Person Specification

This identifies the essential and desirable criteria of the type of person which is deemed ideal for a particular job role which will have been explained within a job description. A person specification will indicate a range of personal attributes, including skills, qualifications, knowledge, behaviours, experience, and these will be used to help an employer in the recruitment selection stage for asking candidates for interview.

By including this range of required information in a job advert, a potential applicant will have a much clearer idea of the expectations of the person who an employer considers competent and well suited for the job role. These details are also essential if a well written job advert is to be created and then promoted to the relevant audience.

During an interview the person specification can be used to benchmark applicants in conjunction with an evaluation of their performance in the interview. Ensuring an open and transparent interview process is supported by a detailed person specification and this is essential if compliance with regulations is to be demonstrated.

An employee or future employee can better work towards relevant upskilling if what is needed for a particular job role is clearly stated. This can help towards training needs analysis and performance appraisals for employees wishing to aspire to different job roles within an organisation, or for the creation of new roles to better respond to changing customer needs.

Having a good balance of person specifications, to support job descriptions, can help an organisation ensure they have the necessary skills, qualifications etc. within an organisation to ensure the long-term success of the organisation. Where gaps are identified they can be more readily filled than if an organisation has poorly written person specifications.