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The Challenge

Bob Azman, CCXP, and Immediate Past Chair of CXPA’s Board of Directors, prides himself on listening to the association’s members, and in 2019, he began to hear a repeated message: content was needed to help guide members during the job description development process for newly-created CX roles. “Our mantra is ‘the trusted source for all things CX,’” he explains.  “As we looked at the ‘commoditization’ of CX titles across organizations, we knew we needed to declare what CX positions within an organization truly look like.  Without a recognized source of knowledge, organizations were left to determine skill sets and qualifications on their own-which in turn created a plethora of different positions, some of which barely resembled CX.”

Azman, along with fellow board member Barbie Fink, CCXP, knew that CXPA’s board could not tackle this work on their own, and so they leaned on the association’s greatest resource—its members.

Turning ‘Happy Little Trees’ Into Mighty Oaks

It started with a single post on the discussion forum that contained a request for examples of real-life CX job descriptions. From there, Fink recalls there was no shortage of volunteers interested in joining the larger content development project. Early group meetings were focused on identifying the key elements that needed to be included in the final product. “Each of our members took a piece of the project and began building it out for review by the other members,” she says. “We leveraged the CXPA competency framework in our work together to consider varying levels of skills and knowledge associated with each of the six competencies.”

CXPA member and e-book contributor Ruth Crowley described the process as “methodical and thoughtful.” The group’s work included a thorough review of companies of all sizes, with a focus on those considered best-in-class.  “We benchmarked job descriptions with small and large companies to ensure we considered a broad, diverse and complete framework,” she says.

Serena Riley, CCXP, was similarly impressed by the methodical nature of the work. “We created a landscape skeleton of common roles and like the artist Bob Ross, filled it in with details--behaviors, skills, competencies--and ‘happy little trees.’”

If the behaviors and competencies outlined in the guide are ‘happy little trees,’ members of the workgroup hope that CX hiring managers and HR leaders can leverage them to turn their CX programs into mighty oaks. “Creating roles and responsibilities that organizations can make ‘right for them,’ enables cross pollination that raises the water line for CX across the board,” says Vicki Amon-Higa, CCXP.

A North Star For Professional Development

Azman views the e-book not just as a guide for organizations looking to develop stronger CX programs, but for individuals who are setting their own career goals in the discipline. “We believe this can provide individuals an understanding of how skills they currently possess align with other positions,” he says. “It can also provide a view of the great opportunities that exist within our profession to grow and advance to positions of greater responsibility.”

Chris Rios is CX Practice Leader at Blue Rock Search, an executive search firm that specializes in the recruitment of CX professionals. “Any CX professional ought to know how valuable they are and having appropriate context allows them to create value within their organizations,” he says. “Job descriptions provide an opportunity to uncover gaps and solidify strengths.”

Rios, the e-book sponsor, believes that CX professionals and the organizations they serve should insist on the highest standards when it comes to job descriptions. “I want to see CX elevated within organizations as a means to distinguish themselves from their competition. When a company is serious about CX, its focus ought to be to have the right talent to execute that agenda,” he says. “A quality job description provides the company the avenue to attract and secure a highly-qualified candidate to perform at the highest levels to help the company achieve its goals.”

Are you a CXPA Member who is ready to start planning your professional future or to elevate CX in your organization? Download “CXPA’s Guide to Developing CX Job Descriptions” here.

Not a member? Download here.