Job Description Action Verbs

When writing job descriptions at Bowling Green State University, using clear and concise action verbs helps define the role's responsibilities and expectations. Action verbs provide a strong foundation for both the job summary and essential functions, ensuring that duties are accurately communicated and aligned with the position’s level of responsibility.

For the job summary, action verbs should reflect the overall purpose and scope of the role. Examples include: administers, develops, manages, oversees, leads, coordinates, and implements. These verbs help convey the primary function of the position in a direct and impactful way.

For the essential functions, action verbs should describe specific tasks and responsibilities that the employee will perform. Examples include: analyzes, communicates, evaluates, maintains, prepares, researches, supervises, trains, collaborates, and resolves. Using strong action verbs ensures clarity, making it easier for hiring managers and applicants to understand the expectations of the role.

By incorporating precise action verbs, job descriptions become more effective in defining roles, improving recruitment efforts, and ensuring consistency across university job postings.

Administrative Action Verbs

Verb Definition
Acquire Come into possession or control of an item or items.
Advise Offer an informed opinion or give specialized information to others.
Adapt Modify or change to fit specific or new situations.
Administer Oversee the operational details of a process or program and the execution of program goals.
Aid Provide what is useful or necessary for achieving an end.
Allocate Assign or apportion a resource for a specific reason.
Analyze Identify elements, critically examine, and relate them to each other or the whole.
Ascertain Find out or make certain.
Assess Determine the rate, amount, or value.
Assign Specify tasks to be performed by others.
Arrange Make preparations for, to plan.
Audit Methodically examine or review a financial situation or process.
Authorize Approve, usually conveys a high level of authority.
Communicate Share or exchange information, news, or ideas.
Compile Put together information or assemble data in a new form.
Conduct Organize and carry out an activity.
Consult Actively consider, seek advice, or request an opinion.
Conserve Use or manage resources wisely.
Cooperate Act or work jointly with others to obtain a mutual benefit.
Coordinate Regulate, adjust, or direct related actions of others to attain desired results.
Delegate Entrust tasks or duties to another person while exercising some authority.
Determine Decide by choice of alternatives.
Develop Disclose, discover, perfect, or unfold a plan or idea in detail, gradually.
Distribute Deliver or hand out to several or many.
Ensure Make certain that something shall occur.
Establish Institute permanently by enactment or agreement.
Estimate Forecast future quantities, values, financials, etc., based on judgment or calculations.
Evaluate Determine the significance, condition, or value of something through careful study or appraisal.
Execute Put into effect or carry out.
Exercise To make effective in action.
Forecast Predict future events based on specified assumptions.
Formulate Put into a systemized expression or statement.
Furnish Provide or equip with what is needed.
Implement Fulfill an action and carry it out to the point of usage.
Initiate Set in motion, introduce.
Inquire Ask or search into.
Inspect Examine applicable materials to determine quality and suitability for use.
Interpret Identify and explain the meaning and significance of something.
Investigate Uncover facts through systematic research, analysis, and examination of various sources.
Launch Set in motion, introduce.
Order Arrange or command to come to a specific place or decision.
Organize Set up an administrative structure for; arrange by systematic planning and united effort.
Process Take materials or actions through a series of pre-determined steps.
Procure Get possession or obtain by particular care and effort.
Project Plan, figure, or estimate for the future.
Propose Develop a recommendation or suggestion for consideration.
Provide Lead Direction Guide and give work direction; usually involves assigning, prioritizing, and reviewing the work of others.
Reconcile Check, adjust, settle, or make or prove consistent.
Research Conduct a critical investigation involving gathering, reviewing, and interpreting information to develop conclusions.
Resolve Settle or find a solution to.
Review Examine and consider facts or results for accuracy, completeness, and suitability.
Secure Succeed in obtaining or achieving.
Solicit Make a petition or request for services or money.
Triage Assign degrees of urgency to an object or task.
Troubleshoot Locate and eliminate the source of a problem in the workflow.
Validate Ensure something is founded in truth or sound data and reasoning.

Leadership and Management Action Verbs

Verb Definition
Activate Set up or formally introduce with necessary personnel or equipment, to set in motion.
Advise/Counsel Offer an informed opinion or give specialized information to others.
Coach Train by instruction, demonstration, and practice; provide performance feedback.
Direct Govern and have control over work operations, involves establishing goals and objectives.
Encourage Give help, inspire, or pay patronage to.
Expedite Accelerate the process or progress of a plan or ideas.
Further Promote or advance.
Guide Lead, direct, supervise, or influence the training of people.
Implement Carry out or fulfill by taking action.
Instruct Teach, demonstrate, or impart knowledge to others.
Manage Direct, control, plan, and organize the operations of an organizational unit; conveys authority for decision-making and accountability for results.
Motivate Provide incentive or drive.
Negotiate Confer with others to reach an agreement.
Oversee Supervise or manage a functional area or operation without necessarily having direct supervisory responsibility.
Protect Maintain status or integrity of projects, ideas.
Supervise Personally oversee or control the work of others; possess authority to conduct or effectively recommend employment actions.
Train Teach, demonstrate, or guide the work performance of others.

Updated: 02/26/2025 02:24PM