Supervisor Position Description Questionnaire (SPDQ) Training

Supervisor Position Description

Questionnaire (SPDQ) Training

UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON-DOWNTOWN

Agenda

• Position Description Questionnaire introduction

• PDQ and Job Descriptions

• Supervisor PDQ

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What is a Position Description Questionnaire

(PDQ)?

• Data collection instrument

• Designed to gather specific information about job:

– Purpose

– Key functions

– Qualifications

– Scope

– Work Environment

• Focus on job—not person

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Why launch the PDQ

• PDQ content can be used for:

– Compensation benchmarking

– Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) overtime classification

reviews

– Assist with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

reasonable accommodation process

– Job Description updates

• Including consolidation or collapsing of existing job

descriptions

• Opportunity for employees to communicate directly to

consultants

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Timeline

• Employees complete by 3/26

• Supervisors complete by 4/2

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Roles in Process

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• Supervisor response

• Anchors back to original job

design and needs

TOP DOWN

• Employee response

• Based on how job has

evolved over time

BOTTOM UP

Position Description

Questionnaire & Job

Descriptions

PDQ-JD Connection

Position Description Questionnaire Job Description

Job Purpose Job Summary

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• This is perhaps the most critical part of the job description.

• Summarizes the purpose and objectives of the job.

• Indicates the scope/degree of freedom to act.

• NOT essential functions in paragraph form!

• When written well, it should be fairly timeless.

– The duties may change, but the summary should be resilient/consistent over time.

PDQ-JD Connection


Function

Percent of Time

Priority

(Repeated for top 5 essential duties)

Duties

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PDQ-JD Connection


Qualifications

Field of Study

Years of Experience

Licensing

Additional Training

Qualifications

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PDQ-JD Connection


Knowledge, Skill or Ability

(5 sections)Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

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PDQ-JD Connection


Reporting Relationships

These could tie to a number of areas

and help paint the picture of the job.

If management responsibility, ties to

Supervisory Responsibilities.

Related Job Titles

Do you manage a department or

division?

Do you have the authority to hire and

discipline employees?

If not, Hire/discipline recommendations

sought/serious consideration?

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PDQ-JD Connection


Problem Solving: Kinds of problems

These provide context or serve as a

check on earlier content.

Discretion used to solve problems

Problems use of policies

Decision Making

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PDQ-JD Connection


Work Environment

Work Location and Physical Demands

Vision

Environmental

Noise

Weight Lifted

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Supervisor PDQ

Supervisor Process

• Employee transcript emailed to Supervisors

– Happens automatically based on employee submission

– Contains link for Supervisor PDQ

• Instructions

– Review employee PDQ

– Click the link provided to make any comments, changes,

or add information related to required education and

experience for the role.

• Tip

– Reply to the email addressed to yourself to make

comments on the employee response

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Supervisor PDQ

• Clarifications or additions

– Job Purpose and Essential Job Functions

– Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

– Problem Solving, Decision Making, and Consequences of

Error

• Provide

– Required/preferred education

– Specific field of study or degree

– Additional training or background

– Required/preferred experience to enter position

– Required/preferred Licensing/certification/accreditation

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Dual Reporting

• For roles that report in a matrix/dual reporting structure

• The primary manager will receive the SPDQ

• As the primary manager, it is best to share/forward the

employee PDQ response to solicit dual manager input

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Examples

• Employees states:

– “I assist the Finance Department in carrying out

department objectives”

• In reality, the role is responsible for planning and executing

the annual budget process.

• Supervisor should clarify in the Job Purpose and Essential

Job Functions section question.

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EMPLOYEE UNDER SELLS

Examples

• Employees states:

– “I manage the procurement process for the University”

• In reality, the role is responsible for launching and

managing the process for assigned purchasing area or

projects.



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EMPLOYEE OVER SELLS

Examples

• Employees states that 25% of time is spent developing

training materials and conducting training.

• In reality, the training is infrequent over the course of the

entire year and the training materials are set.



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EMPLOYEE OVEREMPHASIZES A JOB DUTY

Examples

• Employee lists minimum qualifications to own background

• States that the job requires a Master’s degree with 7+ years

of experience

• In reality, the Master’s degree isn’t even preferred and only

requires a minimum of three years of experience

• Supervisor should clarify in the required and preferred

requirements

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EMPLOYEE OVERSTATES QUALIFICATIONS

Next Steps

• Revised job descriptions will be used for the market

analysis and recommendations

• Employees will receive a letter stating outcomes from the

market study

• Revised job descriptions will be available on website and My

TalentSpace at the end of the study

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Documents

Supervisor Position Description Questionnaire (SPDQ) Training