Job Descriptions and Person Specifications

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Recruitment

A job vacancy can happen because someone has resigned, retired, been dismissed or promoted, or because the business is expanding. It is important for all businesses to recruit the right people. If the right people are recruited they will be more likely to stay. If the wrong people are recruited they may leave and force the business to go through the recruitment process again. Even worse, they may stay and do the job badly. Both of these situations would be expensive to the business.

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Job Description

The first stage of recruitment is to decide on the type of work that needs to be done and then who would be best suited to do the work.

The first task is to produce a job description that gives an outline of what is involved in a particular job. It will state: * the job title and its location * the main duties of the job * the person to whom the job holder reports (their boss) * the people for whom the job holder will be responsible

This is an example of a job description:

Job title:Department:Main Purpose of job: | Office Services SupervisorAdministrationTo ensure the provision of efficient word processing, reprographic and switchboard services to company personnel.Responsible to: Administration ManagerResponsible for: Eight staff Equipment to value of £50,000 | Main duties: 1. To allocate suitable personnel to switchboard and photocopiers as required. 2. To ensure the provision and maintenance of an accurate and efficient word processing and reprographic service by: | | 0 receiving and recording work for word processing and reproduction 1 deciding priority of work 2 allocating work 3 deciding most appropriate and efficient method of reproducing documents 4 checking a sample of work for accuracy and presentation 5 word processing and operating machines as necessary to cover for absent staff. | 3. To ensure the maintenance and upkeep of equipment. 3. To collate control information on departmental costs, etc. 4. To order stationery, reprographic toner and other materials, recording use and maintaining suitable stock levels. 5. To train and assist in selection of new staff. |

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Person Specification

Once the job description has been produced, it should be possible to describe the kind of person that you want to fill that job. This involves writing a person specification.

A person specification sets out the skills, qualifications, experience and personal qualities of the ideal person for the job.

A person specification for a Word Processing Supervisor | ATTRIBUTES | ESSENTIAL | DESIRABLE | Qualifications | GCSE English Language (A-C), or equivalent. | GCSE Maths (A-C) or equivalent. NVQ level 3 Administration. |