How to Fill Out a Position Description Questionnaire (With Examples)

How to Fill Out a Position Description Questionnaire (With Examples)

If you are the employee holding a blank position description questionnaire, the form can feel like a test. It is not. A PDQ asks you to describe the job as it is assigned, in enough detail that a stranger could understand it. The quality of your answers decides how accurately your job gets evaluated.

This guide shows you how to fill out a position description questionnaire from start to finish. You will see what each section wants, how to estimate percent of time, and what a weak answer looks like next to a strong one. If you are the HR lead who needs to coach employees, you can hand this page to them as a companion to your form.

TL;DR

• Describe the position, not your performance. Write what the job requires, in your own words.
• List duties in order of time spent, with percentages that total exactly 100%.
• Use specifics: numbers, dollar limits, frequencies, and named contacts beat adjectives like "complex" or "significant."
• Separate decisions you make from decisions you refer to your supervisor.
• Plan on about 45 to 60 minutes, then pass the form to your supervisor for review.

Before you start: what a PDQ is for

A position description questionnaire documents what one position does so HR can classify or evaluate it. It is not a performance review. Public-sector HR offices say this plainly. Iowa's Department of Administrative Services tells requestors to describe this specific position, not the whole work unit, and to explain what duties are performed and how, with examples.

For the full anatomy of the form, including all 14 standard sections, read our guide to the position description questionnaire. This article stays practical: how you complete it.

Gather these before you sit down:

• Your current job description and org chart
• A calendar or task list from a typical month
• Examples of recent work, such as reports, approvals, or forms you handle
• Any numbers you can pull quickly, like headcount supported, volumes, or budgets

Step-by-step: how to fill out a PDQ

Caption: The six steps for how to fill out a position description questionnaire, from gathering materials to signatures.

Step 1: Gather your materials

Open your job description, but use it only as a memory aid. South Dakota's Bureau of Human Resources tells employees to write in their own words and not copy from class specifications or existing PDQs. Iowa returns requests with copied text. Reviewers want your real picture of the work.

Step 2: State the position's purpose

Write one or two sentences on why the job exists. A useful pattern is to start with an action verb and end with a "to" phrase.

• Weak: "I help with payroll."
• Strong: "Processes biweekly payroll and resolves pay exceptions to ensure about 300 employees are paid accurately and on time."

Step 3: List duties with percent of time

This is the heart of the form. Break the job into major areas, order them from most to least time-consuming, and assign each a percentage of an average workweek. The total should be 100%.

Many forms will not check the total for you. Iowa notes that its form does not flag a total that is not 100%, so you need to add it up yourself. Do the arithmetic before you submit.

To estimate time allocation fairly:

1. Think about a typical month, not your busiest week.
2. Start with the biggest duty and give it a percentage.
3. Group tiny tasks into one "other" line, and keep it under 10%.
4. Add the numbers. If you reach 120%, trim. If you reach 85%, find the missing work.
5. Round to the nearest 5%. False precision, such as 43.7%, tells the reviewer you invented the number.

Step 4: Describe decisions and contacts

For each major duty, say what problems come up, which decisions you make on your own, and which you refer upward. Then list your regular contacts, why you talk to them, and how often. Leave out your supervisor and direct reports, as South Dakota's instructions do.

If you handle money, say whether you recommend or approve spending, and state the dollar limit. Say whether you supervise people in the strict sense. South Dakota's guidance is to list subordinates only if you select, evaluate, and discipline them. If you direct work without those powers, you are likely a lead worker, and the form should say so.

Step 5: Check the total and the tone

Read the form once as a stranger would. Does every duty show what you do, how often, and with what consequence? Do the percentages add to 100%? Did you describe the job or yourself? Remove phrases like "I am the best person to" or "I always go above and beyond." Those belong in a performance review, not here.

Step 6: Sign and send to your supervisor

Certify that the answers are accurate and pass the form on. Your supervisor reviews it, confirms or corrects your statements, and notes the most critical duties. Where you disagree, the form should record both views so the evaluation committee can resolve it.

How to write duties: weak answers vs strong answers

Reviewers can only score what they can see. Compare these fictional payroll specialist examples.

Caption: PDQ duties examples showing weak answers next to strong answers for how to fill out a position description questionnaire.

Notice the pattern. Strong answers name a volume, a frequency, a limit, or a consequence. Weak answers use a vague verb. Iowa's guidance says the same: avoid vague verbs such as "assist," "direct," and "assign," and explain how the work gets done.

A complete duties excerpt

Here is a fictional excerpt for the same role. It is an illustration, not real data.

The arithmetic works: 45 + 20 + 15 + 10 + 10 = 100.

Common mistakes when you fill out a PDQ

• Describing the person, not the position. Write what the job requires. If you do extra work by choice, leave it out or flag it as outside the assigned scope.
• Copying the old job description. It signals you skipped the thinking, and reviewers may send it back.
• Percentages that do not total 100. Add them before you submit.
• Adjectives without evidence. "Significant authority" means nothing. "Approves purchases up to $25,000" means something.
• Leaving out how the job changed. If duties grew or shrank, say when, why, and whether the change is temporary. Keep performance issues out of that explanation.

We cover the five costliest errors, and how reviewers catch them, in a separate article on PDQ mistakes.

For HR: how to help employees complete the form

You can raise the quality of every PDQ before it reaches you.

1. Include one worked example like the table above so employees see the level of detail you want.
2. State the rule on page one: "Describe what the position requires, not how well the current employee performs it."
3. Pre-fill identifying data such as title, code, and department.
4. Set a time budget. About 45 to 60 minutes for the incumbent and 20 to 30 for the supervisor are planning estimates from practice, not a published standard. Adjust after a pilot.
5. Offer a short coaching session for employees who have never seen a PDQ.

Remember the larger purpose. The PDQ supplies evidence, and your committee scores it against compensable factors using the point-factor method. For a view of how the scoring side works, see our job evaluation questionnaire guide. If you are choosing between instruments, read PDQ vs PAQ. Job evaluation is also separate from performance evaluation, which our post on job evaluation vs performance evaluation explains.

PointFactors guides employees through structured questions and flags problems, such as percent of time that does not total 100, before a form reaches your committee. See how it works in a demo.

FAQ

How do I fill out a position description questionnaire?

Gather your materials, state the position's purpose, list duties with percent of time totaling 100%, describe decisions and contacts, check the form for accuracy and tone, then sign and send it to your supervisor. Use your own words and specific numbers.

How do I estimate percent of time for each duty?

Think about a typical month, not your busiest week. Start with your largest duty, assign a percentage, and work down the list. Round to the nearest 5%, and add the numbers to confirm they total 100%.

Should I copy my job description into the PDQ?

No. Both South Dakota and Iowa tell employees to write in their own words. A copied description adds nothing new, and reviewers may return the form. Use the description only to jog your memory.

What should I do if I do work outside my official duties?

Describe the assigned scope of the position. If you regularly perform extra work, say so separately and note whether your supervisor assigned it. The PDQ should reflect what the job requires, not your personal initiative.

How long does it take to complete a PDQ?

Plan on about 45 to 60 minutes for the incumbent, plus 20 to 30 minutes for the supervisor's review. These are practical planning estimates, so use your organization's guidance if it differs.

Does my PDQ answer affect my pay?

Your answers inform how the position is evaluated and graded, which can affect the pay range for the position. Accuracy matters more than size. Inflated answers usually get caught in supervisor and committee review, and the evaluation scores the job, not your performance.

Who reviews my PDQ after I submit it?

Your supervisor reviews it first, confirming your statements or noting exceptions and identifying the most critical duties. HR or a manager then receives it, and an evaluation committee uses it to score the position.

Can a manager fill out the PDQ for an employee?

A supervisor can help, but the incumbent should describe the work in their own words, because they know it best. The supervisor's job is to review and correct, not to replace the incumbent's account.

Start with the evidence

A good PDQ is specific, honest, and about the job. If you take one habit from this guide, make it this: replace every adjective with a number, a limit, or an example.

Ready to turn clean PDQ data into defensible pay grades? Start free with PointFactors to see a job move from questionnaire to point-factor score, or review pricing to plan your rollout.

Justin Hampton, founder and CEO of PointFactors, writes about job evaluation, pay structure, and compensation strategy for HR leaders and compensation analysts.