How to draw up an instruction correctly. How to write instructions. Let's pay attention to important functions

Despite the absence in the Labor Code of the obligation to draw up and maintain job descriptions, many institutions cannot do without them. And for certain categories of workers (civil, municipal employees), it is one of the most important documents on the basis of which professional service activities are carried out. Samples of some instructions are established by regulatory legal acts. How to draw up a job description in an institution if there is no standard form for it, how to develop and approve it, how to make changes? You will find answers to these and other questions in the article.

Role of job description

The Labor Code does not pay attention to the job description, but it is often mentioned in the letters of Rostrud. Let's define what this instruction is and whether it is really needed.

According to the Modern Economic Dictionary, the job description is considered to be an instruction indicating the range of assignments, duties, work to be performed by a person holding a given position in an enterprise or a firm. And the Rostrud Letter dated 09.08.2007 No. 3042-6-0 states that the job description is a document that defines the tasks, qualifications, functions, rights, duties, responsibilities of an employee and is an integral tool for regulating labor relations.

The job description is necessary for both the employer and the employee. It should be developed for each position (including the vacant one) available in the staffing table. Please note that the instruction is developed specifically for a specific position, and not for a specific employee.

According to the letter, the absence of a job description in some cases prevents the employer from reasonably refusing to hire (since it may contain additional requirements related to the employee's business qualities), objectively assess the employee's activities during the probationary period, distribute labor functions between employees, temporarily transfer the employee to another job, assess the conscientiousness and completeness of the employee's work function.

Let's clarify this wording. In accordance with Art. 64 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, an unjustified refusal to conclude an employment contract is prohibited, that is, a refusal due to circumstances not related to the business qualities of the employee. According to the Resolution of the Plenum of the RF Armed Forces of March 17, 2004 No. 2, business qualities mean the ability of an individual to perform a certain labor function, taking into account his professional and qualification qualities (for example, the presence of a certain profession, specialty, qualification), personal qualities (for example, the state of health , a certain level of education, work experience in a given specialty, in a given industry). Thus, the presence of a job description will make it possible to reasonably refuse to hire a person who does not have sufficient experience or qualifications.

According to Art. 71 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, if the test result is unsatisfactory, the employer has the right to terminate the employment contract with the employee before the test expires, notifying him of this no later than three days in advance, indicating the reasons that served as the basis for recognizing this employee as having failed the test. Thus, the job description, which lists the duties that the employee was supposed to perform, may become the basis for his dismissal as having failed the test.

By virtue of Art. 192 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, a disciplinary offense is a failure to perform or improper performance by an employee through his fault of the labor duties assigned to him. Thus, before bringing an employee to disciplinary responsibility, the employer must refer to the job description.

In addition, the job description provides for the possibility of replacing an employee with another, absent employee, for example, when the deputy head of the department temporarily acts as the head of the department during his absence, or a doctor of one specialization replaces the position of a doctor of another specialization.

An organization may also have employees who hold the same job title but have different salaries. This is wrong, since in accordance with Art. 22 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, the employer must ensure equal pay for work of equal value. And in this case, it is the job descriptions that will prove that the rights of workers are not violated. To do this, the instructions should reflect the labor quality indicators affecting wages: different job responsibilities, different volume of work performed, qualification requirements, etc. (Still, in order to avoid difficulties with regulatory authorities, we recommend entering the words “senior”, “leading”, etc. in the names of identical positions)

Job descriptions also help to justify some costs - transport (for people whose work is traveling in nature), for mobile communications, etc. Instructions are of great importance in cases of involving employees under civil law contracts to perform tasks that are not included in the official duties of staff members.

Thus, the main goals of creating job descriptions are:

• clear and detailed formulation of the labor function of employees;
• determination of the required qualifications of employees;
• the establishment of the obligation of employees to improve their qualifications;
• determination of the order of interaction between employees;
• justification for bringing to disciplinary responsibility;
• justification for reimbursement of transport or other costs.

Some employers limit themselves to specifying the job function (work according to the position in accordance with the staffing table, profession, specialty indicating qualifications) in the employment contract, without even prescribing job responsibilities. In this case, the employer refers to the existence of tariff and qualification reference books, which establish requirements for various categories of workers. And this will not be a violation of labor laws. But, using job descriptions, the employer makes life easier for himself, first of all, because the advantages, as they say, are obvious.

The procedure for the development of job descriptions

When developing job descriptions, you can use the Recommendations approved by the Order of the State Committee for Ecology of the Russian Federation dated December 10, 1997 No. 552. GOST R6.30-2003 “Unified documentation systems. Unified system of organizational and administrative documentation. Requirements for paperwork ".

The composition of the requisites of job descriptions should include the name of the organization and the name of the document, the date and number, the title to the text, the stamp of approval, the text, the signature of the developer and the approval visa.

The following normative acts are applied as a basis for the qualification characteristics of each position:

• Qualification directory of positions of managers, specialists and other employees, approved by the Decree of the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation of 08.21.1998 No. 37;
• The procedure for the application of the Unified qualification reference book of positions of managers, specialists and other employees, approved by the Resolution of the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation of 09.02.2004 No. 9;
• Unified qualification reference book of positions of managers, specialists and employees, approved by the Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation of 23.07.2010 No. 541n;
• other qualification guides for various industries and activities.

At the same time, taking into account the specifics of the organization, the form, structure and content of the instruction may have their own characteristics.

As a rule, the job description consists of the following sections:

1. General Provisions. Include:

• functional purpose of the document. For example: "The job description defines the functional duties, rights, duties, responsibilities, working conditions, relationships (connections by position) of an employee, criteria for assessing his business qualities and work results when performing work in his specialty";
• the category to which the position belongs (managers, specialists, workers, etc.);
• the procedure for appointment and dismissal (by whom the employee is appointed, is it accepted by competition);
• subordination of the employee: to whom he submits and who is subordinate to him;
• the procedure for replacement during his absence and the positions that he can fill;
• qualification requirements (education, work experience, skills, additional information);
• what should be guided in their activities;
• documents, knowledge of which is mandatory.

2. Job responsibilities. The section includes a description of specific daily, weekly, monthly, etc. duties that the employee must perform within the assigned functions, as well as duties involving the use of certain forms and methods of work, the order of execution of assignments, ethical standards that are necessary observe in the team.

3. Employee rights. A list of the rights granted to the employee for the successful fulfillment of the duties assigned to him, which arise both from the functions of the organization and from the functions of the structural unit, is given. These rights, for example, include the following: make decisions in accordance with job responsibilities, take part in the development of various kinds programs, make suggestions for improving the workflow, improve their skills.

4. Relationships by position. The list of persons with whom the employee interacts while carrying out labor activity is listed, functional and linear subordination or management is indicated, including the timing and procedure for providing information, the procedure for signing and approving documents, etc.

5. Responsibility. The types of responsibility are established for the untimely and poor-quality performance by the employee of his official duties in accordance with labor legislation. This section may list specific types of violations for which specific types of liability apply. When prescribing measures of responsibility, you need to make a reference to the article of the corresponding regulatory legal act - the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation or the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

6. Evaluation of work. Here are set:

• criteria for assessing the business qualities of an employee, such as qualifications, professional competence, labor intensity, and the manifestation of initiative;
• criteria for evaluating work - the results achieved by the employee in the performance of official duties, the quality of the work performed, the timeliness of its performance, etc. In this case, the assessment of business qualities and work results is carried out on the basis of both objective indicators and the motivated opinion of the immediate supervisor.

7. Final provisions. In this section, the procedure for the entry into force of this document, amendments to it, etc. can be spelled out.

Note that the employer cannot include in the job description provisions that are not established by the Labor Code, in particular, additional grounds for dismissing an employee. In the Rostrud Letter dated 30.11.2009 No. 3520-6-1 (hereinafter - Letter No. 3520-6-1), it was explained that the provision on the possibility of dismissal on certain grounds, including voluntarily, is not the subject of the job description. since it does not apply to the labor function of the employee.

As a rule, job descriptions are developed by an employee of the personnel department together with the head of the structural unit.

The instruction can be in the form of a separate document or an attachment to the employment contract. We consider the job description as a separate document, since this form is more convenient and is more often used in practice.

Coordination of job description

So, initially a draft instruction is being developed. It is then usually coordinated with the Legal Department for compliance review, finance and other parts of the organization with which the employee in the position will interact. The opinion of the approving persons can be recorded on the approval sheet attached to the instructions, taking into account which changes are subsequently made (not made) to it. After making changes, the instruction goes through the approval procedure again.

The question may arise: do job descriptions need to be coordinated with the trade union body, if there is one? By virtue of Art. 8 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation in cases provided for by the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, other federal laws and other regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation, collective bargaining agreements, agreements, the employer, when adopting local regulatory acts, takes into account the opinion of the representative body of employees (if any). But is the job description a local regulation? Since the Labor Code does not define what specifically refers to these acts, the opinions of experts on this issue differ: some believe that if the job description is a separate document, and not an appendix to the employment contract, then this is a local normative act, others call the job description “ sub-local "normative act, as explained by Rostrud, the job description is an internal organizational and administrative document (Letter No. 3520-6-1).

In any case, neither the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, nor other federal laws and regulatory legal acts have been established to agree on job descriptions with the representative body of workers. And if this is not provided for by the collective agreement or agreement, approval is not required.

So, after the approval of the instruction by the head, it is stamped and registered in the job description log. The original instructions are usually kept by the HR department, and a duly certified copy is kept by the head of the department.

It is not necessary to put the instruction into effect by order of the head, unless, when its provisions change, it is necessary to amend the employment contract. But more on that later.

The job description comes into force from the moment it is approved and is valid until it is replaced by a new job description. If the employee reads the instruction before signing the employment contract, the contract must include the line "I have read the job description before signing the employment contract", under which the employee signs. If the instruction entered into force during the period of labor activity, the fact of acquaintance is recorded in the acquaintance sheet, which is attached to the instruction and is certified by the signature of the employee with the date. In both cases, a copy of the instruction is given to the employee. If the employee refuses to sign the instruction, a corresponding act is drawn up.

We make changes to the instructions

In the course of the organization's activities, any changes constantly occur: personnel, structural, in the production process, etc. Often, such changes are reflected in the functional responsibilities of employees established by the job description. Then it becomes necessary to make changes to it. How to do it right?

First of all, we note that any interested person can initiate changes: the employer, the head of the structural unit in which the employee works, the head of the unit that interacts with the employee, and, finally, the employee himself.

The proposal is made in the form of an employee's statement, an employer's proposal or a memo from the head of the department. If the party to which the proposal was sent agrees to such changes, it remains only to issue them. It is important to determine here whether changes in job descriptions will entail changes in job responsibilities, which, in turn, may entail a change in the employee's labor function as defined in the employment contract. Since when changing the labor function of an employee, he must be transferred to another job - a permanent or temporary change in the labor function of the employee and (or) the structural unit in which he works (if the unit was specified in the employment contract), while continuing to work with the same employer ( Article 72.1 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation). A transfer to another job is allowed only with the written consent of the employee, with the exception of cases provided for in parts 2 and 3 of Art. 72.2 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.

Thus, the employer cannot unilaterally change the employee's job duties or supplement the instruction with new duties. This is possible only in the order of Art. 72 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation - a written agreement of the parties is concluded, about which the employee is warned in advance. The Rostrud Letter dated 31.10.2007 No. 4412-6 says the following about this: amendments to the job description may be associated with a change in the mandatory conditions of the employment contract. In this case, the requirements for prior written notification to the employee must be met. And only after the employee has agreed to continue the employment relationship, changes are made to the job description. In addition, the letter explains that if the instruction is an attachment to an employment contract, it is advisable to simultaneously amend the contract and instructions by preparing an additional agreement. If the job description was approved as a separate document and, at the same time, the introduction of changes into it does not entail the need to change the mandatory conditions of the employment contract, it is more convenient to approve the new edition of the instruction by informing the employee about it in writing. For example, when it is required to clarify or specify some of the employee's duties: instead of "ensuring the safety of documents" - "store documents in a special cabinet, issue on the basis of a memo," etc.

Job regulations

Speaking about job descriptions, one cannot fail to note the category of employees for whom a document establishing job responsibilities is mandatory. These are civil servants, and such a document is called official regulations. It is the main normative document governing the content and results of a civil servant's activities. It contains the requirements for an employee filling the relevant public office. Job regulations are designed to promote the correct selection, placement and retention of personnel, improve their professional qualifications, improve the functional and technological division of labor between managers and specialists in the performance of tasks defined by the regulation on the body, structural unit, and are also used in assessing the performance of a civil servant ...

According to Art. 47 of the Federal Law of 27.07.2004 No. 79-FZ "On the State Civil Service of the Russian Federation", the professional service activity of a civil servant is carried out in accordance with the official regulations approved by the representative of the employer and being an integral part of the administrative regulations of the state body. This article establishes specific provisions that should be included in the job regulations:

• qualification requirements for the level and nature of knowledge and skills, for education, length of service in the civil service (civil service of other types) or length of service (experience) in the specialty;
• official duties, rights and responsibility of a civil servant for non-performance (improper performance) of official duties in accordance with the administrative regulations of the state body, the tasks and functions of the structural unit of the state body and the functional characteristics of the civil service position being replaced in it;
• a list of issues on which a civil servant is entitled or obliged to independently make managerial and other decisions;
• a list of issues on which a civil servant is entitled or obliged to participate in the preparation of draft regulatory legal acts and (or) draft management and other decisions;
• terms and procedures for the preparation, consideration of draft managerial and other decisions, the procedure for approval and adoption of these decisions;
• the procedure for official interaction of a civil servant in connection with the performance of his official duties with civil servants of the same state body, other state bodies, other citizens, as well as with organizations;
• a list of public services provided to citizens and organizations in accordance with the administrative regulations of the state body;
• indicators of efficiency and effectiveness of professional service activities of a civil servant.

The provisions of the official regulations are taken into account when holding a competition for filling a vacant position in the civil service, attestation, qualification exam, planning the professional service activity of a civil servant.

The results of the employee's performance of the official regulations are taken into account when holding a competition for filling a vacant position in the civil service, including an employee in the personnel reserve, assessing his professional performance during certification, qualifying examinations or encouraging a civil servant.

Approximate job regulations are approved by the relevant civil service management body. For example, the official regulations of a state civil servant of the customs authority of the Russian Federation were approved by Order of the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation dated 11.08.2009 No. 1458.

Summing up, we note: despite the fact that the absence of job descriptions is not a violation of labor legislation and does not entail any responsibility for the employer, this document should not be neglected. It is better to spend a little time and effort on its development, and not to be limited to samples of typical instructions, but to approach this process with all seriousness and responsibility. This will allow you to protect yourself from many unnecessary problems and disputes with regulatory authorities.

Modern economic dictionary / B. A. Raizberg, L. Sh. Lozovsky, E. B. Starodubtseva. - M .: INFRA-M, 2006.

"On the application by the courts of the Russian Federation of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation."

"On approval of the Regulations on the OSH management system in the organizations of the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Environmental Protection."

Instructions in management (from lat instructio - instruction, device) is a legal act issued in order to establish rules governing organizational, scientific, technical, technological, financial and other special aspects of the activities of institutions, organizations, enterprises, their divisions, services, officials individuals and citizens.

The instruction sets out the procedure for carrying out any activity or the procedure for applying the provisions of legislative and other normative acts.

The instruction is drawn up on the general letterhead of the organization. The title page includes the following details:

· name of company,

· Place and year of publication.

The heading to the instruction indicates the object or range of issues covered by its requirements, for example: INSTRUCTIONS on management documentation

The text of the instruction consists of sections with headings and divided into paragraphs and subparagraphs, which are numbered in Arabic numerals. The text of the Instruction uses the words: should, should, necessary, not allowed, prohibited etc.

The instruction is signed by the head of the structural unit who developed it. The instruction is approved by a special administrative act or directly by the head of the organization.

The instructions can be marked that it is an attachment to the administrative document. When the instruction is approved by an administrative document (order, decree), it sets the deadline for the introduction of the instruction, lists the necessary organizational measures, and indicates the responsible executors. If the date for the introduction of the instruction is not specified in the text of the administrative document, it is considered the day of signing and registration of the document.

Varieties of instructions are instructions for office work (management documentation) and job descriptions.

Records management instruction (DOW) is a legal act governing the rules, techniques, processes for creating documents, technology for working with documents. In other words, the instruction consolidates the system of office work that has developed in the organization. For the effective work of the preschool educational institution and all divisions of the organization, for a clear understanding and presentation of all stages of working with documents in each organization, an instruction for office work should be drawn up, taking into account the specifics of its activities (9).

An Instruction is being developed on the basis of the relevant legislative acts of the Russian Federation, national regulatory documents: Basic rules for the operation of departmental archives, state standards for unified documentation systems, regulatory and methodological materials of Rosarkhiv, departmental rules. Currently, the departments themselves draw up standard instructions for office work in general or for any part of it for the entire group of homogeneous enterprises or institutions in the industry.

Instructions for the preschool educational institution are divided into typical, approximate, individual.

Typical instructions are developed for subordinate institutions of the same type by ministries and departments of certain sectors of the national economy.

Sample instruction is compiled taking into account the requirements of a typical instruction, but without taking into account the characteristics of a particular organization.

Based on typical and exemplary instructions, the organization develops individual instructions in relation to the conditions of their activities.

The instruction should include general provisions, thematic sections, appendices.

In chapter General Provisions first of all, the scope of distribution of the Instruction is established (for example, “The Instruction applies to all documents”, “... to administrative documents”, “... except for confidential documents”, etc.). The general provisions should establish responsibility for non-compliance with the provisions of the Instruction.

The main part of the Instruction consists of two thematic sections: "Documenting" and "Organization of work with documents".

In chapter Documenting determined:

· Issues of the organization's activities, which are subject to mandatory documentation;

· Types of documents used to document organizational, administrative, information and reference activities;

· General rules of documentation;

· Rules for the preparation of certain types of documents, including the procedure for sighting, agreement, signing and approval;

· The procedure for the production and reproduction of documents;

· Rules of execution and certification of copies and attachments;

· The procedure for the use and storage of forms, seals and stamps;

· The order of work of executors with documents.

In chapter Organization of work with documents installed:

· The procedure for receiving, processing and distribution of incoming documents;

· The procedure for transferring documents within the organization;

· The order of preparation, processing of outgoing documents;

· The procedure for accounting for the number of documents;

· General rules for registration of incoming, outgoing and internal documents;

· Characteristics of registration forms;

· A description of the adopted technology and the procedure for indexing documents;

· Principles of building information and reference work in the organization;

Order of systematization and classification reference information;

· The order of putting on control;

· Control technology;

· Typical terms of execution;

· General rules for storing documents in the preschool educational institution and in structural divisions;

· The procedure for drawing up the nomenclature of the organization's affairs;

· Rules for the formation of certain categories of documents in the case;

· The order of systematization and indexing of certain categories of documents;

· Organization of the examination of the scientific and practical value of documents;

· Rules for registration of cases for transfer to storage;

· Requirements for the description of documents of permanent and temporary storage;

· The procedure for transferring cases to the archive of the institution.

Applications to the instructions should contain a maximum of reference and illustrative material. Applications must include:

· Schemes of document flows;

· Impressions of seals and stamps;

· Samples of forms;

· Samples of filling out forms of documents;

· List of documents not subject to registration;

· Forms of the nomenclature of cases, etc.

Thus, the Instruction should reflect the entire process of working with documents, all technological operations in their logical sequence.

The preparation of the Instructions is carried out by the preschool educational institution service with the participation of the archive, legal service. The Instruction, signed by the head of the office management service, is approved by the head of the organization and put into effect by his order, after which it is sent to all structural divisions for use in work.

Job description- this is an organizational and legal document, which clearly defines the place and meaning of a specific position in the structure of the enterprise, contains a complete list of its inherent labor functions, forms and terms of reporting, terms of remuneration, and also stipulates the scope of rights and responsibilities of an employee holding this specific position (10).

Correctly drawn up job descriptions allow each employee to clearly imagine the range of job responsibilities, the necessary intra- and extra-organizational functional ties, help them plan working hours more efficiently, and contribute to a more even distribution of the workload between the employees of the unit.

Throughout the organization, job descriptions serve to rationalize the distribution of powers and responsibilities among all personnel, eliminate duplication of work. They are used in determining the criteria for assessing the performance of labor (certification) of employees, for the development of career advancement systems and personnel development programs. They provide clear information necessary for the effective selection of applicants for a particular position.

As a normative legal document, job descriptions serve as the basis for revising the staffing table, resolving labor and industrial conflicts, determining the legality of certain forms of administrative penalties, etc.

The job description is developed for each position provided for by the staffing table. If there are several identical positions in the department and at the same time the employees holding these positions perform the same functions, then one job description is developed.

If employees holding the same positions perform different duties, several job descriptions are needed, each of which will fix a range of job responsibilities corresponding to their actual distribution among employees.

The actual distribution of responsibilities is reflected in the text of the job description itself, and can also be reflected in the title, for example: Job description secretary of the head; ... the receptionist.

In the job description, a visa must be issued for familiarization with the document of those employees whose activities are subject to its effect.

The structure and content of the job description are currently not strictly regulated, which allows you to create it individually for each enterprise, taking into account its specifics.

The job description may consist of the following sections:

1) "General Provisions" - the name of the position is indicated with the designation of the structural unit in accordance with the staffing table; to whom the employee is directly subordinate; the procedure for appointment and dismissal from office; a list of normative, methodological and other documents that are guided by the employee holding this position; qualification requirements for an employee (education level, skills, work experience); requirements for special knowledge and skills.

2) "Functions" - the main purpose of the position is determined. The functions of an employee are always formulated as a list of types of work or issues to be addressed. It is the employee's functions that determine the composition of job duties. The "Functions" section may not be included in the job description if the general purpose of the position is formulated in the "General Provisions" section.

3) "Job responsibilities" - the specific content of the employee's activity is established: the types of work performed by the employee in this position are listed, the nature of the actions performed (“directs”, “prepares”, “approves”, “considers”, “performs”, “provides”, etc.) ...

This section can be a list of specific operations performed by the employee in the implementation of the functions assigned to him. For example, if the employee's functions include "control over the execution of documents", then the duties, respectively, will be:

Setting of documents for control,

Control over the course of execution of documents,

Removal of documents from control,

Analysis of the performing discipline,

· Informing the management about the results of documents execution.

4) "Rights" - the powers of the employee are established to ensure the fulfillment of the duties assigned to him:

· The right to make decisions at the stage of preliminary consideration of documents (enumeration of issues that he can solve independently);

· The right to give instructions on specific issues;

· The right to independently sign documents within the competence granted to him;

· The right to contact the manager with proposals;

· The right to represent on behalf of a unit or institution in other organizations;

· The right to participate in meetings at which issues related to its competence are considered;

The right to demand the performance of certain actions from other employees,

· The right to endorse certain types of documents;

· The right to return documents for revision;

· The right to receive information necessary for work (statistical, economic, etc.), including confidential;

· The right of access to regulatory documents; to the information fund of the organization, archive, electronic databases;

· The right to receive the necessary periodicals;

· The right to use and have at your disposal dictionaries, reference books, computer translation programs, etc.

If necessary, in the text of the section, you can add universal rights common to all employees (and not just the rights by position):

· The right to all types of established compensation for their labor contribution;

· The right to comfortable conditions;

· The right to professional development;

· The right to the maximum realization of their professional needs.

A clear formulation of the employee's rights allows formulating his responsibility, which is allocated in a separate section.

5) "A responsibility" - the criteria for evaluating the work and measures of the employee's personal responsibility are determined.

The responsibility of an employee is determined in accordance with applicable law and can be disciplinary, material, administrative or criminal.

This section formulates the content and forms of responsibility of an official for:

· rejection timely measures or actions related to his duties;

· non-compliance technologies enshrined in regulatory and technical documents;

· violation terms of performance of work, stipulated by the standards;

· refusal from the use of advanced methods of work and available technical means;

· refusal follow the written and oral orders of the head.

When compiling the "Rights" and "Responsibilities" sections, the main thing is to provide the employee with the rights to the extent necessary for the performance of job duties. Typical mistake allowed by the compilers of job descriptions - to impose duties on the employee, but not to give him the right to implement them. The same goes for responsibility. The rights to carry out certain actions are primarily necessary when performing work related to other employees or based on the results of the work of other employees.

6) "Relationships" - the procedure for interaction of the employee with other structural divisions and officials is determined.

The section has a coordinating value and is especially important for the establishment and regulation of relations between various structural units, the establishment of their hierarchy and mutual obligations.

7) The text of the job description may include a section "Conditions of remuneration" , which indicates:

What the salary is set for the employee in accordance with the contract or staffing table;

· What bonuses he can receive;

What allowances he can receive;

· How he can increase his salary (under what conditions and with what frequency);

Whether the employee can combine professions (positions), etc.

8) In the methodological literature, it is proposed to complete the job description with a section "Performance Assessment" (Performance Assessment Indicators), in which both general performance assessment indicators and specific ones established by the immediate and higher managers, as well as enshrined in the internal regulatory and technological documents of the organization, can be fixed.

Common indicators include:

· Completeness of implementation of tasks assigned to the employee, job duties and granted rights;

· Quality of preparation and execution of documents;

· Absence of errors and service violations;

· Absence of complaints, claims and grievances from managers;

· Qualified application of the requirements of the instruction and other normative documents;

· Timely fulfillment of official duties, adherence to deadlines for the execution of documents.

The job description is signed by the head of the preschool educational institution, approved by the head of the organization. In addition, the employee is obliged to familiarize himself with the job description against receipt. An acquaintance visa is located below the signature of the head of the preschool educational institution (developer of the job description) and consists of the words "I have read the instructions", the signature of the employee, his initials, surname and date.

20.7. Regulations. Rules as a type of organizational document

Regulations is a legal act that establishes the procedure for the activities of the management of an organization, a collegial or deliberative body. The text of the regulation consists of sections with independent headings and divided into paragraphs and subparagraphs, which are numbered in Arabic numerals.

The regulations are drawn up on the general letterhead of the organization. Mandatory details are:

· name of company,

The name of the collegial or advisory body,

Name of the type of document,

Date and number of the document,

Place of compilation,

· signature,

· Stamp of approval.

The regulations are approved by the head of the organization or the head of a collegial body.

In the process of preparation, the regulations go through the stage of discussion at a meeting by members of a collegial or advisory body, as well as coordination with interested departments and the legal service.

Rules(in the form of plural) as a type of organizational document are developed when it is necessary to determine how the work should be carried out, in what sequence.

According to the scope of application, the rules can be divided into

1) that are of general importance for all industries, (safety rules; basic rules for the organization's archives),

2) industry-specific, related to only one industry (rules for admission to higher educational institutions; rules of consumer services for the population).

Each employee admitted to the organization is subject to the Internal Labor Regulations.

Inner order rules- a local normative act that regulates in detail the organization of the daily activities of the institution, the mutual obligations of employees and the administration, the provision of vacations, the secondment of employees, the on-site regime and other issues.

The document is drawn up on the general letterhead of the organization indicating the type of document, signed by the deputy head, approved by the head of the organization.

The internal labor regulations are clearly structured and contain the following sections:

General provisions,

The procedure for the admission, transfer and dismissal of employees,

The main responsibilities of employees,

Working hours and its use,

Rewards for success in work,

· Penalties for violation of administrative and labor discipline.

Taking into account the specifics of the organization's activities, the Rules may include the sections "Intra-facility mode", "Organization of work", etc.

Regulations and instructions

Do you have instructions for employees to use? Or do you intuitively feel the need to write them for some tasks? In this section, we'll figure out how to do it correctly.

Each position has specific functions to be performed by an employee. Functions are WHAT to do, instructions are HOW, more precisely, this is a description of the process of performing a task.

What problems arise if you do not have instructions

The task is not running. The employee says, "I didn't know how to do it."

The task is performed poorly. The employee says, "I thought it was right."

Employees ask questions and consult on common tasks several times a month. Even if you have recently completed such a task.

They take away the manager's time if the last time they completed the task a long time ago and forgot some steps.

Employees are not responsible for the result.

Employees delay the completion of the task, because they do not know clear deadlines.

Employees do not understand who is responsible for what task (process).

When the instruction appears, they will stop running to you ten times with the same questions. If an employee has forgotten or doubts how to perform a task, he finds an instruction and does everything strictly according to it. There is such a practice: if an employee came to you three times with the same question, you need to write instructions for this process. Take this as a rule. After all, your time is expensive!

In addition, instructions simplify the training of new employees: they help to induce a position faster. It is necessary to familiarize a person with the job description and functionality, tell and show how to work according to it. Basically, if you have correctly written instructions, even the requirements for staff are reduced and you don't need to hire cool specialists. Why, when less qualified personnel can easily cope with the existing tasks?

An example with McDonald's. This company has instructions on how to wipe the table: take a blue and red bucket; pour a certain amount of water into red, and liquid for washing into blue; then add a cap of gel to the red bucket, put the blue sponge into the blue bucket, the red one into the red one; first wipe the table with a blue sponge, then - with a red one. Business at McDonald's is not tied to personnel, they have a huge turnover: the average duration of a person's work is 14 days. At the same time, the company manages to exist and develop, leaving the quality of service unchanged. This is because the business is tied to functionality and instructions. You don't need a high IQ to do simple things.

1. How to write an instruction

The primary task is to prescribe the functionality of employees and job descriptions that really correlate with the tasks and actions that people will perform. An employee will never again say: "I shouldn't do this!", "I am not responsible for this!" I highly recommend that one of the points of the job description put "the execution of direct orders of the head" and "functional duties can be changed by the decision of the general director." This will make your job descriptions lightweight. They are needed to describe step by step the process of performing a certain function, sometimes divided into several stages or steps. In this case, a separate instruction is written for each step. As a result, they will stop constantly running to you and asking what to do, how, in what format, what result is needed, who is responsible, etc.

After the implementation of instructions and regulations:

The process of completing the task will take much less time (increase in efficiency by 10–40%);

Saving the manager's time (5–30%). If you have written instructions for repetitive tasks with which employees can constantly tug at the head;

The result will be received on time.

There is one problem: the manager and the employee often see the process of completing a task in different ways. Therefore, the task of the manager is to competently set a task (clearly describe the process and the result of the implementation) or prescribe instructions for its implementation. In terms of time, these approaches take almost the same amount of time.

Instruction writing plan

1. Write a message step by step plan The instruction is a step-by-step plan for completing a task. With an indication of the responsible and key persons involved in the process, a description of the result, deadlines and procedures for solving non-standard situations.

2. Describe the expected result and timeline If you have instructions and regulations, you will know exactly in what time frame the task is being completed and what result will be obtained. Typically, employees, department heads, and CEOs have different visions of results. Therefore, when you write an instruction for some function or process, it is important to clearly describe the result (in what format it should be, how it should be quantified, etc.). The more clearly you describe the result, the higher the likelihood of getting it. You can give examples of the result (if the task allows it). It is desirable that the result be quantifiable.

3. Appoint a responsible person. Who does everything? In the regulations and instructions, the person responsible for the process of completing the task is prescribed. So the question "Who is performing the task?" Is removed once and for all.

4. Describe force majeure situations We are talking about non-standard situations and actions when they arise.

5. Assign a number. The accounting policy assumes the numbering of instructions. And it is important that everyone knows where they lie.

Where to begin? Start writing instructions for problematic features and bottlenecks that are difficult. Companies that I work with in consulting often have difficulties in the interaction of departments, such as sales and logistics. After the process of work of the sales and logistics departments or the delivery of goods to the client (movement of documents, transfer of information, step-by-step actions of employees at a certain time, etc.) is spelled out, the problem is solved.

Moreover, by starting to write instructions, you automatically make processes more efficient. From standard examples:

Instructions for cold calls - at first, you can write in the form of a script;

How to answer incoming calls, how to make purchases from suppliers, how to behave during a check. There are good guidelines and regulations to help you save money. Many employees are trained to behave in the presence of supervisors, but when they appear, they behave completely differently. Therefore, we attached a sheet with instructions on how to behave to the tablet for paper. The employee took it out during the check and walked over it. This is not prohibited by law;

How to process a return. For example, for retail it is often work with a cash register, transfer of goods to a warehouse, etc.;

Instructions can be not only for sales managers, but also for administrators, management personnel. For example, an instruction or a checklist for hiring an employee.

A checklist is a list of tasks with boxes in which you need to put a checkmark (confirmation that the item has been completed). This is a very efficient format. For example, a checklist can be made for administrators in restaurants. When the restaurant opens, the administrator should follow these steps.

Arrive 15–20 minutes before the arrival of the staff.

Switch on electrical appliances.

Check the cleanliness of signs, showcases, tables, bar counter.

Check the cleanliness of toilets.

Control the arrival of employees at work.

Checklist is one of the instruction formats.

IMPORTANT!

Don't write the instructions yourself - you will be spending a lot of time on it. If you want to write instructions for the administrator, call the administrator and explain to him what you want: “We need a checklist for the morning office check. Please describe what actions you perform every morning without missing anything, and bring it in a printed form. " The administrator leaves and a few hours later brings back a list of what he is doing. You watch and edit. Perhaps you are complementing or, conversely, deleting something. Give it back for revision, and then approve and give it to all administrators by mail. Then you implement it.

2. The ESS concept

ESS (Elementary Simple Steps) Is a set of elementary simple steps that lead to a result. The point is to break down the steps of a specific task into the smallest (elementary) actions that lead to a specific result. From my practice, I got to the point where it was necessary to write instructions that the fifth graders could understand. Therefore, when you write the instructions, think that you will give it to a fifth grader and he will work according to it. The instruction should be as detailed as possible.

For example, the process of brushing teeth in the morning for a child.

1. In the bathroom, turn on the light (indicate where the switch is and what it looks like).

2. Go to the bathroom.

3. Turn on the water: half a turn valve hot water and half a turn - cold valve.

4. Take a yellow toothbrush.

5. Wet it from the bristle side.

6. Take a tube of red toothpaste.

7. Squeeze out the paste with a 1–2 cm thick tape onto the brush.

8. Brush your teeth on the right, left, etc.

So, the plan for developing the instructions.

1. Simple, elementary steps.

2. A measurable result. How is the result measured and how it will look. At this point, the more detailed the description of the result and the clearer its quantitative measurement, the more likely it is to get the desired result.

3. Responsible for the process. Who is responsible for executing the process.

4. Time to complete each step. You don't need to tie to minutes. For example, if there is a task to search for information on the Internet, it should not take more than two hours (sometimes, employees say that they spent five hours searching). So many are not looking! In time, you can also specify the frequency of the task. For example, an act of checking the quality of food in a restaurant should be drawn up once a week or once every two weeks. Write down on which checklist or instructions the check is done, and indicate the frequency - on the 1st and 15th day of each month.

3. Instructions - technical implementation

1. A regular numbered list or checklist is the most accessible way of writing instructions.

2. Drawing up a mind map - mind map. The presentation of instructions in the form of mind maps greatly simplifies their perception and mastering. This shape connects the right hemisphere of the brain, making employees much better at taking instructions.

3. Recording screencasts from the monitor screen.

Screencast is a digital video recording of information displayed on a computer screen, often accompanied by voice comments.

If you need to write instructions on a task that should be performed on a computer, screencast is the best way. You will once record a video of how you do everything, accompanied by comments, and then it will work for you.

For recording, programs such as CamStudio and FlashBack recorder are used. They record video from the screen and sound from the microphone, and output a video file. For example, you can explain how to work with 1C or create an e-mail newsletter. First, you can say the instructions: “Instruction No. 24“ How to add a new client to the database ”. To add a new client, use the mouse to open the program in which the database is maintained, press “Add client” and the plus sign. A client card opens, where you must fill in fields A, B and C: write your first name in Russian, last name. Then press the “Save” button. Now this contact is displayed in the database and can be found in the search. " We stopped recording. You have got instructions on how to add a new client to the database. These videos can be viewed and used. You also need to keep a register of instructions so that the employee can find the one he needs by searching and open it. If you have a lot of video instructions, it is better to organize a private corporate channel on YouTube.

4. Audio recording. You can record perfect phone conversations with clients or make audio recordings of meetings, negotiations. You can use a dictaphone to dictate instructions for an employee, then send it to him by mail and ask him to decrypt, add. I use audio a lot for setting tasks. Writing instructions is long and dictating very quickly.

5. Video recording. Take product packaging or quality control, for example. You don't need a professional camera to record video, a regular one in your phone is enough. With the help of the video, you can do educational mini-trainings on the product and sales (Fig. 4.1).

Rice. 4.1. Screenshot of a training video for working with mailing lists

In this chapter, my task was to tell you about the instructions without going deep into the topic. The second derivative of the instruction is a description of business processes, which is more difficult to write. This leads to a third derivative, a business replication system, and a fourth, franchise packaging. But the first step is instructions.

You can write instructions for yourself. If you have professional managers, you can start filming the process from them. For example, in consulting, when we describe processes, we let professional employees describe the tasks they perform.

The first instruction may be difficult for you. You will think that it takes a long time to write, it is faster to do it yourself or leave it as it is. But when there are repetitive tasks, with the help of instructions, you essentially automate them. For example, one task is repeated 15 times a month and each time you devoted 10 minutes to it, that is, you spent 150 minutes, and it took 60 minutes to write an instruction. As a result, in a year you save 1800 minutes - an unreal amount of time that you can spend on business development, scaling, operational management, etc.

There is such a concept of "technicality" when you think that no one can do better than you. Wean yourself off of it! Serious business development with this approach is impossible. If a supervisor is given a checklist to clean an office, he will probably do it better than a cleaning lady. But that's not what he should be doing.

My opinion: it is better to choose a result of 4 points with someone else's hands than for 5 points with your own. This is the only way you can grow your company exponentially. Therefore, when you write the instructions, keep in mind how much time you will save after automating the task. First, you will write instructions, then implement them - and you can spend the free time that appears on vacation, family or business development. In everyone's life, there have been cases when the manager himself took away the correspondence, etc. It is clear that he does it well, but the manager's time should be spent on working OVER the business, and not working in business.

4. Example of instructions "Working with freelancers"

1. Write a technical assignment (technical task): prescribe a goal, describe quantitatively the work, make links to examples (it is better to give three different ones), describe in detail the result and its format. Deadlines - it is advisable to indicate the deadline, two days (freelancers often delay deadlines). Indicate whether the candidate needs experience to complete this work and the amount of payment. And also that it is necessary to report on the work done on a daily basis and show the result.

Example: draw a design for a business website. Blog site, simple, 7-9 pages. Examples of similar ones: consult2b.ru, ultrasales.ru. Work experience and a link to the portfolio are required. Send the result of the work in a PSD file to [email protected] The term of execution is three days. Payment - 4000 rubles. Every day you need to send a message about the work done and an intermediate result by 21:00.

2. If the task is a website, articles, programming, design, go to the Freelance.ru website (login: alex-r-now, password: passwd) and click on the button ...

3. If the tasks are simpler - to decrypt audio recording, rewriting, layout of sites, Internet search, compilation of a database, video processing, go to workzilla.ru (login: [email protected], password: ABC213) and press the button ...

4. Check the mail in an hour and select the best candidates by rating, clarify the experience, look at the work. Be sure to watch reviews about working with a freelancer. If there are negative ones, it is better to choose another one, albeit with a lower rating.

5. When appointing a performer, add him to Friends in social networks and Skype, agree before which time to send a report on the work done. For example, until 21:00 every day + link to the result.

P.S. An intermediate result is necessary if the task is complex and consists of several stages. If simple, no "gap" is required.

5. Template "Rules of Procedure of the Lead Generation Client Attraction Manager"

1. Activity plan for the day:

30 successful calls. Conversations with decision-makers on the procurement of XXX products;

15 calls to a warm customer base. Calls to reactivate or sell special offers;

Entering contacts into the customer base;

Making appointments for one day a week.

2. Prepare a report on the results of the last day and a plan for the current one for the daily morning planning meeting. The meeting is at 9:00.

3. Fill out the control and reporting forms at the end of the working day.

4. Prepare marketing materials for the meeting, send out commercial offers, emails and newsletters.

5. Make suggestions to improve sales, service, customer service, improve labor efficiency, develop new customer objections, etc.

6. Monthly, by the 2nd day of each month, submit reports on the work done for the month: how many new customers, sales volume, number of additional sales and meetings held, calls, calls and meetings conversion.

7. Comply with the standards of work with clients, the state of the workplace, dress code and discipline.

8. The time of coming to work is 8:50, the time of leaving work is 17:50.

6. Template "Rules of procedure for the head of the sales department"

Department management and personal sales - 50/50 working hours.

Department management

1. To motivate and ideologically inspire the managers of the department, including by their example of large sales.

2. Conduct daily morning planning meetings, control the setting and implementation of goals for the day by the department employees.

3. Fulfill the sales plan.

4. Conduct debriefing on problem areas of work with clients.

5. Every week on Mondays, hold a meeting of the sales department to summarize the results of the week, to fulfill the sales plan, increase work efficiency and introduce new technologies in sales.

6. Mark the results of managers on a motivation board. Show results. Praise and reward achievements.

7. Optimize and improve the standards of the department.

8. At least once a month, conduct coaching of employees on the topics of identifying the needs of clients, the difficult "passage" of the secretary, force majeure situations, how to put the squeeze on the client, work with large clients.

9. Provide management with your views on the required staffing changes in the sales department.

10. Monitor the appearance and condition of employees' workplaces.

11. Participate in competitions for the selection of personnel.

12. Once every six months, conduct personnel certification for knowledge of the product and sales techniques.

Personal sales

1. Maintaining a personal customer base.

2. Daily pressure on difficult clients by phone.

3. Actively travel with managers to meetings with clients to transfer experience.

4. Conduct an audit of the client base.

5. Monitor the work of accounts payable and receivable managers.

6. Limit the amount of discounts for clients.

IMPORTANT!

Scripts are not effective in all telephone conversations and not in all meetings - there is a dependence on the specifics of the business. But there is no way in this book to describe all company profiles. If you decide to implement sales scripts, you can sign up to me for a 30-minute Skype consultation (or telephone). To do this, fill out the form at http://goo.gl/JJu0oI.

Development and execution of the job description The job description must contain: - the name of the organization - in strict accordance with the constituent documents. The abbreviated name is indicated below the full name or immediately after it, if it is assigned

4.8.3 Transmission of instructions After explaining the rules of the Game and the formation of gaming organizations (it is clear that they can be formed in all the previously described ways), the presenter gives time to "prepare for production", where "production" is the transmission of instructions from the number to

4.8.4 Fulfillment of instructions At the invitation of the presenter, the first performer comes into the hall and goes to the “stage”. The audience watches his actions with undisguised interest, catching his slightest uncertainty or doubt. Sometimes he asks the presenter with any question.

2.8.6. Method 6 "Control through regulations" In fig. 2.8.5 shows another way to organize end-to-end process management. A process working group is being formed. It may include staff members, experts, external consultants.

5.1.6. "Isotized" (too general) regulations The ISO standards for the quality management system (QMS) themselves are quite valuable methodological documents. However, their practical implementation does not give the expected effect. Much has been written about this and continues to be written about. to me

Appendix 18 Sample job description of the promoter APPROVED General Director _______________ Ivanov I. I. "____" 200 _______________, Job description _______________ No. _______________ of the Promoter1. GENERAL PROVISIONS 1.1. The promoter is appointed and dismissed by order

Appendix 19 Sample job description of the merchandiser APPROVED General Director _______________ Ivanov I. I. "____" 200 _______________, Job description _______________ No. _______________ Merchandiser1. GENERAL PROVISIONS 1.1. The merchandiser is appointed to the position and dismissed by order

Appendix 21 Sample job descriptions of the head of the department for work with network clients APPROVED General director _______________ Ivanov I. I. "____" 200 _______________. Job description _______________ No. _______________ Head of department for work with network clients1. ARE COMMON

7.4. Analysis of activities. Job descriptions Objectives and stages of activity analysis Activity analysis should provide answers to the following questions: how much time an employee needs to perform basic production operations; what production operations

2.7. Guidelines for Writing Instructions: How to Develop Positions and Instructions All the difficulties are made easy when you learn them. William Shakespeare According to Art. 68 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, the employer is obliged to familiarize the employee with local regulations that have

Appendix 5. Sales funnel: characteristics of stages and regulations In complex sales, the negotiation process can last for months, and the number of business contacts is in the hundreds. We use e-mail-correspondence, telephone conversations, personal meetings,

Preparation of Assessment Center methodological materials (competency model, exercises, instructions, forms, observation schedules) This stage has become one of the most time-consuming and labor-intensive for the team of organizers. The existing model, which at that time consisted of 14

By creating a new product (online service, online store, mobile app), we strive to ensure product reliability, performance and safety. To stand out from the competition, we draw an unusual design, add new features to the interface. Based on our own experience, we believe that users will understand all the innovations.

But in most cases, non-standard solutions lead to the loss of current users and increase the cost of attracting new ones.

Why, after launching a project, expectations are not equal to results

Observing the promotion of various online services show almost the same results. If, after launching the service, we poll the first 100 users, we get something like this:

• 40 people will not use the service until they have read the instructions, screenshots and videos created by the service's consultants. They will contact technical support for instructions;
• 20 people will independently familiarize themselves with the instructions, study the functions of the service;
• another 20 will not understand where to start work and will not use the service;
• only 10 users will make all the settings correctly, I will not read the instructions and contact the technical support service;
• the remaining 10 people evaluated the service, compared it with competitors, until they decided whether they would use it.

Most of the users do not understand the functions and navigation of the online service; 40% of users do not read the instructions on the site and turn to consultants for help. Only 10% start working with the service without additional assistance, since they have the necessary user experience.

How to make the service more understandable

Renowned usability expert Jakob Nielsen argues that “the system should be equally acceptable to two groups of users - novice and experienced” (the principle of flexibility and efficiency, one of the “10 heuristic rules for user interface design”).

In an understandable system, both beginners and experienced users will figure it out equally quickly. If a developer designs an interface based on their own experience, few will be able to use the solution. There are not many specialists with the same level of experience :-)

If newbies do not understand how the service works without instructions and contacting technical support, find a way to explain to them how to use the system correctly. To begin with, analyze what exactly is not clear to people, what questions they ask. Then write clear instructions and place prompts in the right places.

What beginners ask about

New users ask two questions:

1. Where to start to use the service? (the user does not understand the service well).
2. How to accomplish a particular task? (does not understand the sequence of actions, the scenario of work).

This data means that users do not receive the necessary information from the instructions and manuals for working with the service:

• The user did not find the instruction.
• The user did not understand the multi-page documentation.

Back in 1995, Jacob Nielsen formulated a rule: "it is best if the system can be used without reading the documentation, but if necessary, you need to provide background information that should not be too voluminous and should offer a list of specific actions."

Provide users with easy-to-understand instructions

Jacob Nielsen's “10 Heuristic Rules for User Interface Design” contains a number of guidelines and rules for designing user instructions.

We have adapted these tips.

The American usability rules are supplemented by a Russian specialist, author of the book "Shareware: Professional Development and Promotion of Programs" Stanislav Zharkov:

“When describing a way to solve a problem, as in writing any documentation, you need to avoid writing too voluminous texts, since users will simply skim through them, without delving into the meaning of what is written, just like a person viewing a newspaper first stops their gaze on short notes, skipping large materials. The best way is to compose something like step by step instructions, each step of which is 1–2 sentences ”(“ Shareware: professional development and promotion of programs ”, St. Petersburg, 2001).

Short and easy-to-understand instructions are easily implemented in the form of prompts. The user can more easily perceive small tips for key actions and learn to work with the system faster.

Create instructions using hints

We looked at the reactions of users, wrote down and studied their questions, and identified functions that they did not understand. For each unclear moment, we will create short tips.

Well-known companies like Google and Facebook help users with tips. You’ve seen them if you created a company page on Facebook or worked with text in Google Docs.

And this is an example of a hint for users Google plus.

Brief instructions in tooltips alert users to new or additional features. The system automatically shows them to new users at the start of work. They are displayed only once, you can close them (skip), or go to the help section of the resource and read more. To explain the sequence of actions, service developers combine such tips into demo tours. Similar instructions are offered to their users by Google Plus and Youtube.

Checklist for developing effective instructions in the form of prompts

1. Use prompts to describe specific user steps.

2. Create study tours for work scenarios.

3. Explain with tips the purpose complex functions and special terms.

4. Tell users how to speed up frequently repetitive actions.

5. Show hints automatically only once, the first time a user visits.

6. Allow the user to turn on demo tours at any time.

7. Make hints in a uniform design for the service.

Tools for creating clues

To create one-page instructions (for one interface window), ready-made Java Script code libraries are suitable: Intro.js and Bootstro.js. For cross-page suggestions, Hintarea and Walkme.com are good choices.

Hints can help those who:

• installed a new mobile application;
• used an online service (booking system, bulletin board);
• places an order in an online store;
• works with a business application (CMS, CRM).

Example: tips for training CMS Wordpress users

Let's imagine a typical situation. The web studio developed the site and handed it over to the owner company. The company manager will fill the site with content. Most likely, he does not have serious experience with CMS (let's say it will be WordPress in our example). The administration panel will raise a number of questions from him:

• where to start work;
• what the names and terms mean;
• where to find help information;

The web studio will greatly simplify the work with the site for clients if it creates hints for them in difficult places in advance.

You can come up with dozens of tips and combine them into demo tours so as not to force the user to flip through the documentation pages or watch video tutorials. To understand what hints are, we will write explanations for the key tasks.

Explain to the user where to start

The user clicks on the "Add new" button. A window for editing a new page appears and the following prompt appears.

We will teach you how to fill out forms correctly

Let's pay attention to important functions

We form an understanding of working with content

Explaining specific terms

Don't require users to read technical documentation. The hint in the screenshot explains the meaning of the new terms. It contains only a few sentences, does not overlap with system elements and is compatible with the interface design.

Once again about the benefits

The value of tips for users is obvious - those who previously needed help master the service or application on their own.

Developers of applications or services will save on the preparation and publication of technical documentation and reference materials. Hints will reduce the load on the technical support service.

Owners of online stores who have placed tips, for example, on the checkout page, will get rid of some of the "abandoned carts" and increase conversion and store revenue.

Study the reaction of users to the product, create clear and accessible instructions. This will reduce the loss of potential customers and reduce the cost of acquiring them.

This is a translation of an article previously published in the American magazine for Internet entrepreneurs, sandhill.com.

Especially for the online edition "ProGrabli", the material has been significantly expanded, mainly by including information on aspects of UX design when developing a web product.

There are many types of providing help information to the user - these are FAQ (frequently asked questions, frequently asked questions) and online help and user guide (user guide) and popular tips (coachmarks, see example below), training videos and others.

There are various reasons why you need to write a system user manual. Starting with the customer's requests (in my practice, there was a case when the customer had to supply a user manual after each iteration, so that with its help he could conduct acceptance testing of the iteration functionality) and ending with the terms of the contract regarding the delivery of ready-made software, if we talk about software development to order. In the case of developing your own product, writing a user manual is also often the case.

An analyst is often hired to create a guide if there is no way to assign it to a technical writer. In the overwhelming majority of cases, it is the analyst who possesses the most complete knowledge about the system; he also has the ability to clearly express his thoughts in writing due to the specifics of the profession. Therefore, I have had to deal with the creation of user manuals more than once.

Below are some practices for writing a good user guide. Some of them, perhaps, will be useful to someone when writing requirements specifications.

1. Standards

It is often necessary to write a document that would meet the requirements of the current standards. It can be:

• IEEE Std 1063-2001, "IEEE Standard for Software User Documentation";
• GOST 19:
  • GOST 19.402-78 ESPD. Program description;
  • GOST 19.502-78 ESPD. general description... Requirements for content and design;
  • GOST 19.503-79 ESPD. System Programmer's Guide. Requirements for content and design;
  • GOST 19.504-79 ESPD. Programmer's guide. Requirements for content and design;
  • GOST 19.505-79 ESPD. Operator's manual. Requirements for content and design.

If the needs of the project allow you not to follow rigid standards, in any case, studying these documents can serve as a starting point for writing a quality document.

The book by Yuri Kagarlitsky MetaGuide may also be useful. A guide for developers of technical documentation for software.

2. Structure

Think well the structure of the document: it should cover all the functionality of the system, be complete and understandable.

A good user manual should contain:

• Annotation, which provides a summary of the contents of the document and its purpose. It is also recommended to write a short summary at the beginning of each major section.
• Introduction containing information on how best to use this manual
• Content
• Chapters describing how use ON
• Glossary and
• Subject index

Also, the user manual may contain:

• FAQ and answers to them
• Links for additional information on the system
• Chapter describing possible Problems and ways to solve them

All chapters and paragraphs, as well as figures and tables, are best numbered so that they can be referred to within this document or from another document.

3. Users

Think of the typical users of this software: you need the document to help them solve their day-to-day tasks.

It might even make sense to make different sections (or even different documents) for different groups users, if their interaction with the system will be radically different. For example, system administrators (people responsible for accounts, access rights, etc.) will be interested in a completely different functionality than ordinary users.

Respect the users of the system, do not write instructions in a dismissive style.

4. Features of presentation

Remember that speech and business writing differ in style from technical documentation and, in particular, a user manual.

Leadership style should be neutral-formal - the use of stylistically colored words distracts the user from the point.

A knowledge of grammar and a little psychology will come in handy to write a good document.

4.1 Write briefly and logically. Don't give unnecessary details, don't duplicate information. The sequence in which the information is mentioned in the user manual must match the sequence of the user's actions:

Good: In File menu, select Saveitem.
Worse: Select Save item from File menu.

4.2 Use the imperative, do not use polite phrases (please, could, etc.) - excessive politeness will be a hindrance here.

Good: Click Logout.

Worse: It is needed to click Logout to log out current user account from the system .

Worse: If user wants to log out current user account from the system (s) he needs to click Logout.

4.3 Structure the information. You can often find advice to try to avoid lists, however, step-by-step information is always better perceived.

Good:
Tocreateproject:

1. Click the Create button on toolbar.
2. On the Create Project overlay fill in all mandatory fields.
3. Click the Savebutton to save the project.

Worse: To create project click the Create button on toolbar, on the Create Project overlay fill in all mandatory fields, click the Save button to save the project.

4.4 Don't use future or past tense... For example, manuals are often found in which the system's response to a user's action is conveyed in phrases formulated in the future tense. Software has no past or future: everything happens in the present as a direct result of a specific user action. As soon as an event occurs, the software reacts.

Good: When user clicks the Start button, the program starts the process.

Worse: When user clicks the Start button, the program will start the process.

4.5 Check the meaning of words. If it is necessary to write a document in a foreign language, one should try to avoid as much as possible mistakes associated with insufficient knowledge of the language.

For example, the verb “press” means pressing a key on the keyboard, and “click” means pressing a button or an icon in the program window using the mouse, and “hit” is generally a slang word.

Of course, spelling mistakes are unacceptable.

4.6 Do not use synonyms for the same term. IT literature in English (or any other) language has a standard set of verbs denoting actions (click, double-click, select, type, press, etc.) and the same standard set of control names. Decide on terminology and stick to it throughout the document.

For example, do not allow a dropdown to be named dropdown in one part of the document and a combobox or dropdown list in another. This confuses the user.

4.7 Use abbreviations wisely and eliminate jargon.

It is believed that abbreviations should not be used, but if a long term is used several times, then at the first mention in the text it is necessary to write the full name and next to it - the abbreviation in brackets, and further in the text you can use only the abbreviation. If the document contains a glossary or a section with abbreviations, they should be transcribed there.

Do not use slang words, metaphors, and terms borrowed from a language other than the language of the manual.

5. Appearance

5.1 Think about the style of the document... This can be a corporate template or software color scheme, or a design made specifically for a document.

When writing, feel free to highlight important things with styles or colors (for example, bold button names). However, it is important to understand that incorrectly selected fonts and colors can make it difficult to perceive the content of the document.

5.2 Don't save space- break the text into short paragraphs, use relatively large headings, start a new section on a new page. This will facilitate the perception of the information read by the user.

5.3 Use pictograms and illustrations... There is an opinion that you should not get carried away with illustrations, and also include icons in the text in the user manual. However, graphical information is always better perceived and remembered, so screenshots and the necessary icons should be present in a good manual in sufficient, but reasonable amount.

6. Support

Don't lose sight of the fact that software changes over time, which means your document must also change to stay up to date.

Conclusion

Please note that irritation from a poor quality document can be projected by the user onto the software and thus influence the decision to use the product.

Remember the main thing: the document should help users.

The article was prepared by

Tarasyuk Nadezhda, member of the community site,

analyst with 6 years of experience in the field.