Comment 44: How to design an operational job profile that actually works
- Apr 21
- 2 min read
In Human Resources, one of the most common mistakes isn’t in recruiting… it’s in the job profile.
Many companies still design operational profiles as generic descriptions: “responsible”, “proactive”, “with experience.” The problem is, that doesn’t help you hire… and it certainly doesn’t filter candidates effectively.
A job profile that actually works is not built at a desk… it’s built through experience.
It evolves over time by observing which types of people actually succeed in the role and which don’t. HR needs to stay close to the operation to understand reality: what’s happening day-to-day, where things break down, and most importantly, what successful employees have in common.
And here’s the uncomfortable truth: this is not an exact science.
A job profile is never “finished.” You refine it, improve it… and just when it seems right, the labor market shifts, a new competitor starts hiring nearby, or the role itself changes. Then you have to adjust again.
Another critical point: many times, we limit ourselves.
We still see requirements like:
“Men only”
“Maximum age 45”
“No candidates with chronic health conditions”
Beyond legal implications, these restrictions drastically reduce your talent pool—often without a real business justification.
We also need to be honest about job conditions.
The needs of the job are one thing… the demands we place on people are another.
For example:
Rotating shifts that may not truly be necessary
Gender preferences with no operational basis
Schedules or work conditions that make life harder for employees than they need to
And then we wonder why we can’t find people.
Designing a strong operational job profile means aligning three things: what the job truly requires, what the market can offer, and what the company is willing to adapt.
When you get that balance right, recruiting stops being a constant struggle and becomes a much more stable process.
In Human Resources, a good job profile isn’t a document… it’s a living system that evolves with the operation.
Manuel Gonzalez
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