A person specification is a summary of the ideal candidate for a job position, including required skills, education, and experience. It helps employers identify suitable candidates but must be created effectively to avoid legal consequences. Guidelines include avoiding irrelevant requirements and updating the specification periodically.
When companies and organizations hire employees, many times, they create a summary of the ideal type of person who can best perform a job position. Within this summary is a list of skills needed to effectively complete the tasks that make up the job. Most companies refer to this type of summary as a person specification. Creating a detailed person specification offers advantages to employers, but it also has disadvantages. There are some guidelines to follow in order to create an effective specific persona.
Within a person specification is a detailed list usually involving all the required skills, education and experience a person must have to effectively fill a job position. Most specifications include a job title and level within the company. The job location and the senior employee to whom the new employee will report are also listed. Since all job positions are created with a purpose in mind, the goals that the employee must achieve are listed, as well as the tasks to be performed.
While a person’s specifications are different from the job description, they are still very helpful to employers. Person specs are not seen by candidates, only hired staff, which is what makes them different from job descriptions. Once an employer has created this type of specification, he is able to easily identify which job candidates have the potential to best suit the corresponding job position, as well as candidates who are less than ideal. This allows a company to complete its hiring processes as efficiently as possible over time.
While a personal spec can make the hiring process for a company much easier, it still has its drawbacks. If not created effectively, this type of specification can bear legal consequences for a variety of reasons. The terminology listed in the person specification can never reveal biases that are not applicable to the job position. Otherwise, the specifications could be considered discriminatory.
Whenever an employer creates person specifications for job positions, they should adhere to several guidelines. The employer should never include requirements or specifications that are not applicable to the job position to be filled. Any criterion that can be assessed impartially or neutrally should never be included. To hire the most suitable person possible, you need to avoid overdoing job duties and requirements. An employer should also include reasons why each requirement is included. A person specification should also be updated and reviewed on a periodic basis to ensure its validity.
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