Facilitator Job Description (With Duties And Requirements)

Updated 17 June 2023

Companies may require facilitators to plan, guide and manage various team-building exercises, brainstorming sessions or strategic meetings. Facilitators may work full-time, usually in the human resources (HR) team or at independent firms and consultancy companies. Going through the job description of a facilitator can help you with your resume and interview preparation. In this article, we define what a facilitator job description is, list their responsibilities, provide a set of requirements that an employer may look for in an ideal candidate and share a sample job description.

Please note that none of the companies, institutes or organisations mentioned in the article are associated with Indeed.

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What Is A Facilitator Job Description?

A facilitator job description is a written document that clearly outlines the duties, qualifications, required skills and work experience necessary for the role. It may also include information about the work environment, job location and salary range. The purpose of a job description is to establish clear expectations for the role. You can use the job description to learn more about the role to determine if it aligns with your skill set, experience and career goals. You can also use it to draft your resume and prepare for your interviews.

Responsibilities Of A Facilitator

Here are some responsibilities of a facilitator:

Prepare an agenda

One of the primary responsibilities of a facilitator would be to prepare an agenda that:

States the purpose of the meeting
Outlines the topics of discussion
Lists the desired outcomes
Highlights the key areas of focus and the time allotted to each item
Shares the names of the attendees and their designations
Outlines the action items from previous meetings or discussions

A well-prepared agenda can help participants prepare for the meeting by researching relevant material and preparing questions they want to ask or points they want to add to the discussion. It ensures that the meeting does not deviate from the main topic.

Manage the discussion

As a facilitator, you would require managing the discussion and ensure that it does not deviate from the primary objective. Here are some steps you can follow to make the discussion more effective:

Defining a basic framework to which all the participants require adhering
Assuming the role of a moderator and ensuring that participants do not interrupt each other or speak simultaneously
Listening to each participant without criticising, supporting or rejecting their ideas
Providing equal opportunities for each participant to share their viewpoints
Asking questions to better understand each participant's perspectives
Soliciting responses during awkward pauses or long silences
Guiding the discussion towards solving challenges presented in the agenda
Creating a space that helps people feel comfortable in sharing their opinions, challenging an idea or providing feedback

Streamline the flow of information

As a facilitator, another key responsibility is to note various responses, process the information presented and filter irrelevant content. You can do this by using whiteboards to capture ideas, create flow diagrams and connect multiple ideas to clarify a topic. The use of visual aids during discussions can also help convey complex information in an easy-to-understand format. At the end of each session, it is important for you to summarise and classify ideas into clear themes or categories, ask open-ended questions and clarify any doubts or concerns you may have.

It is also a good idea to provide breaks in between for participants to relax, interact with one another and prepare for subsequent sessions. This helps reduce stress, enhances productivity and improves the outcomes of the discussion.

Provide feedback

As a facilitator, you require asking questions to help participants clarify their points, summarising the discussion and helping the team reach a common conclusion. You can do this by creating summaries with visual representations to help the team understand the proceedings after each round. You can highlight the areas of agreement and disagreement without offering solutions and avoiding bias. It is also necessary for you to be empathetic to help understand team members' perspectives. At the end of the discussion, you can encourage participants to reflect on their contributions.

Prepare reports

After the discussion, you require preparing a detailed report that may include:

Restatement of the problem statement, the outcome of the discussion and potential solutions
Feedback from participants on the discussion
Challenges or difficulties faced during the discussion
Recommendations for future actions or next steps
Attachment of references, material or guide used during the discussion for future reference

Facilitator Job Requirements

Here are some requirements for the role of a facilitator:

Education

Though there are no formal education requirements for the role of a facilitator, companies usually look for candidates with strong communication and collaboration, active listening, strategising and creativity skills. In some cases, they may also require facilitators to have domain knowledge of the topic of discussion. Consider the example of an IT firm conducting product planning sessions to brainstorm ideas for their new product. They may require the facilitator to have a degree in computer science or a related field and significant experience in IT product development.

Some candidates may also take additional certification courses to improve their skills and employability. Here are some standard certifications you can consider:

Certified Professional Facilitator (CPF): The certification programme covers various topics, such as facilitation techniques, group dynamics, conflict resolution and communication skills.
Certified Master Facilitator (CMF): This is an advanced certification course that covers advanced facilitation techniques, strategic planning, leadership and change management.
Agile Coaching Skills - Certified Facilitator (ACS-CF): This certification course provides facilitators with the skills and techniques to manage and guide agile team meetings.

Skills

Here are some key skills necessary for facilitators:

Communication skills: Having strong communication skills can help facilitators create an environment where participants can speak their opinions freely, challenge others' ideas and offer constructive feedback. This can help improve the outcome of the discussion and aid in relationship-building.
Adaptability: There might be several challenges during discussions, including unanticipated delays, conflicts, technical issues or language barriers. Having good adaptability skills can help them remain flexible in their approach when facilitating a discussion.
Conflict-resolution: Different viewpoints or interests and disagreements can result in conflicts during discussions. Having good conflict-resolution skills can help facilitators remain calm in these situations and help participants understand each other's perspectives to reach a mutually acceptable resolution.
Time management: Having good time management skills can help facilitators ensure the discussion is in alignment with the agenda and its completion within the specified time while leaving enough time for Q&A sessions.

Work environment

Facilitatory usually work in different environments, including corporate companies, non-profit organisations, universities or community organisations. They may work remotely using video conferencing to conduct virtual workshops, discussions or events. They may also travel to client locations for retreat activities, strategy meetings, team-building exercises or workshops. In-house facilitators usually work part-time or full-time shifts based on their arrangement, while those in contractual positions may work flexible hours and during weekends for multiple companies.

Example Of A Facilitator Job Description

Here is an example of a job description for the role of a facilitator:

We are seeking a facilitator for our upcoming strategy meeting. As the facilitator, your primary role would be to guide discussions and activities to help our team achieve specific goals and objectives. We prefer candidates with the following:

Degree in business administration, organisational development or a related field
Proven experience leading and facilitating strategic planning sessions for organisations
Excellent communication and presentation skills
Strong analytical and critical thinking abilities
Ability to identify key business drivers and trends and develop strategies to address them
Experience working with cross-functional teams and managing multiple stakeholders
Familiarity with various strategic planning frameworks and methodologies

Though we are looking for candidates with a background in corporate strategy, management consulting or another related field, you may apply for the position even if you do not meet all the requirements. We look forward to hearing from you.