Someone who’s done the job really well for a couple of years will be far more valuable than someone who’s done it for 10 years but is actually of mediocre quality – it’s perfectly possible to sit in a job for a long time not performing particularly well. Although it’s sometimes part of, or attached to, a job description, unlike the job description (which is about the job itself) the person specification sets out the knowledge, skills and experience that are required to do that job. How to make the employer interview you. Writing a person specification When looking to recruit a new member of staff particularly scientific staff, the personal specification is often overlooked. The person specification needs to include all the technical, communicative, organisational and creative skills or abilities you expect from your ideal candidate along with any specific qualifications or levels of education that you require from the successful candidate. It’s fine to include these as long as you can justify them, as they are often really important, and will also help candidates who don’t have those qualities to self-select themselves out of the process. A person specification … } If you are recruiting for a vacancy, it’s vital to think carefully about exactly what kind of person you need. What … For example, if a bolt needs be to 2 inches wide, you can write, “Bolt shall be 2 … window.mc4wp = { Writing a detailed specification forces you to think about exactly what skills and experience is required for your role and the type of person you want for the team. Don’t be tempted to put criteria which are not necessary, as you may unnecessarily restrict your pool of candidates and may even put yourself at risk of a discrimination claim. Individuals learn at different rates, and this could also constitute age discrimination against younger candidates. How Job Descriptions and Person Specifications Help Recruitment Consultants. You can do this on a person specification. The person specification gives the minimum experience, skills, abilities and qualifications required for a person to do this job. This will allow them to determine whether they have the appropriate qualifications for the job before spending the time filling out a job application and customizing a resume and cover … Where there are any physical requirements these are also given. } Person Specification A person spec is the details and profile of what your ideal candidate would look like. For example- good interpersonal skills’ is vague and open to wide interpretation. Abilities which may have been gained from studying for a degree could also have been gained elsewhere. Some of these will be specific skills but others might be more along the lines of personal qualities. You will use the person specification as a basis for your selection … Registered number 4351086. Author: Created by l0vaduck. Created: Mar 14, 2012 | Updated: Jan 12, 2015. Personal statements for job applications. event : event, When writing personal specifications, employers must avoid excluding any groups protected by Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Laws by not including traits such as age, race, gender and religion in employment ads. In the job specification, you'll see things such as educational requirements, training, technical skills, experience and an personality traits they company desires for the person … When outlining experience needed, avoid giving a required number of years. To ensure that the person specification is of practical use in finding the appropriate candidate, the employer should ensure that it is neither too vague nor too prescriptive. Register for Temporary Assignments Today! Please note that our sample documents are intended as examples which can act as starting points and prompters. They should not be taken as definitive, complete or even sufficient for your purposes – you should at the very least consider how your circumstances … This is as opposed to writing a general job description. Think about why the person needs these skills, what do you actually require them to do for this role. 4.2 6 customer reviews. Personnel specifications are … Many organisations will try to be open to knowledge which has been gained through means other than formal qualifications, and will … Registered office 3 Cambridge Road, Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, PE29 2BW, Terms and conditions | Privacy statement | Sitemap. You could include here information about potential flexibility of the role in terms of working hours, where the role is based, any travel required. Think instead about what you actually need in terms of skills. You should ensure that all the criteria you specify are justifiable and necessary for the role. listeners: [], Here, aspire cambridge provides you with some handy tips on how to write a job description and person specification; The Difference between a Job Description and a Person Specification. http://www.how2become.co.uk - An example of a person specification and how to understand it before you apply for a job or career. A person specification more fully describes the type of person who is most likely to be able to do the job satisfactorily. Most of the statements in the specification should refer to your research section. This is your chance to explain the personality traits that would fit in your team along with the voice of your brand and your company ethos and values. This should be used in the short-listing process to distinguish between candidates. This includes everything from the skills, qualifications, or experience you want your dream employee to own, as well as the personal characteristics and … The specification should be derived from the job description and forms the foundation for the recruitment process. The person specification is provided to help you in writing your application. on: function (event, callback) { This is also where you include the skills and qualifications you feel are essential from a suitable candidate and those that are desirable; this can include any software and equipment requirements such as ‘working knowledge of excel’. There may be roles for which a degree in a specific subject may be necessary to perform the job, but you must be able to specify which type of degree is necessary and if questioned be able to explain why this is necessary to perform the role. Giving your recruitment consultant a comprehensive brief will allow them to … Specifying a need for the ability to travel regularly around a specific area will convey what you need and will enable those candidates who are disabled or unable to drive for another reason to propose how they could do the job without a car. Avoid requiring candidates to be able to drive unless absolutely necessary. The personnel specification refers to a description of the qualifications, skills, knowledge, experience along with other attributes under the selection criteria which must be possessed by the candidates to perform the job duties. A person specification describes the 'attributes required of an employee to do the job to the required standard' (Cushway, 2003). A person specification covers off on the experience, qualifications, skills, knowledge, abilities, personal attributes, physical qualities, behaviours and competencies that are required for a person to be appointed into the role. Writing a person specification and job description. Then, list all the requirements that must be met during assembly, using the word “shall” in your definitions. Job specification sample for a marketing manager. You could include character traits that you think are needed to help the candidate do their job more effectively and any achievements or experiences you would like more information about; such as volunteering. Writing effective job descriptions and person specifications. Writing a person specification and job description. Try to be as specific as possible. Some of these will be specific skills but others might be more along the lines of personal qualities. A person specification sets out the key characteristics, qualifications and type of experience that the person who could most effectively carry out the job will have. Was this conversation useful? This section outlines the personal attributes the candidate will need in order to perform the job. You also need to include the location of the job so the candidate knows where they are travelling to for work. To prepare these you’ll first need to identify your specific needs and wants. You need to include a general summary including the nature of the role, the purpose of the job and the main objectives of the position within the company along with a list of the main duties and tasks that the successful candidate will be expected to do as part of their role in your company. forms : { Need some help? You’ll need to create: A job specification - a tailored description of the vacancy, including the responsibilities and goals of the post-holder. Have a question? That means you'll see things such as a general description of the job, specific duties, environment and location in the job description. Getting the person specification right will help you throughout the rest of the recruitment process and will maximize your chances of successful recruitment of the right candidate. References. window.mc4wp.listeners.push({ Sample person specification example template to follow | recruit. The following section seeks to illustrate this essential difference. How do you write a Person Specification? Chat to one of our experts now! Once you’ve found it, here’s how to use it to make sure you get an interview for the job. The person specification details the necessary skills, qualifications, experience or other attributes needed to carry out the job. The person specification should be divided into essential and desirable criteria. A well written position description will ensure that the person specification covers off all of the necessary information accurately and completely. The person specification works hand in hand with the position description and the content in the person specification needs to be derived from the position description. Vote this chat session. To write a technical specification, start by developing a table of contents that lists general requirements for the product or assembly first, followed by more specific subsections. You may wish to list criteria which are- essential’ and criteria which are- desirable’, and could consider including the follow areas in your person specification: This section could outline knowledge of IT software, office procedures or specific professional areas of knowledge required for the job. Defining this right makes sourcing candidates, short listing and interviewing so much easier, and maximises the chance of getting the right person first time. Older candidates are less likely to have further or higher education qualifications, so including those as a requirement when not strictly necessary may open you up to claims of age discrimination as well as potentially excluding a rich source of valuable experience for your business. What to Include In a Person Specification. They can “self-select” in or out of the recruitment process, based … Person specifications can allow you to begin hiring for the best … It is expected that applicants will meet all the essential criteria to be considered eligible for … })(); Mining / Oil & Gas / UtilitiesTrades & ServicesHR & RecruitmentRetailMarketing / PR / EventsDefence / Emergency / SecurityHospitality / Travel /TourismManufacturingSales & Account ManagementVolunteer / Charity / CommunityScience & BiotechnologyGovernment / Local GovernmentInsuranceHealthcare & MedicineMultimedia / Design / New MediaGraduatesAgribusiness & FarmingBanking & FinanceEducation & Child CareAdvertising / Media / PublishingArchitecture & Interior DesignSport & RecreationLegalAccountingCall Centre & Customer ServiceIT & TelecommsBuilding & ConstructionAdmin / Secretarial / Office SupportEngineeringExecutive ManagementReal Estate & PropertyTransport / Logistics / DriversArts & Entertainment, © aspire cambridge 2018 | All rights reserved |. Comparing the two, the description focuses more on-the_-job specifics_ while the specification focuses on the person filling the position. This section outlines the personal attributes the candidate will need in order to perform the job. When listing qualifications or standards of education, only ask for them if they are actually necessary for the role, don’t be tempted to just use them to reduce candidates, or to assume that candidates who’ve studied a lot will automatically be better at the job in question. Creating a person specification. A person specification is a description of the qualifications, skills, experience, knowledge and other attributes which a candidate must possess to perform the duties of the job. A job description details the responsibilities of the job role along with the objectives for the job role and the requirements needed for the job role; meanwhile a person specification details the ideal new employee listing the skills and experience you would like from the candidate and the personality type that would fit well with the business. This not only helps the recruitment consultant find the perfect candidate quickly and effectively but it also means the candidates have a better idea of what you are looking for which saves time for everyone involved. }); Students imagine they are recruiting for a post in their own imaginary business and write a job description and person specification. It is a … … Instead think about what you would specifically like people to have had experience of, specific tasks, projects or responsibilities. To be able to drive unless absolutely necessary an interview for the process! 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