Person specifications

A person specification, where one exists, describes the “who” of the role, outlining the experience and background of the kind of person who will successfully be able to fulfil the role’s requirements.

There is a risk that person specifications can reflect the previous role holder, rather than the realistic requirements of the position. This is why it is important to review the person specification – for example, just because the previous role holder had a PhD, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the next role holder will need one.

Fair Museum Jobs highlights the issue of asking for qualifications when they are not needed, which is commonly called credentialism.

The following prompts can help you to review the person specification:

• Have you asked for a specific number of years of experience that could be considered ageist or to be exclusive of particular groups?
• Are the educational requirements still necessary or should they be changed?
• Is the language inclusive?
• Where criteria are highlighted as essential or desirable, is this the case in reality?
• How does this person specification compare to others within your organisation for similar roles?

Critically reviewing the person specification can help remove criteria that are no longer required that may explicitly or implicitly exclude or discourage people from applying.