Discussion Topic: Chapter 4

Concept and Brief Description
Job description vs. job specification. Job description is the list of tasks, duties, and responsibilities (TDR) that a job entails. Job specification is the list of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) that an individual must have to perform a particular job.

Emotional Hook
In order to have a good job-fit, it is vital that the HR Manager consider both the description of the job (tasks, duties, responsibilities) and the specification (knowledge, skills, abilities, and characteristics) equally. As the book states, an individual can take pictures (task = job description), but may not have a thorough understanding of photography (knowledge/skill = specification). Another example is, a computer programmer may know the current computer language (description), but are they willing to take the initiative to learn new languages as they are developed (specification)?

Key Points
Job description focuses on the activities involved in carrying out a job . . .the observable parts of the job that can be seen, tested, or referenced. While job specification is the characteristics of people and are not directly observable. Job specification can include personality traits or proficiency, which can be difficult to gauge in an initial interview.

Facilitative Question
What characteristics are required to ensure an excellent job fit? What are some questions or methods of observation in the interview process that can be used in detecting these characteristics?