To ensure compliance and accuracy, supervisors should regularly review position descriptions. This article explains the purpose of each section of the Position Description and serves as a guide for updating or drafting one. 

After completing your review, if updates are needed for an existing position description, first consult the Review Team Position Descriptions article for step-by-step instructions. Next, follow the Request Position Update article to submit your update request.

Related Articles:  Request Position Update    Request to Add New Position    Review Team Position Descriptions

Position Description Detail

The Position Description Detail information is populated from the Job Position Profile.  Please review this information for accuracy and contact HRIS if you have questions or concerns or need to report a discrepancy.

1. Summary

The summary provides a high-level overview of the role. This section should clearly reflect the purpose of the position.

2. Responsibilities

The responsibilities section outlines the key duties of the role.

This entire paragraph is indented on both sides.

• Specificity: Are the tasks clearly defined and relevant to the position? For example, "manage patient care schedules" or "supervise clinical staff" should be clearly articulated.
• Outdated Information: Look for any outdated references, such as mentions of systems, tools, or processes that are no longer in use.
• Additionally, verify that the listed responsibilities align with the current role. For example: Are there duties listed that are no longer required for the position?
• Are there new or replaced task assignments?

3. Other Information

The section lists the educational, experience, licensures, credentials, and additional responsibilities for the position.

• Specificity: Are the tasks clearly defined and relevant to the position? For example, "manage patient care schedules" or "supervise clinical staff" should be clearly articulated.
• Outdated Information: Look for any outdated references, such as mentions of systems, tools, or processes that are no longer in use.
• Additionally, verify that the listed responsibilities align with the current role. For example: Are there duties listed that are no longer required for the position?
• Are there new or replaced task assignments?

Education

• Relevance of Education: Ensure the education level matches the complexity of the role. For example: Should the position require a bachelor's degree or is an associate's degree sufficient?
• Specialization: Only one Education Specialization can be listed in the position description. Some positions may accept degrees from multiple areas (e.g., Business or Healthcare Management, etc.) 
• Due to system limitations, we can only specify one primary education specialization per education level.
• Alternatives: Consider whether equivalent work experience can substitute for formal education and whether this is clearly stated where applicable (e.g., "or equivalent work experience").
• Essential vs Preferred: Verify that the educational requirement marked "essential" is a requirement and cannot be considered as preferred.

Experience

• Experience Level: Ensure the experience level is appropriately matched with the job title.  For instance, a supervisor role might require experience at the "Supervisor" level, while an entry-level position may require just a few years of general experience at the "Staff" level. 
• Type of Experience: Double check that the experience type (e.g., clinical, administrative, supervisory) is aligned with the core responsibilities of the position.
• Essential vs. Preferred: Verify that experience marked as "essential" are truly necessary.

Licensures and Credentials

• Required Credentials: Ensure all required credentials are listed clearly. For Example, if Basic Life Support (BLS) is required but is not explicitly stated.
• Equivalency Clarification: If the position accepts different types of credentials (e.g., both RN and LPN licenses for a nursing position) but equivalencies are not listed.
• Essential vs Preferred: Verify that credentials marked as “essential” are truly necessary.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities

• Relevance of Education: Ensure the education level matches the complexity of the role. For example, should the position require a bachelor’s degree or is an associate’s degree sufficient?
• Education Specialization: Please note that only one Education Specialization can be listed in the position description. We understand that some positions may accept degrees from multiple areas (e.g., Business or Healthcare Management, etc.), but due to system limitations, we can only specify one primary education specialization per education level.
• Alternatives: Consider whether equivalent work experience can substitute for formal education, and whether it is clearly stated if applicable (e.g., "or equivalent work experience").
• Essential vs Preferred: Verify that the educational requirement marked as “essential” is truly a requirement.

Thank you for reviewing the Supervisor's Guide for Position Description Information. We appreciate your feedback. Please let us know if you found this article helpful by clicking the 'Like' button. If you notice any mistakes or have suggestions for improving the content of this article, please email us at [email protected].

Supervisors Guide for Position Description Information

Published: 10/21/25