HR Assistant Role: Job Analysis, Person Spec, Selection Tools Report

This report addresses the creation of a person specification for an HR Assistant role, based on a provided job description. It involves conducting a job analysis to identify key components, then developing a person specification with both essential and desirable criteria. The report emphasizes justifying the chosen criteria and explaining how each will be measured, including the selection of appropriate assessment tools, particularly a psychometric test. It draws on published literature to support the rationale for developing job descriptions, person specifications, and the use of various evidence sources to assess applicant attributes. The report also addresses the importance of considering the real-world implications of the selection process, such as cost and time constraints, as well as the candidate's perspective. The structure of the report follows a professional format, with a focus on clarity and logical organization to effectively communicate the analysis and recommendations.

Achievement of the following learning outcomes must be demonstrated within
the report:
1. Carry out a job analysis, develop a person specification, identify suitable tools for
selection of personnel
Format of the Report: The report must be structured to demonstrate the key
points within the task. Reference must be made to published literature in order to
describe and evaluate the rationale for developing job descriptions and person
specifications and to justify the criteria and measurement tools selected.
Students will be provided with a job description. From this the report must identify
key components of the job and draw up a person specification, detailing essential
and desirable criteria. The main bulk of the report must then use published literature
to justify the use of job descriptions, person specifications and, where appropriate,
the use of different sources of evidence that applicants possess the attributes
included in the person specification. Your reasons for choosing the criteria on the
person specification must also be justified in brief and the way in which each
component of the person specification will be measured and what tools will be used
for that purpose must be explained. A summary can be used to explain the choices
of criteria and the way they will be measured so that not too many words are used
on this part of the report. At least one psychometric test must be included as an
assessment tool.
Assessment Criteria:
A pass will:
1. address the specified stages of the assignment
2. produce a clear person specification
3. use test catalogues and manuals to support arguments for specific assessment
tools
4. be organized in a clear and logical way
Further marks will be awarded for:
1. demonstration of deeper understanding and consideration of the issues involved
2. links to relevant sources of information that have not been directly mentioned
during the module
3. well argued suggestions and comments
4. clear and logical development of person specification and measurement
techniques from job description
1. The word limit of 1500 words only includes the report, not the words included
on the table of essential and desirable criteria

2. There is no set number of either essential or desirable criteria, the number is
largely up to you. The number of rows on the table does not mean you have to
have that number of criteria
3. There is also no set number of tests or other sources of evidence to use –
although I do want you to include at least one psychometric test in your
essential criteria. But do think about the real world implications of what you
are suggesting. Tests are both expensive and time-consuming, so should only be
used in a way that is really going to add value to the process. Also, as far as
applicants are concerned, they may be rather overwhelmed if expected to
complete huge numbers of tests and exercises.
4. Analysing the job description (job analysis) to arrive at key components of the job
basically involves looking critically at the job description you have been provided
with, so that you can decide what skills, qualifications, competencies and
experience would be required to carry out the job successfully and then
combining these in the person specification, either as essential or desirable
criteria.
5. The report must justify the criteria selected by explaining why they are on the
list, and why they are either essential or desirable. Most of this will involve a
value judgement, on your part, because it is your opinion, based on the content
of the job description.
6. Identifying how each component of the person specification will be measured and
what tools will be used for that purpose involves specifying whether the c.v.,
interview, a psychometric test (and if so, which one) etc. or a combination of
methods and tools are used to demonstrate that each criterion has been met.
7. You can’t really know what an acceptable score is likely to be on any test, but
you could argue that anyone who is below the normative score for their group
(information that is often available in test manuals) would not be suitable for the
role. For example, would you want someone who scores below the average for
the general population on verbal skills to be employed in a role that involves
communicating with the public? Even if you don’t have specific scores for the test
norms, you could simply specify that you want them to be in the top 75% of
scores for that test (if it is an ability or aptitude test), or above the mean etc. for
their population (e.g. graduates, managers, general population etc.). If it is a
personality test, then you might be better stipulating that the successful
candidate's score will be between the 50th and the 75th percentile on the
measure, as too much of any personality characteristic can be damaging.

8. If you prefer to organize your report under subheadings, that is fine. Bear in mind
that in the business world people often don’t have time to read wordy reports, so
anything that enables them to find the aspects of the report that are relevant to
them and read just that part, will be beneficial. But do not write in note form.
9. A professional report should be written in the third person.
10. Job Title: Human Resources Assistant
11. Team: Human Resources
12. Responsible to: Human Resources Manager
13. Number of people directly managed: 0
14. Main purpose of the job:
15. To provide efficient administrative support for the HR Manager and HR
Advisors,
16. ensuring service users are provided with key information on HR processes and
17. procedures.
18. To assist in the processing of employee data by utilising the Human
19. Resources Information System.
20. Main Duties and Responsibilities:
21. Undertake duties supporting the recruitment and selection function including
22. placing adverts; processing invoices; CRB and pre-employment checks;
chasing
23. references; arranging short-listing and interview packs; contacting candidates
and
24. managers; and any other associated duties.
25. Attend recruitment interviews as a panel member and fully contribute towards
the
26. selection of successful candidates.
27. Undertake duties supporting the use of HR.net Enterprise (HR Information
System)
28. including inputting changes onto system; sending out relevant contractual
29. information; chasing queries with managers; liaising with payroll to resolve
queries;
30. processing honorarium and other payments.
31. Undertake administrative duties supporting various HR processes including
32. maternity and paternity leave and other forms of special leave; job evaluation
33. panels; probation procedure; other terms and conditions of employment.
34. Undertake duties supporting the organisation’s learning and development
culture
35. including the collation of learning needs from individuals’ appraisals and the
36. collation of information relating to the evaluation of training.
37. Undertake administrative duties to support the HR Manager in the delivery of
a
38. health and safety culture within the organisation including the provision of
statistical
39. information; maintaining records on health and safety training undertaken.
40. Provide administrative support to the HR team including word processing;
41. distribution of information; organising and taking minutes at meetings for the
HR
42. Manager/HR Advisors; update the Intranet pages relating to HR.
43. Working Environment/Physical Challenges
44. Required to use information technology on a regular basis to input and
maintain the HR
45. Information System and to generate various letters.
46. Financial Responsibility

47. Responsible for processing the payment of invoices on a regular basis and
maintaining
48. records of expenditure.
49. Responsible for ordering stationery and materials for use within team.
50. Responsibility for Non Financial Assets
51. Responsible for preparing, and amending confidential information concerning
employees
52. contained within Human Resource management software systems and paper
personal
53. files.
54. Responsible for ensuring that the confidential information is kept secure.
55. Responsible for updating and enhancing the Human Resources site on the
Company’s
56. Intranet.
57. Standard requirements attached to the job:
58. (a) All individuals are expected to be flexible in undertaking the duties and
59. responsibilities attached to their job and may be asked to perform other
duties
60. which reasonably correspond to the general character of their job and their
level of
61. responsibility.
62. (b) All individuals are expected to maintain personal and professional
development to
63. meet the changing demands of the job and participate in appropriate learning
and
64. development activities.
65. (c) To recognise health and safety is a responsibility of every individual, to
take
66. reasonable care of self and others and to comply with Herefordshire Housing’s
67. Health and Safety policies and any service specific procedures/rules that
apply to
68. the job.
69. (d) To promote equality as part of the job and to treat everyone with fairness
and
70. dignity.
71. (e) All individuals are expected to carry out their duties and responsibilities
having
72. regard to the Company’s commitment to providing a customer focused
service.
73. Please note that where the job holder is disabled every effort will be made to
supply
74. necessary aids, adaptations or equipment to allow them to carry out the
duties of
75. the job. If, however, a certain task proves to be unachievable, job redesign
will be
76. given full consideration.
77.
This is the template which you must use for your person specification which you will
be developing from the job description
Person Specification
Essential Factors Minimum Evidence

Requirement
Desirable Factors Minimum
Requirement
Evidence

Justification of Criteria and Methods of evaluating those criteria:
(Please describe and evaluate the rationale for developing job descriptions and
person specifications;
justify the criteria selected; identify how each component of the person specification
will be measured and explain and justify the choice of tools that will be used for that
purpose in no more than 1,500 words)
Here is an example of a person specification to help you see how you might develop
your own person specification
Person Specification – Research Assistant – ageing & retirement
Essential Factors Minimum
Requirement
(where
appropriate)
Evidence
A masters degree in a related
area
Merit certificate
An understanding of
occupational psychology and/or
human resource issues in the
workplace
Interview
Experience of electronic
literature searching and writing
a literature review
Interview
c.v.

Good written and verbal
communication skills
Presentation to be given at
interview
Strong time management skills Exercise to be undertaken at
interview
IT literacy (MS Word, Excel) Interview
c.v.
Strong attention to detail
Between 50th and
75th percentile on
conscientiousness
Interview
c.v.
16pf
Ability to work as a member of a
team
Between 50th and
75th percentile for
extraversion, tough
minded, self-directed,
self-controlled
Interview
References
16pf
Desirable Factors Minimum
Requirement
(where
appropriate)
Evidence
A PhD in a related area certificate
An understanding of ageing and
retirement issues in relation to the
workplace
Interview
Experience of designing and
conducting research projects and
publication in a related area
c.v.
interview
Familiarity with software used for
qualitative or quantitative analysis
Interview

e.g. SPSS c.v.