Originally published by Lou Adler on LinkedIn: There are Only Four Types of Work in the World

One way to improve quality of hire is to define a job as a series of 5-6 performance objectives rather than a laundry list of skills, experience and “must have” competencies. On one level this is more attractive to people who are open to changing jobs. It also opens the talent pool to more diverse, high potential and older people who are fully competent and highly motivated to do the work. This can be proven using a performance-based interviewing process that requires the candidates to provide detailed examples of comparable accomplishments.

One way to develop the performance objectives is to just ask the hiring manager what the person needs to do to be successful in the job. This normally includes one or two major objectives and three to four subtasks. For example, a major objective might be, “Lead the effort with design and operations to prepare a two-year product roadmap.” This is a lot better than defining the job as, “Must have an MBA, a technical degree, 6-8 years industry experience and a results-oriented attitude.” A subtask might be, “Within 60 days review the current product roadmap and identify the major technical bottlenecks.”

The Four Work Types – The Mix Matters

Work Types is another way to develop these performance objectives. This approach classifies work into four categories that map directly to the classic product life cycle. This is shown in the graphic and described below. (Here’s a link to an interactive version of the same graphic.) When opening up a new job requisition ask the hiring manager to develop 2-3 performance objectives for each Work Type. When completed put the objectives in priority order. One or two Work Types will typically stand out.

As you ask candidates to describe their major accomplishments assign these to Work Types. This is a great way to ensure a strong match between your job and the person’s intrinsic motivators.

The Four Basic Work Types

Thinkers: These people are the idea generators, strategists, and creative types. They’re at the front end of the growth curve, and their work covers new products, new business ideas, and different ways of doing everyday things. Sometimes they get in the way once the company or projects begin to grow. An example of a performance objective for the Thinker could be, “Develop a workaround to the technical bottleneck to ensure the launch date is met.”

Builders: These people take ideas from the Thinker and convert them into reality. Entrepreneurs, project managers and turnaround executives are typical jobs that emphasize the Builder component. They thrive in rapid change situations, make decisions with incomplete information and can create some level of order out of chaos. They feel strangled in bigger organizations. “Rebuild the entire product management department in 90 days to support the global launch,” would be an example of a Builder performance objective.