Pretty much every job these days will will have some kind of job description (I say most – there will still be those organisations hiring people on a wing and a prayer).

But identifying the types of competences needed for a role does not always include the behaviours needed. Behaviours are what make us tick and form the basis of how we will approach a role.

There are two types of behaviours – natural & learned:
Natural (or innate) behaviours define our core temperament and are set (depending on the occupational psychologist you speak to) between the ages of 8 and 18. Your temperament will determine factors like your competitiveness, drive, independence etc.

Learned behaviours are the parts of yourself you can change i.e. values, ethics, stability etc. These change throughout your life depending on your environment, partner, job etc.

So when you next put a role description together ask yourself – do you have a people description as well?