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What is Person Specification?

A person specification is a document that outlines the essential and desirable skills,  qualifications and experience required for a particular job. It also states the desired level of soft skills, such as communication and teamwork. 

As a job seeker in the UK, understanding the person specification for a role is crucial for demonstrating your suitability for a position, thereby improving your chances of being selected for an interview.

Why is a Person Specification Important for Job Seekers in the UK

A person specification is a vital tool for job seekers in the UK. First, it helps candidates  understand the essential requirements – qualifications, skills and experience – and role expectations. Candidates can thus tailor their job applications to meet these requirements and stand stronger to potential employers.

By analysing the person specification of a potential employer, job seekers can identify their skills and experiences that match the job requirements. They can then highlight these in their application, demonstrating their suitability for the role.

Finally, a person specification can help job seekers to prepare for interviews. By understanding the requirements of a role, candidates can anticipate the questions they may be asked in an interview and prepare relevant examples of how they meet the person specification guidelines.

Purpose of the Blog

This blog aims to provide job seekers in the UK with a clear understanding of a person specification and its importance. The blog will explain the components of a person specification, how to match one’s skills to the person specification, and provide person specification examples. 

The intent is to help job seekers tailor their applications to meet the requirements of a job and increase their chances of securing an interview.

What does a Person Specification Include?

What does a Person Specification Include?

Essential Skills and Qualifications

A person specification succinctly states the essential and desirable skills and qualifications required for a particular job and the desired level of soft skills vital for success in the role. Understanding these components is crucial for job seekers in the UK.

Desirable Skills and Qualifications

Desirable skills and qualifications are not mandatory for a role but are beneficial for an employer. 

These may include additional qualifications and experience in a related field or a specific technical skill relevant to the job. 

Job seekers should meet as many desirable criteria as possible to make their candidature stand out.

Why not use our competent CV writing services to improve your chances of winning interview calls?  

Soft Skills

Soft skills underpinning communication, teamwork and adaptability are personal attributes crucial for consistent success in any job.

A person specification example UK may include soft skills as a requirement for a role, highlighting the importance of these skills at a workplace. 

Job seekers should demonstrate in their application how their soft skills work effectively in a team to help the latter seamlessly adapt to new challenges.

Writing an Effective Person Specification: Tips for  Employers in the UK

  • Review a job description carefully to identify the essential and desirable criteria for a role.
  • Use concisely clear language to describe the job requirements and avoid jargon or technical terms unfamiliar to most candidates.
  • Be specific when listing the skills and qualifications required for the role, providing examples wherever needed to help candidates understand the expectations.
  • Consider including soft skills in the person specification, such as communication, problem-solving, and teamwork, as these are important for success in all roles.
  • Ensure the person specification is non-discriminatory and does not include any criteria to exclude certain groups of candidates unfairly.

Always remember job seekers write a job supporting statement in response to a person specification. Our job supporting statement example can help you.

Maximising Your Chances of Success: How Person Specification Can Help Job Seekers in the UK

Maximising Your Chances of Success: How Person Specification Can Help Job Seekers in the UK

Tailoring job applications to match each person specification helps job seekers better understand the job requirements, posing their credentials as a better fit for the role. It also helps employers identify the most deserving candidates for a position by avoiding discrimination in the hiring process. By carefully reviewing a person specification and ensuring they meet the criteria, job seekers can improve their chances of success.

Do remember the importance of writing sound cover letters. Our professional cover letter writing service employs certified experts to help you win interview calls.  

In conclusion, clearly understanding each person specification is vital for job seekers in the UK. 

Job seekers must show how strong their academic, professional and personal credentials are to do justice to a job role.

Following our tips for writing rigorous person specifications helps employers identify the most deserving candidates and avoid discrimination in the hiring process.

To hire overseas employees in the UK, the UK government has allotted a licence to about 70,000 firms in the UK. Only these firms can hire overseas employees in the UK. Here is the corresponding Tier 2 sponsor list.   

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are personal specification values?

The person specification explains the type of personality, abilities, credentials, attitudes, and behaviors that allow a person effectively to complete the task in compliance with the company’s values.

2. What role do person specifications have in the recruitment process?

A person’s specification guarantees that an employer evaluates applicants based on their relevant skills. It implies that the employer puts each applicant through the same baseline objectives. 

3. What is a person’s specification for a job?

A job description outlines a position’s overall goal and the primary duties that a person must perform. The related person’s specification outlines the knowledge and expertise necessary to complete the work.

4. How will you write a person’s specifications?

A person specification provides a more detailed description of the individual who most likely can perform the work successfully. It contains a person’s schooling, credentials, and other distinguishing characteristics.

5. What are the person’s specification perks?

The employer evaluates all applicants uniformly based on the same standards. The data can support employers’ selection choices if they get challenged later.

6. Why is a person’s specification necessary?

The person specification gives prospective applicants insight into what they must showcase to prove their ability to perform the role. It allows the company to profile the perfect candidate for the position.

7. What information ought to be in the person’s specification?

The Person Specification lists the abilities, credentials, and work history required for the position as either “essential” or “desirable.” The employer will evaluate the information the applicant provides on the application form as part of the short-listing process.

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