How to craft a job description for credit managers

Job descriptions are brief written explanations that outline the responsibilities and requirements of a role. Crafting the right job description will help attract the most qualified candidate—and with millions of job listings on different websites, a well-crafted job description will help you stand out.

Generally, when candidates seek employment opportunities, there are four main priorities:

• Work-life balance
• Flexibility
• Income and benefits
• Company culture

Why it matters: It is important to include a glimpse of each priority within your company’s job posting. Job descriptions can make or break a job seeker’s interest. Vague and basic sentences can be misleading, or even inaccurate in what the potential candidate will be doing. In fact, 52% of job seekers say the quality of a job description is very or extremely influential on their decision to apply for a job, according to an Indeed survey.

This rings especially true in the credit profession because the role of credit is never black and white. For example, a credit manager role may slightly differ from a credit and collections role, or a credit analyst role is different from a credit risk manager. So, creating an accurate job description can be tricky. Here are a few tips for those in the credit profession no matter the industry or role:

Put the responsibilities of the job first. Whether in bullet point form fashion or a simple paragraph, the core duties of the job should be listed along with a strong opening summary. “A well-thought-out scope of work and an objective are a crucial part of the description,” said Cynthia Wieme, CCE, ICCE, MICM, retired credit expert (Centennial, CO). “I like to start out with the objective or what we’re trying to accomplish with this role and then we need X number of skillsets.”

Create an accurate title based on requirements. An accurate position is important for attracting the right candidates. Every company titles their jobs differently. For example, a job title that says credit manager can be confusing because it could mean you are running a team, or it could mean you are running accounts.

“Every job description should always include bullet points so that at a very high level, you can pinpoint and show exactly what the individual will be responsible for,” said Roxanne Price, CCE, CCRA, NACM chair elect and corporate credit manager at H&E Equipment Services, Inc. (Baton Rouge, LA). “I know you can’t capture everything, but at a high level you have to list that so at least they know if they apply for it, it’s something that they’re used to and that they can adapt in the event that they are considered for the position.”

Include incentive opportunities. Motivation is a huge factor in whether a candidate will ever be interested in applying. Most employees today have a what’s in it for me perspective—so, including opportunities for growth is paramount. The support of credentialing is a major incentive for job applicants as well. “One thing I’ve included in job descriptions is the opportunity for education,” Wieme said. “I’ll plug in NACM for the candidate to potentially earn a designation such as a CBA or CBF. I’ve been very fortunate for all my employers in the last 30 years of being NACM and FCIB members, so I’ve been able to include that in my job descriptions. You attract talent if it’s something else besides the basics.”

Be specific. It is best to avoid the vague “other duties as assigned” jargon in descriptions. Some employers have taken advantage of their employees and used the other duties as assigned to get them to do something out of their normal scope of responsibilities. However, some employers use other duties as assigned to open the floor for the employee to branch out. Try to shift the wording to something along the lines of “working on team projects in a collaborative environment” to be more specific to the other duties in question.

Marlene Groh, CCE, ICCE, regional credit manager at Carrier Enterprise LLC (Charlotte, NC), said she includes the wording work on team projects as needed. “You don’t want someone to say that you didn’t mention a task that they are now doing,” Groh explained. “For the most part, if you’re a collector, you’re doing collections. But if you get a tax project where everyone must get tax certificates and you need the whole team to pitch in, everyone is part of it even though it may not be part of the job description.”

Include a compensation range. In 2023, one fifth of all U.S. workers became covered under pay transparency laws. The regulations were made to require all employers to be transparent with salary ranges and benefits to help promote equity and fairness in the workplace. Each transparency law differs from state to state. Depending on the jurisdiction, the law may require employers to:

• Disclose salary ranges to candidates at a specific point in the process.
• Disclose the salary range when requested by the employee.
• Disclose salary ranges in the job post itself.

Pay transparency can be beneficial for improving employee performance, motivation and job satisfaction. Most candidates seek a salary range in the job description itself to see if the amount of work matches the pay. However, there are other reasons why an employer may not want to disclose salary in the job description itself.

“I typically like to stay away from listing the compensation because you don’t want to overcommit to something too soon,” said Price. “It also depends on the candidate’s skillsets, what they can bring to the table to improve the department and if we have the return on investment. You can have a quick return on investment with one certain hire, but with other hires it can take a bit longer, so I like to shy away from listing the actual pay.”

Here’s an excerpt of a credit analyst administrative role description:

Job Responsibilities

• Set up COD and term accounts approved by Credit team.
• Maintain and scan credit files.
• Perform customer account maintenance.
• Prepare weekly and monthly credit reports – aging reports, statements, invoice copies.
• Prepare customer refunds.
• Maintain tax certificates.
• Prepare and track lien notices and filings.
• Prepare and send collection letters.
• Assist with travel planning and department meetings.
• Handle ordering office supplies.
• Work on team projects as needed.

Requirements

• Excellent customer service skills.
• Ability to organize and prioritize work.
• Attention to detail with strong data entry skills.
• Ability to work independently or as part of a team.
• Professional in appearance and attitude.
• Ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to efficiently operate computers.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office software (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, etc.).
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills (vlookup, pivot tables a must).
• Ability to adjust work schedule in accordance with job objectives.
• Must have strong and accurate data entry skills.
• Ability to perform basic math functions.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent with a minimum of two years’ experience or Associate’s Degree.
• Work and/or experience in a distribution environment is a plus.

The bottom line: An effective job description is important for attracting the right candidates, and it should include clear responsibilities.