Definition of Job Specification

Job Specification

Job specification is also the product of job analysis. Job specifications, also known as man or employee specifications, is prepared on the basis of job specification. It specifies the qualities required in a job incumbent for the effective performance of the job.

Basic contents of a job specification are;

Personal characteristics such as education, job experience, age, sex, and extra co- curricular activities.

Physical characteristics such as height, weight, chest, vision, hearing, health, voice poise, and hand and foot coordination, (for specific positions only).

Mental characteristics such as general intelligence, memory, judgment, foresight, ability to concentrate, etc.

Social and psychological characteristics such as emotional ability, flexibility, manners, drive, conversational ability, interpersonal ability, attitude, values, creativity etc.

Various contents of a job specification can be prescribed in three terms:

Essential qualities which a person must possess;

Desirable qualities which a person may possess; and

Contra-indicators which are likely to become a handicap to successful job performance.

Based on job description and job specification, employing organizations insert advertisements in newspaper, other publications, internet etc. in order to minimize the size of the advertisements, most of the organizations prefer to include various contents of the job description and job specification only briefly; the details of such contents may be mentioned in the application forms to be filled-in by the prospective candidate or may be communicated to the candidate at the time of interview.