CORPORATE TEMPLATE FOR JOB DESCRIPTIONS & PERSON SPECIFICATIONS

Introduction

1. The Council is introducing a new style of Job Description and Person Specification and has
updated its advice on their content. The current style was introduced around twenty years ago,
although the advice and guidance has evolved considerably over the years. Recent work in
applying the National Job Evaluation scheme has highlighted a number of areas where Job
Descriptions and Person Specifications could provide more detailed information about some aspects
of the work. In addition best practice in recruitment, staff development and performance
management now focuses upon competencies, which therefore need to feature more prominently in
job design.

2. Set out below managers will find Word templates for the new style, together with advice on how
to use the layout to accurately set out the services requirements. There is also an update to the
Councils advice on available qualifications following the Governments recent review of the National
Qualification Framework.

Drafting a Job Description

3. The aim of a Job Description is to set out as clearly and concisely as possible what is expected of
the post holder. It should be unambiguous and written in a way that the post holder can understand.

4. Job Descriptions are not only used at the point of advertising to fill a post, although this is often
the time of inception. Other uses of the Job Description are:

Induction - to clearly outline what is expected of the individual and the support required;
Probation - to evaluate the performance of new appointees;
Development and Training - to act as the reference point for training needs analysis;
Appraisal - to identify strengths and weaknesses in performance and to refocus efforts. It is
normal to start an appraisal interview by reviewing the contents of a Job Description with the
post holder.
Job Evaluation to provide an objective description of the duties and responsibilities of the
post.

5. The Job Description is a live management document. In todays Local Government service jobs
are constantly evolving. Managers need to update the document on a regular basis as part of the
appraisal process.

6. When writing a Job Description avoid describing the current or last post holders preferred duties
rather than the post and what you want it to achieve. Always consider how you can update or alter
the post to make it more flexible and therefore open to a wider section of the community, e.g. by
offering flexible working arrangements.

7. The County Council has a new standard format for Job Descriptions (see Appendix 1) that
managers should use in all instances. If this does not meet your requirements please discuss this
with your allocated HR adviser. Some occupational groups (Social Work) have generic Job
Descriptions which individual managers should not change without involving senior managers and a
HR adviser.

8. You should base Job Descriptions on a job analysis and aim to keep the document as concise
and factual as possible. Consider the following areas:

9. Outcomes
Identify the output or outcomes. Avoid stipulating basic tasks and processes and concentrate
upon what the post-holder must produce individually or as part of a team. The Job Description
should make clear what the key result areas are and how managers will determine success.

Resources
10. For what financial or physical resources will the post have direct responsibility? Will the post
holder have authority to spend or commit resources or will they monitor historical data and
report future projections? Significant bodies of information are a corporate resource.

Planning and organisation

11. This covers organising, prioritising and planning time and resources, be they human, physical
or financial. This may include planning and organising ones own work; planning work for others
on day-to-day tasks or on projects; carrying out operational planning and planning for coming
years.

Deciding & Initiating

12. What scope will the post holder have to exercise initiative and take independent actions? This
will depend upon the level of available supervision and the limits or parameters inherent in the
work systems and procedures being used.

Communication
13. Focus on those with whom the post holder interacts e.g. internal and external groups,
organisations and individuals etc. What form does this communication take, e.g. in writing,
electronically, orally, by presentation, etc? What is the purpose of the communication? Is it
simply providing information, trying to persuade someone to a point of view, discussions which
may become contentious or acrimonious such as exercising some regulatory role?

Responsibility for others

14. Who is the post holder responsible for e.g. team members, clients, students etc? Does this
involve induction, coaching, mentoring, appraisal, training, supervision, capability and
discipline?

Investigation, Analysis and Research

15. May include following standard procedures to analyse data; identifying appropriate (new)
methods of research; collating and analysing a range of data from different sources.

Exceptional working conditions

16. Factors that might impact on any of the above points e.g. noise, fumes, dirt or any other difficult
or challenging working conditions.

17. The corporate template ensures that sufficient detail is provided for the Job Descriptions
various uses and in particular for the recruitment and job evaluation procedures. To help you make
best use of the format the following section explains the various elements and gives some
examples. Remember, you should use clear and simple language to ensure that applicants or post
holders quickly understand the essential nature and requirements of the post.
 Post title
18. This should indicate as clearly as possible the function of the job and its level within the
organisation.

Grade
19. The grade is determined through job evaluation so you will be notified what grade will apply.

Responsible to
20. The title of the line manager

Date
21. Date the Job Description was last updated.

Manager Level
22. This is the level assigned under the corporate Leadership and Management development
framework to indicate the training and support package to apply. Use 1 for Senior, 2 for Middle
or 3 for First line Manager.

Job Purpose
23. This is a short evocative description of the post drawn from the key elements of the description
itself. It should describe where the post fits into the structure and what the general purpose of
the post is. It is often better to complete this section after the duties and responsibilities have
been analysed and described.

Resources
24. For staff resources identify the number and level of posts reporting directly to the post holder.
Financial resources might include revenue budgets, capital budgets or income generation. Is it
simply a support and monitoring role or can the post holder directly influence or change the
way resources are used and allocated? Indicate the annual budgets involved. Is it a 5M five
year contract or a M annual budget with order values of around 20? Physical resources
include buildings, a fleet of vehicles, archives or significant bodies of data or information.
Some posts (e.g. care services) will have responsibility for individuals or groups of clients,
service users or members of the public other than employees. The key factor is the nature and
extent of the direct impact on their well being.

Duties and Key Result Areas

25. This is a summary of the general duties that make up the post. The steps required defining the
main areas of responsibility or main tasks are:

Identify and produce an initial list of the main activities or tasks carried out by the job holder.
Analyse the initial list of tasks and group them together so that no more than about ten main
activity areas remain, if the number extends much beyond this the Job Description will
become over complex and it will be difficult to be specific about accountabilities or tasks.

26. Define each activity as a statement of what the post holder is expected to achieve i.e. an
output. This should be done in one sentence that should:

Start with a verb in the active voice e.g. plans, prepares, produces, provides, maintains. It is
worth considering the use of verbs as these may have an effect on grading decisions e.g.
manage or supervise, be responsible for or progress in agreement with.
 Describe the object of the verb (what is done) as succinctly as possible e.g. tests new
systems, posts cash to the nominal ledger.
State briefly the purpose of the activity in terms of outputs or standards to be achieved e.g.
tests new systems to ensure that they meet the agreed systems specifications, posts cash
to the nominal ledger in order to provide up to date and accurate financial information.
Statements that emphasize outputs in terms of results expected provide essential data for
use in agreeing objective performance measures.

27. Examples
Prepare supply and demand information to meet business requirements.
Plan and implement employee development programmes to meet identified needs.
Maintain accurate, confidential and efficient filing and record systems.
Advise on HR strategies, policies and practices that support the County Councils business
objectives while fulfilling its obligations to employees.

Final statement
28. Each Job Description contains the following final statement:

The duties and responsibilities highlighted in this Job Description are indicative and may vary
over time. Post holders are expected to undertake other duties and responsibilities relevant to
the nature, level and scope of the post and the grade has been established on this basis.

Transport Requirements
29. Use this section to explain the transport requirements of the post. For example, the work
involves the need to visit schools or work sites throughout the north of the County on a regular
and routine basis.

Working Patterns
30. Describe the normal work arrangements including any requirement to work shifts, stand by or
call out rotas. Flexi hours, a requirement for lone working or the need to work late should also
be mentioned.

Working Conditions
31. Is the post sedentary and office-based or does it involve working outdoors in all weathers?
Indicate the exposure to disagreeable, unpleasant or hazardous conditions arising from either
the environment or people. Briefly describe the frequency, duration and nature of conditions
such as weather, noise, vibration, smell, human or animal waste etc.

Creating a Person Specification

32. While the Job Description describes the work, the Person Specification describes the person
needed to carry out those duties effectively. It is essential that the requirements set out in the
Person Specification are;

Specific - they relate directly to the Job Description.

Justifiable - they are demonstrably needed to do the work.
Measurable - we can objectively assess the candidates against the criteria.

33. The information provided should enable prospective applicants to self-select and decide
whether to apply for the vacancy. It should make clear to existing post holders what skills,
competencies and behaviour they will have to employ to achieve the required standards.
34. It is important to distinguish between those requirements that are essential and those that are
desirable. Essential criteria are the minimum requirements needed to perform the job to a
satisfactory standard. Managers should not set the standards unnecessarily high, since applicants
failing to meet any of the essential requirements should not be considered for the job.

35. Each element of the Person Specification is independent of all the others. For example it is not
permissible to shortlist on the basis of a degree or substantial experience when considering
essential criteria. Either the qualification is an essential requirement in its own right or it is not. If
substantial experience is an acceptable alternative then the qualification is only desirable.

36. Desirable criteria are advantages such as additional breadth of relevant experience, wider
range of skills, higher or extra qualifications etc. which managers can use for further selection when
a number of applicants meet the essential criteria. The Person Specification is therefore the primary
document in the selection process. Managers must therefore always bear in mind that when
drafting a Person Specification they are setting selection criteria that they will use to assess the
suitability of candidates or the performance of a post holder. It is crucial that the criteria are
objective since criteria that are entirely subjective are usually the result of personal preference and
therefore open to challenge on equality grounds. Developing specific, justifiable and measurable
criteria is most likely to produce objective criteria.

Meeting essential criteria might get you on the short list, whereas meeting desirable criteria
might get you the job.

37. Care is needed to avoid becoming too specific or too detailed. Too much detail might
unreasonably exclude people who could effectively undertake the post. Is it really necessary to
have experience in the same service or even local government? For the same reasons setting too
many criteria can unfairly exclude otherwise capable candidates. Person Specifications with too
many criteria also result in labour intensive selection, as every candidate must be assessed against
every criterion. The key is to find succinct, evocative criteria that wholly capture the nature of the job
without over complicating the selection process.

38. The corporate template for the Person Specification (see Appendix 2) provides a structure to the
necessary criteria for selection, equality and grading purposes. Failure to use the template will
inevitably lead to inconsistencies in applying the Councils procedures and increase the risk of
claims of unfairness. It may also adversely affect the decisions taken in the job evaluation process.

39. Further advice on using the format and its various elements is given below.

Knowledge & Qualifications

40. Knowledge is an essential, yet often understated requirement for posts. It is linked to
qualifications since the required knowledge is often acquired through some form of training or
professional study which might also lead to a qualification. Most jobs will require a level of
knowledge which will vary from being able to follow straight forward oral or written instructions,
knowledge of tools or machinery, knowledge of specific types of procedures, numeracy, literacy,
through to theoretical, practical and procedural knowledge across a range of specialist areas.

41. Qualifications are commonly overstated. They fall into three broad categories; educational,
vocational and professional. General education qualifications such as GCSE and A levels are
often used as an indication of literacy and numeracy. Case law clearly indicates that employers
must demonstrate that any requirement is justified on factors related to the work and are
 reasonable in the circumstances. Could you justify to an Employment Tribunal why someone
with only three GCSEs could not carry out the duties of the post while someone with five could?

42. National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) are awarded for practical work or competence
rather than by written examination. The assessment is based on a portfolio of work completed
in a realistic working environment. They are meant to show whether the individual can perform
work-related tasks and are increasingly used by employers as benchmarks. Regulatory bodies
such as OFSTED & CSCI require staff in a number of occupations to attain a minimum NVQ
standard. It is good practice to stipulate the appropriate NVQ standard for the required
qualification. More information is available in the Guide to Qualifications attached to this
document and available on the HR web page.

43. Professional qualifications provide a foundation of theoretical, specialist and technical

knowledge underpinned by practice in the skills, techniques and principles relative to the work.
For some occupations this will ultimately result in having a degree, for example becoming a
solicitor, an architect or an engineer. However, not all professional qualifications have graduate
status. It should not therefore automatically follow that a degree is an essential requirement for
all professional posts.

44. Whenever possible it is also advisable to indicate that equivalent qualifications are
acceptable, for example, from overseas. (See Appendix 3)

Experience
45. It is no longer permissible for a Person Specification to include any time-related requirements.
Specifying lengthy periods of experience will potentially exclude more females than males,
whereas stipulating a degree plus ten years experience equates to no one less than 30 years
of age.

46. When specifying experience managers need to be precise about what experience the
candidate must have and relate it to the Job Description. Having recent and relevant
experience is usually more important than the length. Quality is more important than quantity.
Candidates could have ten years of poor or limited experience.

47. Specify the type and level of the experience. A senior post will require considerable post
qualification professional experience, while an assistant could probably do the post with just
prior office experience. Become more accurate in specifying your requirements. Rather than
staff management experience you might consider effectively managing the performance of
individuals through appraisal, taking appropriate action to resolve staff performance issues or
successfully achieving team objectives through the management of other peoples
performance.

48. Also remember that experience is gained not just through work.

Skills and competencies

49. Skills are the ability to do something well, an expertise or dexterity. A competency is an
underlying characteristic of a person which results in effective and superior performance.
Competencies are applied skills; a mixture of knowledge, ability and attitude. An employee
may have the required skill but does not use it in an effective manner. For example, they may
not use that skill in a flexible way, they may not communicate what or why they did something
to colleagues, they may use the wrong skill on the wrong task, or they werent able to use the
skill at all because theyre unreliable and turned up for work late.
50. Identify the skills needed by analysing the duties and responsibilities listed in the Job
Description. Prioritise them in order that will determine success in meeting service and
corporate objectives. Remain objective and realistic when deciding which are essential and
which desirable. Skills that can be acquired during the induction period or by attending a short-
course are hardly essential.

51. In todays public services where the required skill sets are rapidly changing and evolving,
competencies have become much more prominent in recruitment and selection decisions since
they can predict the ability to adapt, acquire new skills and work flexibly. As good indicators of
attitude and behaviour in the workplace they are also good predictors of performance.

52. A number of competency frameworks have been established within the Council which
managers may wish to refer to when writing Person Specifications. The Career Grade Code of
Practice identified core competencies for professional career graded posts in 2003. This was
followed by core competencies for the first tier of professionally qualified staff with the
introduction of Career Progression Schemes. More recently the Leadership and Management
Development Programme established competencies for first, middle and senior managers
throughout the Councils services. Person Specifications should reflect existing core
competencies where these have been developed. The competency frameworks currently used
were developed for training, development and performance management purposes and are
often too detailed to use for recruitment and selection purposes unedited. Managers should
therefore select key competencies that are clearly grounded in the duties and responsibilities
set out in the Job Description of the post in question.

53 Managers may also wish to note that a recent HR project established a number of key
competencies for business support roles such as clerical and admin staff. Based upon an
assessment of existing staff by first line managers the competencies thought to provide the
best indication of good performance were;

Establishes good relationships with customers and colleagues

Reliably follows instruction and procedures
Sets high standards and delivers results
Adapts and responds positively to change
Demonstrates integrity and upholds values and principles

54. Managers also need to consider how they can measure skills and competencies. Traditionally
most evidence is gleaned from the application form, the interview and references. Behavioural
(or competency) questions should identify what opportunities the candidate has had to apply
the key competencies and gain as much specific evidence as possible. A number of other tools
are available including ability tests, personality questionnaires, interest/motivation inventories,
role play, presentations and group exercises. Please note that the Council has a policy of
using personality questionnaires for middle management posts that include a significant staff
management component.

Physical, Mental and Emotional Demands

55. Managers must not include requirements which cannot be justified in terms of the job since this
may constitute indirect discrimination. However, it is important that the Person Specification
describes these aspects to the work for job evaluation purposes and to ensure that prospective
candidates and post holders fully understand the nature of the work. When considering
 whether to apply for a vacancy how can candidates request reasonable adjustments if they
dont know what the job entails?

56. When assessing physical demands take into account all forms of bodily effort such as walking,
lifting, carrying, pulling and pushing. Also bear in mind working in an awkward position such as
bending, crouching, stretching or working in a constrained position. The latter might include
posts which involve a large element of continuous driving or typing.

57. Under mental demands managers should consider the degree and frequency of concentration,
alertness, attention and dealing with frequent interruptions and conflicting demands. Those
working with children will have to remain alert and attentive, while writing a detailed report or
creating a complex spreadsheet will require concentration for a period of time.

58. Emotional demands are those that arise from contact or work with other people (except work
colleagues). Dealing with service users or members of the public who are angry, difficult, frail,
at risk or unwell will all create emotional demands and the Person Specification should identify
the nature and frequency of this work.

Other
59. This heading is included to specify any requirement not covered by the other headings. In the
past it has been used to cover competencies, working arrangements and transport
requirements. The new templates now include specific headings for each of these so it is
anticipated that there will be significantly less need to use this category in future.

Conclusion

60. If you would like more advice about any information contained in this document please contact
your nominated HR Adviser.
 JOB DESCRIPTION APPENDIX 1

Post Title: Director/Service/Sector Office Use

Grade: Workplace: JE ref:
HRMS ref:
Responsible to: Date: Manager Level:
Job Purpose:

Resources Staff
Finance
Physical
Clients
Duties and key result areas:

The duties and responsibilities highlighted in this Job Description are indicative and may vary over time. Post holders are expected to undertake other duties and
responsibilities relevant to the nature, level and extent of the post and the grade has been established on this basis.
Work Arrangements
Transport requirements:
Working patterns:
Working conditions:
PERSON SPECIFICATION Appendix 2

Post Title: Director/Service/Sector: Ref:

Essential Desirable Assess
by
Knowledge and Qualifications

Experience

Skills and competencies

Physical, mental and emotional demands

Other

Key to assessment methods; (a) application form, (i) interview, (r) references, (t) ability tests (q) personality questionnaire (g) assessed group work, (p)
presentation, (o) others e.g. case studies/visits
 Appendix 3
National Qualification Framework

The three regulatory authorities have updated the National Qualifications Framework for England, Wales and Northern Ireland as part of a review of regulatory
arrangements. (The three regulatory authorities are QCA, ACCAC and CCEA).

The NQF is designed to help with career progression and act as a guide to learners to make informed decisions about their training needs.

It aims to:
promote access, motivation and achievement in education and training, strengthening international competitiveness
promote lifelong learning by helping people to understand clear progression routes
avoid duplication and overlap of qualifications while making sure all learning needs are covered
promote public and professional confidence in the integrity and relevance of national awards.

The following table provides an indication of the new frameworks.

National Qualifications Framework Framework for Higher Education Qualification levels (FHEQ)
8 D (doctoral)
Specialist awards doctorates
7 M (masters)
Level 7 Diploma masters degrees, postgraduate certificates and diplomas
Professional qualifications
6 H (honours)
Level 6 Diploma bachelors degrees, graduate certificates and diplomas
Professional qualifications
5 I (intermediate)
Level 5 BTEC HND diplomas of higher education and further education, foundation degrees, higher national diplomas
4 C (certificate)
Level 4 Certificate certificates of higher education
3
Level 3 Certificate (OND)
Level 3 NVQ
A levels
2
Level 2 Diploma
Level 2 NVQ
GCSEs Grades A*-C
1
Level 1 Certificate
Level 1 NVQ
GCSEs Grades D-G
Entry
Entry Level Certificate in Adult Literacy
The use of levels in the NQF is to indicate the generally comparable outcome of an award but does not indicate that different awards share purpose, content
and outcomes.