What is included in a person specification?
A person specification usually accompanies the job description that a procurement recruitment agency like talentdrive.co.uk/ will write for jobs they have advertised. Where a job description will specify the particulars of the job such as the hours, location, salary and tasks, a person specification will look at the skills and knowledge that an individual will need to have in order to be successful in the position.
Most person specifications will highlight all of the skills that are needed as well as any knowledge and qualifications. Against each of these, they will note whether the skill is essential for the position or desirable. This means that those people looking to apply for the job will be able to see if they are suitable. It also helps the HR department sift through the application forms and decide who to bring in for an interview.
It is essential to ensure that you are not being discriminatory in your person specification and asking for particular personality traits, which can lead you to difficulty. You should highlight all of the key areas that you need a person to have to allow them to work well in the position that you have advertised. This is often why companies will use an agency like the one mentioned above for advertising their vacancies as they are aware of all the legal requirements for advertising jobs.
