Person specification
The person specification should:
- give potential candidates a clear idea of whether they would be suitable for the post
- assist those who short-list, interview and select candidates to choose the most suitable candidates
Your organisation may have standard person specifications or a format for preparing them which you can use.
If they do not, consider the following list (adapted from IFRC International Recruitment Handbook) and decide the key requirements for the post.
Professional competencies
- Technical qualifications and skills
- Language skills
- Administrative skills
- Representation skills
- Leadership skills
- Management skills
- Training skills
- Partnership skills
- Planning and organisational skills
- IT skills
Motivation and realism
- Expectations
- Understanding:
- the short-term nature
- hardship
- insecurity
- frustration of humanitarian work
- Motivation by the job
- Involvement of family
- Security/health awareness
- Cultural awareness and sensitivity
- Commitment to the organisation and its values
Personal qualities
- Ability to adjust
- Trustworthy
- Patience
- Initiative
- Flexibility
- Resilience
- Diversity awareness
- Communication skills
- Teamwork
- Inter-personal skills
- Independence
Remember – people are all too often employed for their technical skills but then dismissed for their lack of interpersonal skills