Belbin Job Report

Defining a Job

When defining a job or responsibility, we often consider the qualifications and skills required, whilst neglecting the specific behavioural attributes needed to be successful in the role.

If personal attributes are given space in the job description, it’s often in the form of a “shopping list” of generic, positive characteristics which is not specific to the role in question and does not help to discern between possible candidates.

That’s where the language of Belbin Team Roles comes in.

Belbin isn’t just for individuals and teams.

Belbin Job reports describe jobs in terms of the behavioural demands they make. The Job report enables line managers and recruiters to define a particular job role in terms of Belbin Team Role behaviours.

It offers advice regarding the role for both managers and potential applicants or incumbents. 

How can I get a Belbin Job report?

  • To receive a Job report, the line manager (or person responsible for the job) must complete the Job Requirements Inventory.
  • This is an online questionnaire and asks the person responsible for the job to distinguish which attributes are most important for success in the role.
  • The inventory can be completed by collaboration with other stakeholders, and this process is often illuminating in itself, since it can help to identify and resolve conflicting ideas about what the job entails.
  • Optionally, the line manager can also ask other stakeholders to complete a Job Observation questionnaire. The Job Observation questionnaire consists of two ticklists of adjectives which are considered to be particularly helpful or unhelpful to success in the role.

What does a Belbin Job report look like?

The Belbin Job report consists of three pages defines a specific job in terms of Belbin Team Roles.

What does each page say?

  • Job Specification: designed for the line manager or whoever is responsible for the job. Describes the job in terms of Belbin Team Role behaviours, including specifying which behavioural contributions are helpful and unhelpful within the role.
  • Job Expectations: designed for present incumbents or potential candidates. Outlines the nature of the behavioural demands the job will place upon them, and the kind of expectations others might have for the jobholder.
  • List of Observer Responses for Jobs: lists the characteristics that colleagues, clients and other stakeholders consider to be important in the job. Useful for comparing with an individual’s List of Observer Words.

You can download a sample report here.

What can I use the Job report for?

  • Exploring behavioural demands of the job, to avoid focusing exclusively on CV and hard skills
  • Clarifying stakeholder expectations for a given role when seeking to recruit or select (internally or externally)
  • Offering guidance to potential candidates applying for a role or attending interview
  • Addressing performance and engagement issues with a present incumbent
  • Identifying and exploring dissonance between the expectations of line manager and jobholder in fulfilment of the role

Once you have your Belbin Job report and a Belbin Individual report you can run a Belbin Job Comparison report…

Please note: the Belbin Job reports are a tool to consolidate thinking about the role and to prompt fruitful discussions. They should never be used as the sole basis for decision-making.

Belbin in Recruitment – a panel discussion

Elliot Street (of multi-award winning Inovus Medical), Mike Kerins (of leading life science company, Cambridge Bioscience) and Bob Penney (Belbin Accredited business consultant) discuss their transformative use of Belbin within their recruitment processes in the biomedical industry. 

Next steps

If you are looking to use Belbin on a regular basis, and would like to use the full suite of Belbin reports, please get in touch and talk to a member of the Belbin team.

By understanding how you are planning to use the Belbin reports, we can give you useful advice and offer the most cost-effective options. Contact us today to find out more.

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