Early in my presentation of business development systems, I highlighted three key elements essential for analyzing and improving these systems: improvement, results, and execution. One critical aspect is the evaluation of your systems.

Certainly, one of the most important business systems is the development of your staff. That begins with hiring staff members and evaluating their performances to improve them.

Hiring and Evaluating Staff Members

A common mistake many businesses make is to base the hiring and evaluation of staff members solely on their ability to accomplish a list of tasks. While this is important at a fundamental level, what makes an employee outstanding and valuable is their ability to generate the desired results when performing those tasks.

Creating Task- and Results-Oriented Job Descriptions

Hiring and evaluating employees becomes much easier if you create job descriptions that are both task-oriented and results-oriented. For example, a receptionist at a martial arts school has the task of answering the phone. This is important for many reasons, but the most crucial is that it is the first point of contact with potentially interested prospects.

With proper training, however, a receptionist can do more than just answer the phone in a friendly and professional manner. They will know how to handle an information call or immediately transfer the call to someone who can, thereby maximizing potential sales by obtaining prospect information. This is the expected result of answering the phone, which is the task.

Potential candidates for the receptionist position, as well as your current receptionist, should be able to answer the phone. Only those, however, who can develop a results-oriented mindset (with training), should be considered truly qualified.

Examples of Task- and Results-Oriented Job Descriptions

Here are examples of task- and results-oriented job descriptions for three typical positions in many martial arts schools: receptionist, head instructor, and program director.

Receptionist

  • Task: Answer the phone.
  • Result: Handle information calls professionally, obtain prospect information, and transfer calls efficiently to maximize potential sales.

Head Instructor

  • Task: Conduct classes.
  • Result: Ensure students are progressing in their training, maintain high-class attendance, and foster a positive and engaging learning environment.

Program Director

  • Task: Manage student enrollments and programs.
  • Result: Increase student retention rates, successfully enroll new students, and develop programs that meet student needs and preferences.

Conclusion

Once you’ve written results-oriented job descriptions, other elements of the hiring and staff evaluation process (help wanted ads, job interviews, job training, performance reviews, etc.) become easier, more efficient, and more likely to attract the best candidates and retain the best employees.

By focusing on both tasks and the results they generate, you create a more dynamic and effective business development system that promotes continuous improvement and excellence.