Action Verbs for Position Descriptions
It is recommended that departments use action verbs when describing the essential and nonessential duties on a position description. Since every function of a job should be a description of something an employee does, it makes sense to lead with a word that describes that action. An action verb is a word that conveys actions or behaviors, and reflects the type of performance that is to occur. Action verbs reflect behaviors that are measurable, observable, verifiable, and reliable. The following lists are action verbs that are frequently seen in position descriptions, with a brief definition of each.
Administrative Action Verbs
- Advises
- Offers an informed opinion or give specialized information to others.
- Adapts
- Modifies or changes to fit specific or new situations.
- Administers
- Oversees the operational details of a process or program (generally requires some additional explanation to show specific detail). See also Manages.
- Appoints
- Sets, officially arranges.
- Approves
- Exercises final and decisive authority, causing action to use money, manpower, materials, or equipment.
- Arranges
- Makes preparations for, plans.
- Authorizes
- Approves or commits an act implying subsequent action by others.
- Checks
- Proofs or reviews for errors.
- Cancels
- Decides or announces that (a planned event) will not take place.
- Consults
- Considers, asking advice or requests opinion of.
- Controls
- Directs, regulates, or guides the use of money, methods, equipment, and materials. Also, the process of monitoring activities to ensure conformance with planned results.
- Coordinates
- Regulates, adjusts or directs the related actions of others in order to attain desired results.
- Decides
- Select a course of action.
- Delegates
- Entrusts to another person tasks or duties which require exercise of some of the authority of the person originally responsible, as "To delegate an administrative assistant to represent the department at conferences."
- Deletes
- Eliminates or wipes out.
- Denies
- Refuses to give or grant (something requested or desired) to (someone).
- Determines
- Fixes conclusively, regulates. To decide by choice of alternatives.
- Directs
- Governs or controls work operations by establishing the implementing objectives, practices and methods.
- Enforces
- Effects or gains by force. To carry out effectively.
- Establishes
- Institutes permanently by enactment or agreement.
- Executes
- Puts into effect or carries out methods, plans, etc.
- Hires
- The action of hiring someone or something; employ.
- Initiates
- Sets going or introduces.
- Manages
- Plans, organizes, directs, controls, and evaluates operation of an organizational unit, with responsibility for the output.
- Offers
- Presents or proffers (something) for (someone) to accept or reject as so desired.
- Orders
- Arranges or commands to come to a specified place or decision.
- Organizes
- Sets up an administrative structure for. Arranges by systematic planning and united effort.
- Plans
- Designs or plots a scheme or project by means or method devised for doing something to achieve an end.
- Prevents
- Keeps from happening or holding back.
- Rejects
- Refuses to accept, consider or submit to.
- Requires
- Asks for by right and authority, requests.
- Returns
- Goes back in thought or action. Gives an official account to a superior.
- Stops
- Keeps from carrying out a proposed action.
- Supervises
- Personally oversees or controls work performance and conduct of others, where there is opportunity for control or inspection of work performed.
- Trains
- Teaches, demonstrates, or guides others in the performance of assigned work.
Creative Verbs
- Creates
- Produces through imaginative skill.
- Designs
- Creates or fashions a plan or idea.
- Develops
- Discloses, discovers, perfects, or unfolds a plan or idea, in detail, gradually. Implies study and/or experiment unless otherwise stated.
- Devises
- Forms in the mind by combinations of ideas, new applications of principles, or new arrangement of parts.
- Establishes
- Institutes permanently by enactment or agreement.
- Estimates
- Forecasts future quantities, values, sizes, extents, etc., either on the basis of judgment or calculations. Frequently, estimating is shared with others, in which case it is more precise to use "estimate" as a noun, and to state the job's function in relation thereto; e.g. "[originates, analyzes, endorses, approves, etc.] estimates of…"
- Forecasts
- Predicts future events based on specified assumptions.
- Formulates
- Puts into a systemized expression or statement.
- Initiates
- Sets going or introduces.
- Installs
- Sets up for use.
- Originates
- Begins or initiates.
- Plans
- Designs or plots a scheme or project by means or method devised for doing something to achieve an end.
- Projects
- Plans, figures, or estimates for the future.
- Schedules
- Appoints a fixed time.
Helping Verbs
- Activates
- Sets up or formally introduces with necessary personnel or equipment, to set in motion.
- Encourages
- Gives help, inspires or pay patronage to.
- Expedites
- Accelerates the process or progress of a plan, ideas.
- Furthers
- Promotes or advances.
- Implements
- Carries out or fulfills by taking action.
- Maintains
- Keeps in satisfactory condition.
- Motivates
- Provides incentive or drive.
Leadership Verbs
- Advises
- Offers an informed opinion or gives specialized information to others.
- Aids
- Provides with what is useful or necessary for achieving an end.
- Coaches
- Trains by instruction, demonstration and practice. Provides performance feedback.
- Cooperates
- Acts jointly with others. Acts or works with others to obtain a mutual benefit.
- Counsels
- Advises or consults.
- Explains
- Make plain or understandable.
- Guides
- Directs, supervises, or influences the training of people.
- Instructs
- Teaches, demonstrates, or by other methods imparting knowledge to others. Directs that a specific activity be performed, may include directing how it is to be performed.
- Participates
- Takes part or has a share in a project, group.
- Protects
- Maintains status or integrity of projects, ideas.
- Serves
- Complies with the commands and demands of a supervisor, group.
- Shows
- Proposes, presents or demonstrates an idea as workable or desirable.
- Suggests
- Offers for consideration or action.
Research Verbs
- Accepts
- Gives admittance or approval to.
- Accumulates
- Gathers or amass.
- Acquires
- Comes into possession or control of an item or items.
- Arranges
- Makes preparations for, plans.
- Buys
- Acquires possession, ownership or rights to the use of services, items.
- Collects
- Gathers or exacts information or materials from a number of persons or sources.
- Compiles
- Puts together information or assembles data in a new form.
- Delivers
- Sends or brings a desired object.
- Distributes
- Delivers or hands out to several or many.
- Exchanges
- Gives and receives reciprocally.
- Forwards
- Sends goods or information onward.
- Furnishes
- Provides or equips with what is needed.
- Gathers
- Brings together or collects parts of a group.
- Gets
- Obtains or receives.
- Gives
- Grants, yields or presents to another.
- Informs
- Communicates knowledge to others.
- Inquires
- Asks or searches into.
- Issues
- Makes available through distribution.
- Keeps
- Preserves or maintains in a good and orderly condition.
- Mails
- Sends by postal service or emails.
- Notifies
- Gives notice or reports on an occurrence or information.
- Obtains
- Gains or possess. Collects, learns, gains
- Procures
- Gets possession or obtains by particular care and effort.
- Provides
- Supplies support to meet a need, make available.
- Pulls
- Demands or obtains advantage by use of exertion or influence.
- Purchases
- Gains or acquires by labor, money.
- Recalls
- Calls back or cancels.
- Receives
- Comes into possession of or acquires an item, idea.
- Recruits
- Increases numbers of a group or bringing in new members.
- Renders
- Delivers or hands down.
- Reports
- Gives an account or makes a written summary or statement.
- Secures
- Puts beyond hazard or receives lasting control.
- Sells
- Gives up property in exchange for money.
- Sends
- Delivers or dispatches as means of communication or delivery.
- Solicits
- Makes a petition or request for services, money.
- Submits
- Yields or surrenders to authority.
- Supplies
- Makes materials available for use.
- Takes
- Gets or seizes into possession.
- Transfers
- Passes over from one person to another.
- Withdraws
- Backs away or removes.