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Preparing Job Descriptions and Selection Criteria

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A job description explains:• What the job is about.• Who supervises the position.• The tasks the person is expected to perform.• The standards by which an employee can be

evaluated.

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Selection criteria is a list of:

• Skills• Personal attributes • Credentials • Other characteristics

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Why develop a job description and selection

criteria:• To define the position. • To give potential applicants a sense of if they

should apply. • To clarify thinking. • To advertise the position. • To make hiring the best person more likely.

Copyright © 2014 by The University of Kansas

Three parts of preparing a job description:

• Choosing the job title. • Developing a list of specific duties and

responsibilities that the position requires.• Composing a capsule description of the

position.

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A better job title:• Can attract better candidates.• Serves to define the position and to define the

place of its holder both in the organization and in the community.

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A list of specific duties and responsibilities

includes:• Basic elements of the position.• Job-related skills and personality traits.• Skills acquired through experience.• Non-specific skills, traits, and abilities.• Specific activities required for the position.

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The capsule description• A two or three sentence description of the job and

its purpose.• Includes any other major responsibilities the job

entails.

Copyright © 2014 by The University of Kansas

Selection criteria may include:

• Education and other formal credentials.• Job-specific skills and knowledge.• Non-job-specific skills and knowledge.• Personality attributes and traits.