Job Description by Business Gateway
The Business Gateway Job Description and Person Specification template provides a structured framework for defining a role’s key duties, responsibilities, and required competencies. It supports fair and transparent recruitment by ensuring that selection criteria are clear, job-related, and non-discriminatory, helping employers identify and appoint the most suitable candidate for the position.
Job Description & Person Specification
[company name]
Job Description & Person Specification – [job title]
Job Description
Job Title: | [job title] |
Location: | [location] |
Reports to: | [reports to] |
Hours of work: | [hours per week, working pattern and set hours, overtime, etc.] |
Summary of Position:
[brief summary of position]
Key Tasks
[describe key tasks involved] | |
Person Specification
Select (tick) whether the stated criteria are essential or desirable, and from where the criteria are identified in the application process.
Post-Holder’s Attributes | Criteria | Essential | Desirable | To be identified by |
Qualifications & Training | Educated to [education level required] | Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||
[qualifications and training required] | Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | |||
Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||||
Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||||
Experience | [required previous experience] | Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||
Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||||
Knowledge | [required knowledge] | Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||
Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||||
Special Knowledge | [special knowledge required] | Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||
Practical Skills | Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | |||
Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||||
Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||||
Intellectual Skills | [required intellectual skills] | Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||
Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||||
Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||||
Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||||
Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||||
Disposition/Attitude | [required attitude] | Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||
Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||||
Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||||
Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||||
Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||||
Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||||
Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference | ||||
Circumstances/ | [describe specific requirements based on working hours / patterns, or other role-based requirements] | Application Form and/or Interview and/or Reference |
Note: This job description is not exhaustive and will be subject to periodic review. It may be amended to meet the changing needs of the business. The jobholder will be expected to participate in this process and we would aim to reach agreement on any changes. The jobholder may be asked to perform such tasks out with this job description as are reasonably requested by the owner and which are within their capability.
Prepared by:
Name: | [name of employee responsible] |
Signature: | |
Date: | [date] |
Title: | [title of employee responsible] |
Guidelines Notes for Completion of Person Specification
The Person Specification is fundamental to the entire Recruitment and Selection process. It is important that this document is completed at the beginning of the process reflecting only criteria that are required in order for a candidate to be able to fulfil the duties of the post. Care must be taken to ensure that criteria that could be seen as discriminatory are not used.
If any complaints are made regarding discrimination during recruitment, evidence of a comprehensive, fair person specification will be considered during any investigation.
An outline of each of the categories within the Person Specification is given below; however please contact [contact details] if you have any queries regarding this.
Essential Criteria
These are criteria that the applicant must meet in order to be capable of performing the duties of the post.
Desirable Criteria
These criteria are not fundamental requirements of the post, and the successful applicant may not meet all of these. Characteristics within this category may be ones for which training could be provided once the applicant is appointed.
To be Identified By
Note where you would expect to find this information, e.g., application form, references, interview, certificates.
Points to consider when writing the Person Specification:
Qualifications/Training
Does the post require particular qualifications, e.g., Standard grades/Highers, degree standard – in particular subjects? Is a professional qualification necessary? Is any specialist training required, e.g., first aid certificate, Microsoft Excel? Could experience in a particular area be an alternative to formal qualifications?
Experience
What level of experience is required? Does this need to be in a similar environment to this post? Is supervisory or management experience required? Is past experience of particular areas of work required, e.g., dealing with the public, keeping customer records, cash handling? Could voluntary work or spare time activities be classed as relevant experience?
Practical & Intellectual Skills
What special skills are required of the post-holder? Should they have diagnostic/problem-solving skills? Are good communication and interpersonal skills required? Should they be able to write or prepare letters and reports? Are they required to have potential leadership abilities?
Special Knowledge
Does the post require knowledge of, e.g., particular legislation, IT systems? Do they need to be able to drive?
Disposition/Attitude
Does the post require a team player; an individualist; an assertive personality; a willingness to make decisions? Is the post-holder required to work under pressure, to tight deadlines? Will they be closely supervised; or work on their own initiative?
Circumstances/Personal
Will the post involve working shifts, participating on an on-call rota, overtime working, etc.?
Is there a requirement for the post-holder to have a driving licence? Driving licences should only be classed as essential in posts that are actual driving posts.
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