The job description should accurately reflect the duties and responsibilities of the position. A clearly written job description produces a realistic picture of a job outlining the scope of job roles and responsibilities, the positioning of the job in the organisation and what an employee must do to meet the requirement of the job responsibilities.
After detailing the key duties and responsibilities of the post the next task for the individual leading on the recruitment is to produce a person specification, the purpose of which is to define the key characteristics of the person who could most effectively fulfil the role.
A person specification is profile of the knowledge, skills, education and training, personal qualities and proven abilities that you will look for during the recruitment and selection process.
A person specification informs potential applicants about the level and complexity of the job and helps them to decide whether to apply for the job. The Person Specification:
- Establishes the essential criteria against which all candidates will be judged objectively
- sets desirable criteria which can be used to establish the most suitable candidates
The criteria you decide on should relate directly to the duties detailed in the job description, and contain the minimum requirements necessary to do the job effectively.
Individuals who are involved in the recruitment process are advised to take care over the content of the person specification as discrimination claims often relate to the wording of this section of the job description. Please refer to the Avoiding Discrimination section for further information.
Together, the person specification and job description are the two documents that form the foundation of the recruitment process. They should also be used to create the job advert and design the recruitment and selection process, including the design of interview questions.