ABSTRACT
Startups must find, select, and retain the right talent if they want to achieve their goals and survive in a competitive market. But the agile, high-velocity tactics that make startups successful in other business areas often lead to costly mishires driven by hastily constructed job descriptions. Poor job descriptions hamstring effective talent acquisition by enshrining the wrong assumptions into hiring processes and decisions. In contrast, strong job descriptions accurately capture and communicate the essential nature of jobs through a data-gathering methodology called work analysis. The costs of forgoing work analysis, practical steps for conducting a work analysis, and an outline for combining work analysis data into a job description are covered, along with an illustrative example related to technical interviewing. This chapter will provide time-pressed entrepreneurs with practical steps for building data-driven job descriptions that empower strategic talent acquisition.
