Job descriptions and person specifications

Overview

A vast amount of time is spent preparing job descriptions, often to little purpose. This very practical workshop will help you streamline the process, produce better descriptions and specifications and, above all, ensure that they are used appropriately in support of successful recruitment and selection, competency frameworks, job evaluation and performance management.

Learning objectives

This course will ensure that participants:

  • Appreciate the need for job descriptions and person specifications
  • Understand the key components
  • Know how to write them
  • Produce them more efficiently
  • Understand the legal issues
  • Can use them effectively recruitment and selection, job evaluation and performance management

Audience

All those involved in preparing job descriptions and person specifications.

Format

A highly practical one-day workshop.

Special feature

This course is most effective when based around examples from your own organisation. It is an ideal opportunity to critique our current formats and procedures.

Expert trainer

This programme was designed and is delivered by Toni Trevett. See her profile here.

Workshop outline

1 Role profiles, job descriptions and person specifications

  • Why have them?
  • What are they used for?
  • Who should write them?
  • How do they link in with contracts of employment?
  • What’s the difference between job descriptions and role profiles or accountability statements?

2 Key components of job descriptions

  • Classic job description structure
  • Strengths and weaknesses of the classic style
  • What style is appropriate for your organisation?
  • Examples
  • Job and role analysis
  • The right to change
  • The need to review and update
  • Practical exercise

3 Legal pitfalls

  • Avoiding discrimination
  • Varying job descriptions
  • Relationship with contracts of employment

4 Key components of person specifications

  • Classic structures
  • Strengths and weaknesses
  • Competency frameworks

5 Recruitment and selection

  • Using job descriptions and person specifications for recruitment and selection
  • Relationship between role profiles and:
    • Application forms
    • Short-listing forms
    • Interview forms
    • Reference request forms
    • Exit interviews

6 Job evaluation

  • Using job descriptions and person specifications for job evaluation
  • What is job evaluation?
  • Objectives
  • Equal Pay Act
  • Equal value considerations
  • Analytical v non-analytical types of job evaluation

7 Performance management

  • Using role profiles, job descriptions and person specifications for performance management
  • Relationship between role profiles and:
    • Self-appraisal
    • Training needs analysis
    • Formal appraisal

For a no-obligation discussion about running this programme for your organisation on an in-house basis, just give us a call on 01582 463462.