Start from the job description
List the main duties first. Each criterion in the person specification should trace back to at least one of those duties.
Free hiring template
Person specification template with essential and desirable criteria
A UK-style person specification you can copy or print. Set out what the role genuinely needs, mark each criterion essential or desirable, and record how it will be assessed before anyone is shortlisted.
Blank person specification
Replace the bracketed prompts. A = application, I = interview, T = test, R = references.
| Area | Essential | Desirable | Assessed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifications | [Only qualifications the role genuinely requires, or 'or equivalent experience'] | [Helpful but non-essential qualifications] | A / R |
| Experience | [The type and scope of work the person must already have done] | [Sector, tooling, or scale experience that would help] | A / I |
| Skills and abilities | [Observable skills needed from the first months in role] | [Skills that would speed up ramp-up] | A / I / T |
| Knowledge | [Knowledge of regulations, methods, or systems the job depends on] | [Knowledge that could reasonably be learned in post] | A / I |
| Working style | [Specific behaviours the work needs, such as 'explains decisions to non-specialists'] | [Additional behaviours that support the team] | I |
| Other requirements | [Genuine requirements: right to work, driving licence for a driving role, required checks] | [Optional extras, such as a second language for a customer-facing team] | A / R |
How to write a person specification
A person specification is only as useful as its criteria. Write it with the hiring manager before the vacancy is advertised, and agree it before anyone reads an application.
Write criteria as observable evidence
Describe what someone has done or can do, such as 'has managed a team rota against a labour budget', rather than personality labels.
Split essential from desirable
Mark a criterion essential only if the person could not do the job without it. Everything else is desirable and used to compare shortlisted candidates.
Record how each criterion is assessed
Note whether the application, interview, a test, or references will provide the evidence, so nobody is screened out on something a CV cannot show.
Check for fairness before publishing
Remove proxies for protected characteristics, justify any qualification requirement, and plan reasonable adjustments for the selection process.
Completed example: front-of-house team leader
This example keeps the essential list short and specific. The food hygiene certificate is desirable because it can be gained in post, and the hospitality-sector experience is desirable because transferable customer service experience would do the job.
| Area | Criterion | Type | Assessed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Experience | Two or more years managing a busy front-of-house or customer service team | Essential | A / I |
| Experience | Has handled complaints and escalations through to resolution | Essential | A / I |
| Experience | Experience in a hotel or hospitality setting | Desirable | A |
| Skills | Can plan staff rotas against expected demand and a labour budget | Essential | A / T |
| Skills | Clear written English for incident reports and guest correspondence | Essential | A / T |
| Knowledge | Working knowledge of food safety and health and safety responsibilities | Essential | I |
| Qualifications | Level 2 Food Hygiene certificate, or willingness to complete it within three months | Desirable | A / R |
| Working style | Stays calm and fair when giving feedback to staff under pressure | Essential | I |
| Other | Able to work evening and weekend shifts on a published rota | Essential | A |
From person specification to shortlist
How CV screening uses essential and desirable criteria
The person specification is the input to shortlisting. Keeping the link explicit means every shortlisting decision can be traced back to a criterion that was agreed before screening started. The CV screening rubric template turns these criteria into must-haves, weights, and evidence rules.
01
Essential criteria become must-haves
When you screen CVs, each essential criterion assessed by the application becomes a must-have in the screening rubric. If a CV is silent on one, treat it as unknown and check, rather than assuming the candidate lacks it.
02
Desirable criteria become weighted differentiators
Desirable criteria help you rank candidates who already meet the essentials. Weight them by how much they matter to the role, and do not let them quietly turn into gates.
03
Interview-only criteria stay out of CV screening
Criteria marked 'I' or 'T' cannot fairly be judged from a CV. Leave them out of the first pass and carry them into your interview questions and scoring sheet.
Equality Act 2010
Fairness checks before you publish
The Equality Act 2010 applies to recruitment, including the criteria you advertise and use to shortlist. A criterion that puts people with a protected characteristic at a disadvantage needs to be a proportionate way of meeting a legitimate aim. These checks catch the most common problems. They are practical guidance, not legal advice; check Acas or the Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance for your situation.
Avoid age proxies
Phrases such as 'recent graduate', 'young and energetic', or a minimum number of years can disadvantage people because of age. Describe the level of responsibility instead, or explain why a minimum period of experience is needed.
Justify qualifications
Requiring a degree when the work does not need one can exclude capable people. Add 'or equivalent experience' unless a qualification is a legal or professional requirement for the role.
Describe the language actually needed
'Native English speaker' can amount to race discrimination. State the standard the work requires, such as 'clear written English for customer emails'.
Keep health out of the specification
Under section 60 of the Equality Act 2010, employers should generally not ask about health or disability before a job offer, except in limited cases such as arranging reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process. Describe the tasks instead.
Make physical requirements specific
If a role involves lifting or long periods on foot, describe the task rather than a general fitness standard, and consider whether reasonable adjustments could remove the barrier.
Watch for vague culture-fit criteria
Labels such as 'good fit' or 'outgoing personality' are hard to evidence and easy to apply inconsistently. Name the behaviour the work needs and how you will assess it.
More free hiring templates
CV screening rubric template
Copy or print a recruiter intake and screening rubric for must-haves, evidence rules, red flags, and human review.
Competency-based interview questions
Competency and strengths-based questions with probes and anchored scoring guidance.
Interview scoring sheet
A weighted interview scorecard with a 1 to 4 rating scale and space for evidence.
Interview feedback form
Record independent, evidence-based interview feedback and a clear recommendation.
Candidate rejection email templates
Respectful rejection emails for after CV screening and after interview, with a data retention line.
Related guides
Check criterion fairness
Test whether each criterion is role-related, evidence-based, consistent, and reviewable.
Browse job description templates
Start from a role-specific job description, then write the person specification against it.
CV screening software for UK teams
See how approved criteria become explainable candidate placements.
How Marxel works
From a hiring brief to a reviewed screening rubric and an evidence-backed shortlist.
Turn your person specification into a reviewable shortlist
Marxel builds screening criteria from your job description and hiring-manager notes. You review and approve them, then every CV is assessed against the same version with the reasoning shown.
Frequently asked questions
What is a person specification?
A person specification describes the qualifications, experience, skills, knowledge, and other requirements someone needs to do a job. In the UK it usually sits alongside the job description, which describes the duties, and it is the document most employers use to shortlist candidates.
What is the difference between essential and desirable criteria?
Essential criteria are the minimum a person needs to do the job, so candidates who clearly do not meet them are not usually shortlisted. Desirable criteria would help someone in the role but are not required; they are used to compare candidates who meet all the essential criteria.
How many essential criteria should a person specification have?
Keep the list short. Six to ten essential criteria is common for most roles. A long essential list makes it more likely that capable candidates are screened out on requirements the job does not really need.
What is the difference between a job description and a person specification?
A job description sets out the purpose of the role, its main duties, and who it reports to. A person specification sets out what the person doing that job needs to bring. Every criterion in the person specification should link to something in the job description.
How do I use a person specification for shortlisting?
Score every application against the same criteria, starting with the essential criteria that can be assessed from an application or CV. Record the evidence for each decision. Use desirable criteria only to compare candidates who meet the essentials, and keep notes in case a candidate asks for feedback or makes a request for their personal data.
How do essential criteria work with an offer of an interview to disabled applicants?
Many employers, including some Disability Confident employers, offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job. In practice the minimum criteria are your essential criteria, so they need to be accurate, genuinely necessary, and clear to applicants.