Recruitment Manual - Unit 5 - Preparing the Person Specification

UNIT 5

 

Recruitment Manual – step by step guide

 

PREPARING THE PERSON SPECIFICATION

 

5.1  Why does the Council need to prepare a person specification?

 

Whilst there is no legal requirement to do so, if the job advertisement, short-listing and subsequent selection assessment process are to produce the right candidate, a profile of the candidate you need must be realistically defined in a Person Specification. It will also be an important document in terms of evidence that recruitment and selection decisions have been based on non-discriminatory factors.

 

The use of a sound and realistic Person Specification in conjunction with the Job Description will ensure consistency of approach and fairness in defining the factors to be measured and help to ensure only the realistic requirements of the job are assessed as part of the recruitment and selection process.

 

The Person Specification should always be compiled before decisions are made about drafting an advert for the job.

 

5.2  What should the Council include in the person specification?

 

The Person Specification is the keystone of fair and sound selection. It should identify and describe in measurable terms the factors/attributes necessary for the successful performance of the duties and responsibilities set out in the Job Description and to the level and standard required.

 

The Person Specification helps considerably by ensuring that you focus on the essential factors and attributes required and supports the implementation of an effective selection process whilst also reducing the risk of claims of discrimination. To avoid the latter in particular you should always ask yourself why you are including the factor or attribute in the specification in order to ensure that you are not directly or indirectly discriminating and/or stereotyping.

 

It is recommended that whilst ensuring that you do not exclude any groups unnecessarily the Person Specification should therefore include a number of key factors such as:-

 

·        Qualifications and experience - What specific full or part professional or technical qualifications are necessary? Is there a statutory qualification requirement? Is there any particular occupational or job related training required? What level and type of experience will have equipped the right candidate for the job? Is there any specific task or industry related experience required?

·        Knowledge - What does the job-holder need to know to do the job in terms of work processes, procedures, systems, legislation, regulations, equipment etc?

·        Personal qualities and attributes - What sort of person is required to do the job and fit the team? Does the job require some special behaviours or personal characteristics e.g. creative, analytical, flexibility, sensitivity, self-motivation, loyalty, competitiveness persistence, self-reliance etc? Are there any particular physical or health requirements to do the job e.g. strength, vision, appearance etc? (N.B. Take care these are not discriminatory as you may need to justify your inclusion of a requirement that excludes a protected group from applying.) If you include restrictions also consider if with training, adjustments, aids or adaptations the job could be performed.

·        Skills or abilities - What particular skills or aptitudes are needed e.g. creative, numerate, verbal and written skills, interpersonal, social, computer literacy, supervisory, management, organisational etc? What degree of accuracy is required?

·        Special conditions - Does the job involve any special working conditions e.g. unsocial hours of work, working weekends/bank holidays, working abroad, possession of driving licence etc? Are there any health risks?

 

When preparing the Person Specification you should also take account of the following guidance:-

 

·        use only the factors as appropriate to each job

·        use criteria which are performance based, realistic, measurable and understandable (only use technical terminology when really needed)

·        make sure any knowledge, skills, aptitudes or experience specified are appropriate to the job

·        do not specify years of experience as this may discriminate on the grounds of age

·        ensure that you can justify a requirement by reference to the job itself and do not include any potentially discriminatory issues (ensure that you are be aware of the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 and the protected characteristics/groups)

·        do not make the specification too restrictive and differentiate between those factors/attributes which are:-

¨      essential for the successful performance of the job i.e. a candidate should not be appointed without it; or

¨      desirable - namely those that it would be beneficial but not critical for the successful candidate to possess i.e. if a candidate could meet the attribute on the job or with training it should be considered to be desirable

·        ensure that the factors/attributes are the minimum necessary to do the job

·        do not describe an ideal but possibly unattainable candidate as over-specifying can mean that potentially good candidates do not apply or recruits have higher aspirations than can be met in the job

·        if appropriate, weight those factors that are most critical to the selection – you may need to do this anyway as it may help in the selection assessment if you have more than one candidate meeting all the criteria

·        do not simply model the person specification on the previous job-holder

·        do not use a qualification level in order to control the number of applications – only require a qualification if it really is a genuine requirement

·        do not specify any physical requirements that cannot be truly justified to ensure the successful performance of the job

·        consider which factors can be used for short-listing i.e. those which can be assessed primarily from the application form or informal meetings (as long as candidates know the content could be used for selection purposes)

·        consider how each part of the Person Specification may be tested and assessed during the selection process for example:-

 

·        qualifications	- verification of certificates, application form, interview, work examples, references
·        knowledge	- application form, interview, tests, work examples, references
·        skills and abilities	- interview, tests, practical exercises, work examples, references
·        qualities and attitudes	- interview, references, personality profiling
·        special conditions	- interview

 

You could also add an additional column to induce what evidence would provide the information as listed above.

 

5.3  Specimen Person Specification

 

In summary the Person Specification should be designed to help you prepare a picture of the right candidate you will be seeking to appoint.

 

A specimen Person Specification for the post of Clerk to the Council is enclosed at Appendix 5 (a) and based on the requirements of the specimen job description provided elsewhere in the Manual. It is designed to enable you to specify and subsequently evaluate the key factors and attributes required of the successful candidate and may be customised to suit each individual Council.

 

Although the specimen enclosed is job specific the principle is the same for all posts on the Council’s establishment and in addition a specimen person specification for the post of Responsible Financial Officer is also enclosed at Appendix 5 (b) for your adaptation and use as it may be customised to suit each individual Council. If your post of Clerk to the Council is also the Responsible Financial Officer then some of the key items from the latter person specification may be included in a combined person specification.

 

5.4  Further Help

 

If you require training, help or any other assistance with your recruitment and selection processes or have any questions on anything in the Recruitment Manual please email your county association.

 

 Updated November 2022