How Northwest Bank Transformed Job Description Management with JDXpert

“JDXpert is a robust, powerful, and flexible job description management tool. This solution not only helped solve pain points regarding efficiency and consistency but has also helped us proactively meet challenges such as FLSA exemption testing and remote work expectations. The platform is customizable to meet our needs, and their customer support is exceptional—a combination that makes JDXpert stand head and shoulders above other job description management tools, like a doctorate vs. a high school diploma.”

The Customer

Northwest Bank is a full-service, publicly traded community bank with 162 walk-in and drive-through branches throughout Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana, and Ohio. Founded in 1896, they are a people-first organization whose mission is to make lives better—for their employees and their customers.

The Challenge

Northwest’s job description management process was convoluted, to say the least. When revisions were required, Word files were sent via email to the appropriate manager, who was asked to enable “track changes” as they updated. To audit the changes, they’d retain hard copies and physically file the new versions. Tracking the status and timeline of a revision was also done manually, an arduous and inefficient workflow that not only took a lot of time to complete but was also prone to error. Managers tasked with updating job descriptions would occasionally forget to use track changes. If several people were working on the document, it was difficult to see who made the changes. Formatting was inconsistent, and stakeholders would make changes items that were not revisable but were a part of the basic template. Additionally, it was challenging for a manager to craft a new description if it did not have a previous version to use as a basis. Notes on the description were sometimes handwritten and often filed in a separate folder from the current version of the job description, so other team members’ notes were often not considered when changes were made. With so many stakeholders and no consistent process or protocol, their pain points became barriers to productivity, growth, and efficiency. Northwest’s HR managers were committed to finding a solution. They searched products online, comparing features, ratings, and cost, finally selecting three options that satisfied their needs. After a live demo of each, they chose JDXpert.

The Solution

JDXpert enabled Northwest’s HR team to configure job descriptions to suit the company’s needs, maintain an audit trail of changes by time and person, archive past descriptions, create flexible workflows, maintain formatting consistency, and implement role-based access to restrict what could and could not be changed. JDXpert also provided Northwest with solutions they didn’t know they needed, such as a way to connect compensation to a job description, enable role-based visibility for HR personnel, adjust processes for remote work, and acknowledge employees. They now also had a way to consistently test and record decisions regarding FSLA status, reducing their employer risk and liability.

The Result

JDXpert’s user-friendly interface made buy-in easy across the organization. Managers and HR love the look of the finished descriptions, and especially like the global search feature as it helps them review and craft job descriptions. They chose a methodical rollout, initially using the workflow for revisions with managers, providing basic platform information, and offering one-on-one guidance as needed. Though the solution is not yet fully implemented, Northwest is thrilled with its increased efficiency and very satisfied with how JDXpert addressed its pain points. Additionally, the integration of JDXpert with Payscale MarketPay will enable a seamless process when grading and matching descriptions to market for survey participation. On the whole, Northwest is finding ways to manage or address the needs of individual departments as they arise. JDXpert’s best-in-class support means that Northwest always has help with challenges or questions that arise, ensuring that every stakeholder is getting the most out of the system. We have effectively solved their pain points, simplifying processes, democratizing job description data, providing visibility, improving compliance, and accelerating time to value. With all the extra time the Northwest HR team has on their hands, you can be sure they’re poised to grow.