When we talk about job specifications, we are essentially outlining what an ideal candidate should bring to the table. It is like the wish list for your perfect hire, detailing the skills, qualifications, and experience needed to do the job effectively. Let’s break down each of these components and see how they play a role in creating a job specification that sets you up for success.
1. Skills: What Should They Be Able to Do?
Skills are the abilities a candidate needs to actually perform the tasks of the job. This can be a mix of hard skills, like technical abilities, and soft skills, like communication or teamwork.
Imagine you are hiring a front-desk officer or receptionist for XYZ Guest House. What skills would you want them to have? Well, they’d definitely need to be tech-savvy to manage booking software efficiently. A front desk desk officer or receptionist who struggles with basic computer functions could slow down operations. But technical skills alone aren’t enough – they’d also need excellent communication skills to handle guest inquiries and complaints. You wouldn’t want someone who gets easily confused when things get busy or complicated.
Soft skills, such as empathy and patience, would be crucial too. When guests are tired or frustrated after a long journey, a warm and understanding receptionist can make a world of difference to their experience.
So, when you are thinking about skills in a job specification, it is important to balance both the technical and interpersonal. Ask yourself: What does the person need to do? And how should they approach their work?
2. Qualifications: What Knowledge Do They Need?
Qualifications are usually the formal requirements – things like education, certifications, or specific training. These are important because they often signal whether someone has the foundational knowledge to handle the job.
Let’s say you are hiring a chef for the guest house’s kitchen. You’d likely require a degree in culinary arts or a related field. Why? Because this qualification shows they have gone through formal training and understand food safety, different cooking techniques, and even menu planning. If they also have certifications like a food handling certificate, it’s an extra layer of reassurance that they know how to keep the kitchen compliant with health regulations.
However, qualifications can sometimes be flexible. For example, someone might not have a degree but has worked in high-end kitchens for several years. In this case, experience might outweigh formal education. This is where it becomes key to consider if qualifications are must-haves or nice-to-haves.
It’s essential to ask: What knowledge does the candidate need to bring with them to start the job on the right foot? And are there any required certifications or degrees that can’t be skipped?
3. Experience: How Much Practice Do They Need?
Experience tells you whether a candidate has successfully applied their skills and qualifications in a real-world setting. It’s one thing to have a diploma in hospitality, but another to have managed a bustling hotel during peak season.
Let’s return to the front-desk receptionist example. Someone with experience in a similar hotel environment is likely going to handle high-pressure situations more smoothly than someone who’s never worked in hospitality before. They would already know how to handle overbooked rooms, delayed check-ins, and unexpected guest demands.
However, experience doesn’t always need to be about specific years. For some roles, it is about the quality of experience. For instance, if you are hiring a marketing manager for Colchard Guest House, you might look for someone who has successfully run social media campaigns or managed a brand for a boutique hotel. They may only have 3 years of experience, but if those years involved running campaigns that increased bookings during the off-season, that is gold.
The tricky part is deciding how much experience is enough. Sometimes requiring too many years of experience can exclude talented people who may bring fresh ideas or who have transferable skills. The key is to think about what kind of experiences will directly contribute to success in the role.
Bringing It All Together
When you are putting together a job specification, think of it like painting a picture of the ideal candidate, but without being too rigid. You want to outline the skills they’ll need to succeed, the qualifications that show they are ready for the challenge, and the experience that proves they have done it before (or at least something similar).
For instance, a well-rounded job specification for that front-desk receptionist might look something like this:
- Skills: Proficiency in booking software, excellent communication, and strong problem-solving skills.
- Qualifications: A diploma in hospitality management (or related field), and a certification in customer service (optional but preferred).
- Experience: At least 2 years in a customer-facing role, ideally within a hotel or guest house setting.
This gives potential candidates a clear idea of what’s expected, but it also allows for a little flexibility. Maybe someone has worked in retail customer service but is a quick learner with technology – that could be your next star hire.
By thoughtfully considering the skills, qualifications, and experience you need in a job specification, you ensure you are not just filling a role but setting both the employee and the organization up for success. And when you get it right, you are more likely to attract candidates who can hit the ground running and thrive in your workplace.
It’s all about finding that sweet spot between setting high standards and being open to candidates who might bring something unique and valuable, even if they don’t tick every single box. After all, sometimes the best fit isn’t always the most obvious one!
Contributed by Agolo Eugene Uzorka, CEO/ Lead Consultant, Eugene + george Consulting Limited (www.eugenegeorgeconsulting.com)
