After ‘bonus’ one of the search terms that often lead people to my main site is ‘job titles’ where they land on an article (”A Rose by any Other Name“) archived from my client newsletter (also reproduced here in March). So, out of interest I googled job titles. Even limiting the search to the UK, it found 700,000 references. Many are lists of titles that link to job advertisements (such as ijob) or salary databases (usually expensive and confusing). Jobtitles.org lists about 10,000 titles and provides a job description (and pop up ad links) for each.
I also found a number of articles, extolling the motivational benefits of giving staff more elaborate titles and, in an article in iVillage, suggesting how you can get your boss to give you a more prestigious-sounding one. Personally, I was happiest with the link I found to the Plain English site where they debunk the preposterous lengths that some organisations go to in naming and describing jobs. My favourites there were flueologist and Knowledge Navigator (chimney sweep and teacher).
There is a balance to be struck between sticking rigidly to a pre-set hierarchy of simple titles and Hyacynth Bucket-like pomposity. If someone really is doing a lot more than is implied by their job title try to reflect that into his or her title (and their pay?) but be very careful that you know who else could make an equally valid case before you do. A secretary who also helps to organise sales conferences is still doing the secretary work; what extra work are the other secretaries doing?
My preference is for titles that mean something to strangers. Of course, there are industry-specific titles that are totally appropriate but need explanation to outsiders (‘best boy’ in film credits?) but overall I recommend ones that enable staff to answer the “what do you do” question by just quoting their title. Above all try to avoid titles that equate to rank.
Must go now. I have to attend to my other job of Domestic Beverage Facilitator.
