Advertising a job and interviewing candidates

Writing a person specification and job description

Guide

Preparing a job description is not a legal requirement but it will help you to decide what type of person you are looking for and to write the job advert.

A job description should include:

  • the job title
  • the main duties and purpose of the role
  • information about the company and what it does
  • the job location

If you are recruiting a manager, decide what their additional responsibilities will be and the specific skills they will need - eg line management or team leadership experience.

The person specification

It is not a legal requirement to include a person specification in your job advert. If you do decide to have a person specification, include the essential and desirable knowledge, experience and skills you would like the successful applicant to have.

It's essential to not discriminate - see how to prevent discrimination and value diversity.

Read Equality Commission guidance on recruitment advertising