this matters: Boundaries create clarity. If you define boundaries, clarity improves.
Check Responsibility Completeness
Ensure responsibilities cover all work:
- No work left unassigned
- No gaps in coverage
- Complete work mapping
Why this matters: Completeness prevents gaps. If you check completeness, gaps decrease.
Role Definition
Now create roles. One role per responsibility cluster.
Role Scope
Define role scope:
- Primary responsibilities
- Secondary responsibilities
- Scope boundaries
Why this matters: Role scope creates clarity. If you define scope, clarity improves.
Role Requirements
Specify role requirements:
- Skills needed
- Experience required
- Qualifications necessary
Why this matters: Requirements enable matching. If you specify requirements, matching improves.
Success Criteria
Define success criteria:
- What success looks like
- How to measure success
- Success indicators
Why this matters: Success criteria enable evaluation. If you define criteria, evaluation improves.
Role Relationships
Map role relationships:
- Who they work with
- Reporting structure
- Collaboration needs
Why this matters: Relationships enable integration. If you map relationships, integration improves.
Job Description Creation
Write job descriptions from role design. Not templates.
Description Structure
Create clear structure:
- Role overview
- Key responsibilities
- Requirements
- Success criteria
Why this matters: Structure creates clarity. If you create structure, clarity improves.
Language Clarity
Use clear language:
- Specific responsibilities
- Concrete requirements
- Clear expectations
Why this matters: Clarity enables understanding. If you use clear language, understanding improves.
Avoid Template Language
Write custom descriptions:
- Based on role design
- Specific to your needs
- Unique to your situation
Why this matters: Custom descriptions enable fit. If you avoid templates, fit improves.
Pro tip: Use our TAM SAM SOM Calculator to evaluate market opportunity and inform role design. Calculate market size to understand work requirements.
Your Next Steps
Role design before hiring prevents mistakes. Map work, group responsibilities, define roles, then write job descriptions based on clear design.
This Week:
- Begin mapping all work that needs doing using our TAM SAM SOM Calculator
- Start grouping work into responsibility clusters
- Begin defining roles from responsibilities
- Start writing job descriptions
This Month:
- Complete work mapping
- Finish responsibility grouping
- Define all roles clearly
- Create job descriptions and begin hiring
Going Forward:
- Continuously review and update role designs
- Refine roles based on actual work
- Adjust job descriptions as needs evolve
- Maintain clear role boundaries
Need help? Check out our TAM SAM SOM Calculator for market evaluation, our team sizing guide for hiring decisions, our capacity planning guide for workload balance, and our staged hiring guide for phased growth.
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Sources & Additional Information
This guide provides general information about role design. Your specific situation may require different considerations.
For market size analysis, see our TAM SAM SOM Calculator.
Consult with professionals for advice specific to your situation.
