Job Descriptions and Person Specifications
Both these documents are part of the standard recruitment process of most large organisations. This process starts when a vacancy is agreed and ends when a candidate is appointed for the job.
Applying for a permanent job is normally more formal than completing a form or attending an interview for a prt-time or Saturday job, or filling in any work experience documents. This is because the organisation is making a greater commitment if it employs you.
You may also find there is far more competition for the job, so everything about your application is extremely important if you are to succeed.
The more you know about the job, the easier it is to target your application effectively. For this reason, employers often send a copy of the job description and person specification to all applicants.
Applying for a permanent job is normally more formal than completing a form or attending an interview for a prt-time or Saturday job, or filling in any work experience documents. This is because the organisation is making a greater commitment if it employs you.
You may also find there is far more competition for the job, so everything about your application is extremely important if you are to succeed.
The more you know about the job, the easier it is to target your application effectively. For this reason, employers often send a copy of the job description and person specification to all applicants.
Job Description
What is a job description?
A job description sets out the purpose of a job, where the job fits into the organisation structure, the main accountabilities and responsibilities of the job and the key tasks to be performed.
Why is a job description important?
A job description has four main uses:
Organisation - it defines where the job is positioned in the organisation structure. Who reports to who.
Recruitment - it provides essential information to potential recruits (and the recruiting team) so that they can determine the right kind of person to do the job (see person specification)
Legal - the job description forms an important part of the legally-binding contract of employment
Appraisal of performance - individual objectives can be set based on the job description
Contents of a Job Description
The main contents of a job description are:
- Job Title: this indicates the role/function that the job plays within an organisation, and the level of job within that function (e.g. Finance Director would be a more senior position than Financial Accountant - although both jobs are in the "finance department")
- Reporting responsibilities: who is the immediate boss of the job holder?
- Subordinates; who reports directly TO the job holder?
- Main purpose - who is involved in the job overall
- Main tasks and accountabilities: description of the main activities to be undertaken and what the job holder is expected to achieve (e.g. in the case of the Management Accountant, this might include "Complete monthly management accounts by 10th working day of each month and prepare report on all key performance variances")
- Employment conditions
A job description sets out the purpose of a job, where the job fits into the organisation structure, the main accountabilities and responsibilities of the job and the key tasks to be performed.
Why is a job description important?
A job description has four main uses:
Organisation - it defines where the job is positioned in the organisation structure. Who reports to who.
Recruitment - it provides essential information to potential recruits (and the recruiting team) so that they can determine the right kind of person to do the job (see person specification)
Legal - the job description forms an important part of the legally-binding contract of employment
Appraisal of performance - individual objectives can be set based on the job description
Contents of a Job Description
The main contents of a job description are:
- Job Title: this indicates the role/function that the job plays within an organisation, and the level of job within that function (e.g. Finance Director would be a more senior position than Financial Accountant - although both jobs are in the "finance department")
- Reporting responsibilities: who is the immediate boss of the job holder?
- Subordinates; who reports directly TO the job holder?
- Main purpose - who is involved in the job overall
- Main tasks and accountabilities: description of the main activities to be undertaken and what the job holder is expected to achieve (e.g. in the case of the Management Accountant, this might include "Complete monthly management accounts by 10th working day of each month and prepare report on all key performance variances")
- Employment conditions
Person Specification
What is a person specification?
A person specification describes the requirements a job holder needs to be able to perform the job satisfactorily. These are likely to include:
- Education and qualifications
- Training and experience
- Personal attributes / qualities
How does this compare with a job description?
A job description describes the job ; a person specification describes the person needed to do the job. A person specification can, therefore, form the basis for the selection of the most suitable person to fill the job.
How should a person specification be created?
The most common approach now used by recruiters is to use what are known as "competencies" to design the person specification. These are then classified as "essential" or "desired" to determine which are most important.
Competencies might include some or all of the following:
- Physical attributes (e.g. state of health, aged, speech)
- Attainments (e.g. highest level of education completed, relevant market experience, ability to supervise/manage)
- Aptitudes (e.g. verbal reasoning; numerical aptitude)
- Interests (social activities; sporting activities)
- Personal circumstances (e.g. ability to work shifts; full or part time)
Person specifications have to be prepared and used with great care. In particular, it is important to ensure that the list of essential or desired competencies does not lead to unlawful discrimination against potential employees.
A person specification describes the requirements a job holder needs to be able to perform the job satisfactorily. These are likely to include:
- Education and qualifications
- Training and experience
- Personal attributes / qualities
How does this compare with a job description?
A job description describes the job ; a person specification describes the person needed to do the job. A person specification can, therefore, form the basis for the selection of the most suitable person to fill the job.
How should a person specification be created?
The most common approach now used by recruiters is to use what are known as "competencies" to design the person specification. These are then classified as "essential" or "desired" to determine which are most important.
Competencies might include some or all of the following:
- Physical attributes (e.g. state of health, aged, speech)
- Attainments (e.g. highest level of education completed, relevant market experience, ability to supervise/manage)
- Aptitudes (e.g. verbal reasoning; numerical aptitude)
- Interests (social activities; sporting activities)
- Personal circumstances (e.g. ability to work shifts; full or part time)
Person specifications have to be prepared and used with great care. In particular, it is important to ensure that the list of essential or desired competencies does not lead to unlawful discrimination against potential employees.
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