Imagine that you are sitting across from your supervisor for your annual performance evaluation. You’re nervous but hopeful. You completed your portion of the review, trying to be honest about your performance over the last twelve months while humbly showcasing your accomplishments. Your supervisor hands you their assessment of your performance, and at that moment, it’s clear to you for the first time that your supervisor is not thrilled with your work. Their rankings are not as generous as yours, and their comments are not glowing. What just happened?
Unmet Expectations
If this sounds familiar to you, you likely deserve an apology, not a reprimand. An employee should never find out about sub-par performance for the first time during the performance evaluation. Good leaders provide continuous feedback throughout the year, coaching their employees along the way to improve in areas where they need development. At the root of the discrepancy between the employee’s self-assessment and the supervisor’s assessment, it usually boils down to unmet expectations. That’s why creating and maintaining role descriptions for the staff is so important. A role description is not a task list; it’s a document that clearly defines the desired qualifications to perform the role as well as the role’s responsibilities. Role descriptions provide the expectations and set the standard for the evaluation process.
Qualifications
Every church, or organization for that matter, must determine the qualifications for each position individually because each position is unique. Setting the qualifications for the role helps identify the education, experience, skills, gifts, and other attributes necessary for success in the role. Some qualifications, especially in a church, will overlap. But does the facilities manager need a Master of Divinity to perform their duties? Should the bookkeeper have a degree in accounting, or is that better suited for the person filling the role of Chief Financial Officer? What about spiritual habits? Are all employees expected to align with the church’s mission, vision, and values? Defining the qualifications for the role provides both the employee and the employer with a clear profile of a successful employee. Once hired, the employer must provide each employee with a clear understanding of their responsibilities as outlined in their role description.
Role Description
Where the qualifications identify successful candidates who possess the necessary education, experience, skills, and other relevant attributes before the employer hires them, the role description outlines the specifics of the expectations once the employer hires the candidate. The role description isn’t a list of specific tasks but an outline of the expectations. Here are some common elements of a role description:
- Title or Position
- Role Summary
- Reporting Structure (who do they report to?)
- Pay Type (exempt or non-exempt, full-time or part-time, hours)
- Mission and Vision
- Responsibilities (not a daily/weekly/monthly task list) – Here’s an example of a responsibility for a student ministry pastor: Lead student gatherings that support spiritual formation and community.
It’s the supervisor’s job to hold the employee accountable for fulfilling their role description throughout the year, not just at evaluation time. Supervisors must coach their teams by providing feedback to employees, allowing them the opportunity to understand the expectations and improve when necessary.
The church should be one of the best places to work. It’s up to the leaders to create an environment of honesty, excellence, and unity while pursuing the church’s mission. Churches need to establish unique qualifications for each position to use a baseline for hiring staff. Then, the church needs to create a role description that defines the expectations for each employee. Supervisors must create an environment where open and honest dialogue occurs throughout the year, not just during the annual performance evaluation. When churches, or any organization for that matter, get this right, the annual performance evaluations are beneficial for everyone.
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