What is an Event Planner?

Anyone interested in becoming an event planner should begin the path by understanding that it is not party planning. This is the case whether you're considering a path with social events or corporate events. The final program may appear as if the profession is about throwing great parties, but the event planning professional focuses on the rationale or goal of having an event, and whether it is achieved. And the real work is in the details that lead up to the event. My site will help educate you about how to become successful.

Meetings and conventions bring people together for a common purpose, and meeting and convention planners work to ensure that this purpose is achieved seamlessly. Meeting planners coordinate every detail of meetings and conventions, from the speakers and meeting location to arranging for printed materials and audio-visual equipment. Meeting and convention planners work for nonprofit organizations, professional and similar associations, hotels, corporations, and government. Some organizations have internal meeting planning staffs, and others hire independent meeting and convention planning firms to organize their events.

The the event planner creates programs that address the purpose, message or impression that their organization or client is trying to communicate.
Event planners work long and non-traditional hours to plan and execute all details related to a variety of meeting formats including seminars, conferences, trade shows, executive retreats, incentive programs, golf events, conventions, and other programs.
Successful event planners develop the following skills:

• Verbal and written communications
• Organization and time management
• Project management and multi-tasking
• Self-starter and team player
• Understand Microsoft Office applications
• Detail and deadline-oriented
• Calm and personable under pressure
• Negotiation
• Budget management
• Staff management
• Marketing and public relations
• Interpersonal skills with all levels of management

Successful event planners will develop the following knowledge:

• Venue selection
• Catering
• Production
• Entertainment
• Gifts
• Transportation
• Lodging
• Conference Services

Those who pursue a career in event planning come from a variety of professions and academic backgrounds. Many employers prefer a bachelor's degree in hospitality management, business administration, marketing, public relations, or communications. However, many successful planners begin in other professions or enter through administrative roles that include meeting planning responsibilities.
By Rob Hard

Training: Your Investment in People Development and Retention

The right employee training, development and education, at the right time, provides big payoffs for the employer in increased productivity, knowledge, loyalty, and contribution. Learn the approaches that will guarantee your training brings a return on your investment.
The American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) "estimates that U.S. organizations spend $109.25 billion on employee learning and development annually, with nearly three quarters ($79.75 billion) spent on the internal learning function, and the remainder ($29.50 billion) spent on external services."
Licensing, certification, continuing education, and training to retain and grow skills are becoming increasingly important. According to the State of the Industry Report 2006: The American Society for Training and Development's Annual Review of Trends in Employer-Provided Training, the amount of employer-provided training is rising. The ASTD annual report "look[s] to exemplary organizations from the ASTD Benchmarking Forum (BMF) and the BEST Award winners to determine how they invest in employee learning and development."

Important Aspects of Training

How training needs are determined, how training is viewed by employees, and how training is delivered become critically important issues. Training trends and methods for gaining knowledge, other than traditional classroom training, such as coaching and mentoring, take center stage.
New employee orientation, or new employee onboarding, is a significant factor in helping new employees hit the ground running. Training that helps each employee grow their skills and knowledge to better perform their current job is appreciated as a benefit. Training also increases employee loyalty, and thus retention, and helps you attract the best possible employees

Options for Training and Education for Employees

Options for employee training and development are magnifying due to these factors:

• technological innovations,
• employee retention strategies, and
• the need for organizations to constantly develop their employees' ability to keep up with the pace of change.

So, sending an employee off for training at a one-day seminar or a week-long workshop is only one of many options that exist now.
The American Society for Training and Development has traditionally recommended a minimum of 40 hours of training a year for every employee. This is consistent with the emphasis employees place on the opportunity to grow and develop both their skills and career while in your employ. The chance for ongoing development, is one of the top five factors employees want to experience at work. In fact, the inability of an employee to see progress is an often cited reason for leaving an employer.
As a retention strategy for your preferred employees, training and development rates highly. Only their perception of their salary and benefits as competitive, and reporting to a manager they like, rate higher.

Options for Employee Training and Development

When you think about education, training, and development, options exist externally, internally, and online. Choices range from seminars to book clubs to mentoring programs. Here are the existing alternatives to help your employees continue to grow. For recruiting, retention, and managing change and continuous improvement, adopt all of these practices within your organization.

External Education, Training, and Development

• Seminars, workshops, and classes come in every variety imaginable, both in-person and online.
• Take field trips to other companies and organizations.
• Colleges and universities, and occasionally, local adult education, community colleges or technical schools provide classes. Universities are reaching out to adult learners with evening and weekend MBA and business programs.
• Professional association seminars, meetings, and conferences offer training opportunities.

Internal Education, Training, and Development

• Onsite seminars and classes provide training customized to your organization.
• Coaching gives employees the opportunity to share knowledge.
• Mentoring is increasingly important in employee development and training as are formal mentoring programs.
• Form a Book Club at work.

What Your Organization Can Do to Facilitate Continuous Learning and Regular Training

• Create a learning environment. Communicate the expectation for learning.
• Offer work time support for learning. Make online learning and reading part of every employee's day.
• Provide a professional library.
• Offer college tuition reimbursement.
• Enable flexible schedules so employees can attend classes.
• Pay for professional association memberships and conference attendance annually for employees.

Training is crucial to the ongoing development of the people you employ and their retention and success. Be creative to provide diverse opportunities for training.
By Susan M. Heathfield

Create Your Own Path: Career Promotion Tips

Tired of watching other workers advance their career as you continue to exceed all expectations, without promotion, in your current position? Successful workers create their own path to promotion; they don't rely on luck. Self-promotion is key to your career success.
If you have experienced this situation, even once, you know that you can’t continue to wait for others to decide when you should be offered a promotion. Even if you are not ready to make a job or career change today, you will benefit from knowing how to put into action a successful self-promotion plan.
Unfortunately, if no one knows how much you contribute to the company, you will continue to miss the next great promotion opportunity. Letting people know that you are interested in advancing your career is the first step in an effective self-promotion plan. You can simply advise your immediate supervisor or a representative from your human resource department, but remember the old adage that "actions speak louder than words," and plan to make a lasting impression.

Create a Career Opportunity

One successful technique is to single out an unresolved challenge that exists in your company. Try to pick a situation that will benefit from your combination of experience and skills. Write a memo that outlines the need you've discovered. Highlight how you will use your skills to resolve the problem and contribute to the immediate objectives of the team or department involved. Send your memo to the person who will benefit most from your unique approach, for example, your boss or a human resources representative.
Don't wait for your organization to discover the same need. By waiting, you take the chance that they may decide to post the position. (If posting positions is policy in your company, at least your name is on the promotion list first.)
Without your proactive approach to your career and potential promotion, they may decide to promote one of your peers. By being proactive, you create a win-win situation. You may gain a challenging, enjoyable career opportunity and eliminate the need for a competition. Even if a new career or promotion opportunity does not result from your actions, you have successfully created an opportunity to demonstrate your value to the organization.You have increased the likelihood that they will consider you for the next rewarding career or promotion opportunity.

From Brenda Koritko

Interview Questions and Answers

even for job seekers who have gone on countless interviews. The best way to reduce the stress is to be prepared. Take the time to review the "standard" interview questions you will most likely be asked. Also review sample answers to these typical interview questions.
Then take the time to research the company. That way you'll be ready with knowledgeable answers for the job interview questions that specifically relate to the company

• Name of company, position title and description, dates of employment. -
• What were your expectations for the job and to what extent were they met? -
• What were your starting and final levels of compensation? -
• What were your responsibilities? -
• What major challenges and problems did you face? How did you handle them? -
• What did you like or dislike about your previous job? -
• Which was most / least rewarding? -
• What was the biggest accomplishment / failure in this position? -
• Questions about your supervisors and co-workers. -
• What was it like working for your supervisor? -
• What do you expect from a supervisor? -
• Who was your best boss and who was the worst? -
• Why are you leaving your job? -
• What have you been doing since your last job? -
• Why were you fired? -
• What is your greatest weakness? -
• What is your greatest strength? -
• Describe a typical work week. - 
• Do you take work home with you? -
• How many hours do you normally work? -
• How would you describe the pace at which you work? -
• How do you handle stress and pressure? -
• What motivates you? -
• What are your salary expectations? -
• What do you find are the most difficult decisions to make? -
• Tell me about yourself. -
• What has been the greatest disappointment in your life? -
• What are you passionate about? -
• What are your pet peeves? -
• What do people most often criticize about you? -
• When was the last time you were angry? What happened? -
• If you could relive the last 10 years of your life, what would you do differently? -
• If the people who know you were asked why you should be hired, what would they say?
• Do you prefer to work independently or on a team? -
• Give some examples of teamwork. -
• What type of work environment do you prefer? -
• How do you evaluate success? -
• If you know your boss is 100% wrong about something how would you handle it? -
• Describe a difficult work situation / project and how you overcame it. -
• Describe a time when your workload was heavy and how you handled it. -
• More job interview questions about your abilities. -
• More job interview questions about you. -

job Interview Questions About the New Job and the Company

• What interests you about this job? -
• Why do you want this job? -
• What applicable attributes / experience do you have? -
• Are you overqualified for this job? -
• What can you do for this company? -
• Why should we hire you? -
• Why are you the best person for the job? -
• What do you know about this company? -
• Why do you want to work here? -
• What challenges are you looking for in a position? -
• Are you willing to travel? -
• What is good customer service? -
• Is there anything I haven't told you about the job or company that you would like to know? -
• Interview Questions: The Future
• What are you looking for in your next job? What is important to you? -
• What are your goals for the next five years / ten years? -
• How do you plan to achieve those goals?
• What are your salary requirements - both short-term and long-term? -

By Alison Doyle

Job Application - Job Application Form

Many employers require all applicants, regardless of the job they apply for, to complete a job application form. This way the employer will have consistent data on file for all prospective applicants.
Print, practice filling out this job application form, and use it as a guide when completing applications for employment. Then, review more job applications and information on applying for jobs.

Job Application Form

Instructions: Print clearly in black or blue ink. Answer all questions. Sign and date the form.
PERSONAL INFORMATION:
First Name _____________________________
Middle Name ___________________________
Last Name _____________________________
Street Address
_______________________________________________________
City, State, Zip Code
_______________________________________________________
Phone Number
(___)___________________________________
Are you eligible to work in the United States?
Yes _______ No_______
If you are under age 18, do you have an employment/age certificate?
Yes ___ No ___
Have you been convicted of or pleaded no contest to a felony within the last five years?
Yes_______ No_______
If yes, please explain: _________________________________________
By Alison Doyle

Curriculum Vitae Template

A Curriculum Vitae, commonly referred to as CV, includes a summary of your educational and academic backgrounds as well as teaching and research experience, publications, presentations, awards, honors, and affiliations.
International employers often expect to read the type of personal information on a curriculum vitae that would not be included on an American resume. When writing a CV for graduate school or academia the personal information included in this curriculum vitae template would be omitted.
The following curriculum vitae template will give you an example of what to include in your CV and shows the appropriate format for a curriculum vitae, then take a look at curriculum vitae samples to get some ideas for writing your own CV.
Sample Curriculum Vitae Template
CONTACT INFORMATION
Name
Address
Telephone
Cell Phone
Email
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Date of Birth
Place of Birth
Citizenship
Visa Status
Sex
Optional Personal Information:
Marital Status
Spouse's Name
Children
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
List in chronological order, include position details and dates
Work History
Academic Positions
Research and Training
EDUCATION
Include dates, majors, and details of degrees, training and certification
High School
University
Graduate School
Post-Doctoral Training
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Certifications and Accreditations
Computer Skills
AWARDS
PUBLICATIONS
BOOKS
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
INTERESTS
By Alison Doyle

Cover Letter Template

The following cover letter template lists the information you need to include in the cover letter you submit with your resume. Use the cover letter template as a guideline to create customized cover letters to send to employers.
The first section of your cover letter should include information on how the employer can contact you. If you have contact information for the employer, include that. Otherwise, just list your information.


Your Contact Information
Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip Code
Your Phone Number
Your Email Address
Date
 
Employer Contact Information
Name
Title
Company
Address
City, State, Zip Code
 

Salutation
Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name:
Body of Cover Letter
The body of your cover letter lets the employer know what position you are applying for, why the employer should select you for an interview, and how you will follow-up.
First Paragraph:
The first paragraph of your letter should include information on why you are writing. Mention the position you are applying for. Include the name of a mutual contact, if you have one. Be clear and concise regarding your request. Convince the reader that they should grant the interview or appointment you requested in the first paragraph.
Middle Paragraphs:
The next section of your cover letter should describe what you have to offer the employer. Make strong connections between your abilities and their needs. Mention specifically how your skills and experience match the job you are applying for. Remember, you are interpreting your resume, not repeating it. Try to support each statement you make with a piece of evidence. Use several shorter paragraphs or bullets rather than one large block of text.
Final Paragraph:
Conclude your cover letter by thanking the employer for considering you for the position. Include information on how you will follow-up. State that you will do so and indicate when (one week's time is typical). You may want to reduce the time between sending out your resume and follow up if you fax or e-mail it.
Complimentary Close: Respectfully yours,

Signature:
Handwritten Signature (for a mailed letter)
Typed Signature

By Alison Doyle

.Business Writing Skill Helps Your Career

A manager needs to be able to get his or her point across in written communications. The article Writing for Business details in five simple steps what every manager needs to know about successfully writing for business. The better you are at written communication, the further and faster you will be able to advance your career.

A friend of mine is hiring for a key position. He is understaffed and really needs to fill the position as quickly as possible. He told me last night that he had found a great candidate. Good technical skills, good customer relation skills, solid management skills, and industry experience, but he was hesitant to hire her. She wasn't excited about the job. I told him Passion Pays and that he would be better off not hiring her, even if it meant he had to do the extra work himself a little longer. If an employee isn't passionate and excited about a job, especially when they are just starting, they won't be working at maximum productivity for long. Wait until you find the right person for the job and you will be rewarded with not just increased output, but also reduced hassles.

Many new managers, and even a few experienced managers, struggle with difficult employees from time to time. It can be hard to remember what you are trying to get done when you are repeatedly confronted with the issue of a difficult employee. Shouting at them or "pulling rank" won't solve the problem. However, this article, Dealing With Difficult Employees, will help managers prepare a plan, confront the behavior, and find a solution to the inappropriate behavior of difficult employees.

Many managers believe that their job is to resolve problems when they arise. While that is true, it is only the lesser part of the job. It's more importantly that a manager learn how to prevent problems. This is the difference between reactive management, which solves problems as they occur, and predictive management, which tries to prevent many problems from arising in the first place. The article Good Management Is Predictive Management Not Reactive Management explains the difference and shows you how to improve your predictive management skills.

The Web site Payscale.com has a tool called Meeting Miser that calculates for you the cost of a meeting, based on the job titles of the people attending. It is a fun little diversion, but I wouldn't put too much emphasis on its answers. A better choice is to make your meeting more productive. To do that, you can use my Meeting Management techniques.

Layoff should be a last resort of a management trying to address major financial problems, but they do happen. You may have been through one already. You may be facing one. There are no guarantees in life so the best thing you can do is prepare. Here is What You Need To Know About Surviving A Layoff. If you are concerned about a possible layoff, take the time to read it. If you are planning to do a layoff, read it to help you decide which people to keep.

By F. John Reh, Management Guide

A condensed Employee Life Cycle

Today I saw a chart of a 12-step Employee Life Cycle. Maybe Human Resources professionals need that much detail, but functional managers don't. Here is a four-step, condensed employee life cycle plan that tells you everything you need to know.

Hire, Inspire, Admire, Retire

An employee life cycle is the steps the employees go through from the time they enter a company until they leave. Often Human Resources professionals focus their attention on the steps in this process in hopes of making an impact on the company's bottom line. That is a good thing for them to do. Their goal is to reduce the company's cost per employee hired. Unfortunately, they aren't the ones who really make a difference – managers are. People don't really work for companies; they work for a boss. To the extent that you can be a good boss, you can keep employees, keep them happy, and reduce the costs associated with employee turnover. In the process, you will make your own job easier and increase your value to the company.
Employees are one of a company's largest expenses these days Unlike other major capital costs (buildings, machinery, technology, etc.) human capital is highly volatile. You, as a manager, are in a key position to reduce that volatility using the condensed employee life cycle of HIAR (pronounced hire) - Hire, Inspire, Admire, Retire.

Hire

This first step is probably the most important. It is important to hire the best people you can find. This is not a time to be cheap. The cost of replacing a bad hire far exceeds the marginal additional cost of hiring the best person in the first place.

• Hire talent, not just trainable skills. Skills can be taught to a talented employee. A skilled employee can not just be given talent.
• Improve your interviewing skills. Often this can be as simple as knowing what questions to ask during the hiring process.
• Make your company a place people want to come to and work for. Company culture can be a powerful recruiting tool. Make sure yours reflects the goals the company wants to achieve.

Inspire

Once you have recruited the best employees to come to work on your team, the hard part begins. You have to inspire them to perform to their capabilities. You have to challenge and motivate them. That is where you will get their best effort and their creativity that will help your organization excel.

• Make them welcome. Make them feel like part of the team from the first day.
• Set goals for them that are hard, but can be achieved. Set S.M.A.R.T. goals.
• Be a leader, not just a manager.

Admire

Once you have hired the best employees and have challenged and motivated them, you can not relax. The biggest mistake a manager can make is to ignore employees. The same attention you paid to their work assignments, to their satisfaction levels, to their sense of being part of a great team needs to continue for as long as they are in your group. As soon as you start to slack off, their satisfaction and motivation decreases. If you don't do something, they will become disenchanted and will leave. They will become part of the "employee turnover" statistic you were trying to avoid.

• You want TGIM (thank goodness it's Monday) employees not TGIF (thank goodness it's Friday) ones.
• Give them positive feedback as much as you can, even if it's just a good word.
• Provide appropriate rewards and recognition for jobs done well.
• Create referral programs and reward your employees for referring other employee candidates "who are just as great as you".

Retire

This is when you know you have been successful. When employees see your company as the employer of choice, they will join you. When they recognize you as a good boss and a real leader, they will stay around. As long as you continue to inspire, motivate, and challenge them, they will continue to contribute at the high levels you need in order to beat your competition. They will be long-term employees; even staying with you and your company until they retire. They will refer other quality employees to your company, including their relatives. You will attract and retain second and even third generation employees. Along the way, you will have had some of the most creative employees, some of the most productive employees, and the lowest employee costs in your market. You will be able to spend the money you save in this way on other key competitive elements, including raises and bonuses for all employees – even yourself.

Related Articles

By F. John Reh

Seven Tips for Management Success

An effective manager pays attention to many facets of management, leadership and learning within organizations. So, it's difficult to take the topic of "management success" and say that the following ten items are the most important for management success. I will, however, suggest seven management success skills without which I don't believe you can be a successful manager.
The most important issue in management success is being a person that others want to follow. Every action you take during your career in an organization helps determine whether people will one day want to follow you.
A successful manager, one whom others want to follow:

• Builds effective and responsive interpersonal relationships. Reporting staff members, colleagues and executives respect his or her ability to demonstrate caring, collaboration, respect, trust and attentiveness.
• Communicates effectively in person, print and email. Listening and two-way feedback characterize his or her interaction with others.
• Builds the team and enables other staff to collaborate more effectively with each other. People feel they have become more - more effective, more creative, more productive - in the presence of a team builder.
• Understands the financial aspects of the business and sets goals and measures and documents staff progress and success.
• Knows how to create an environment in which people experience positive morale and recognition and employees are motivated to work hard for the success of the business.
• Leads by example and provides recognition when others do the same.
• Helps people grow and develop their skills and capabilities through education and on-the-job learning.

Know a few more characteristics of management success? I'll bet you do. Join other readers in the Forum to discuss management success and people issues.
By Susan M. Heathfield

Train Managers to Train

Definite advantages exist for your organization when you have developed the training capabilities of your managers. Teach managers to train and you will increase the effectiveness of your internal training. Additionally, training and mentoring become a more expected and utilized part of the managers’ jobs. Employees react positively when managers provide training, too. The employees believe they will have the opportunity to use the training; they react more positively to the expectations of the manager versus a trainer. When they provide training, managers are enabled to articulate what they believe is important and to reinforce these ideas with employees. Employees are impressed that the training topic is so important that the manager takes the time to do the training.
During my time at General Motors in the mid-eighties, managers trained a corporate-wide change strategy. I don’t remember what GM was changing to, but I have never forgotten that a high level manager provided the training. His examples illuminated both the GM of the time and the expected new direction in a way that an external trainer could never have done. He was also successful at communicating the “why” of the change in a way that promoted excitement and participation.
By Susan M. Heathfield

Leadership and Management Success Tips,Train Employees to Train Coworkers

Definite advantages exist for your organization when you have developed the training capabilities of your employees. Teach employees to train and you will increase the effectiveness of your internal training. Employees are familiar with the workings – both good and bad – of your internal organization. They should be familiar with the goals, the culture or environment, the company strengths, the company weaknesses, and the actual employees. This gives employees an advantage over a trainer who has to learn about the culture, the company strengths, the company weaknesses, and also get to know the people.
In a medium-sized manufacturing company, the security specialist and the team leader of the safety and environmental committee provide training in security, emergency evacuation procedures, and safety to all staff. They also train new employees during the new employee orientation. A long term sales representative trains all new sales employees about the sales Customer Relationship Management (CRM) computer programs, cold calling and prospecting, and how to take and process orders. In the same company, a shipping employee trains, tests, and licenses all Hi-Lo drivers. Originally trained by outside firms, internal employees now train other employees.
By Susan M. Heathfield

Candidate Telephone Screening

The telephone interview or candidate screen allows the employer to determine if the candidate's qualifications, experience, workplace preferences and salary needs are congruent with the position and organization. The telephone interview saves managerial time and eliminates unlikely candidates. While I recommend developing a customized interview for each position, this generic interview will guide you.
You want to ask enough questions to determine if the person is a viable candidate. Remember, you have already screened many resumes and applications to come up with your short list of telephone screening candidates. These should be your best prospects at this point in your recruiting process.

Candidate’s Name: ____________________________________________
Today’s Date: ______________ Resume Attached: YES ___ NO ___
Position Title/Location: ________________________________________

Initial Phone Interview for the Specific Position

Develop a question that will assess the experience of the candidate in the position you are recruiting. (Example: How many years of inventory management experience do you have?)
Response:



Develop a question that will assess the experience of the candidate specific to your needs. (Example: Tell me about your experience with an inventory of over half a million parts.)
Response:




Develop a question that will assess the experience of the candidate specific to your needs. (Example: Tell me about your experience with computerized inventory control systems.)
Response:





Describe your educational background and experience.
Response:





Not to limit you or commit you to a certain dollar figure, but what’s the minimum salary you’d consider right now to accept another position?
Response:


Are you willing to agree to have a drug test, a criminal background check, references checks, educational background checks and others as appropriate for this position? YES __________ NO ___________
If the candidate's responses to these questions satisfy the screener, proceed with the interview. If not, tell the candidate that you have other candidates who appear to have credentials and experience that more closely match the expectations of the position. End the interview.

Determine the Candidate's Degree of Success

How did your most recent position support the accomplishment of the mission of your organization?
Response


In your previous position, what do you consider your greatest accomplishment(s)?
Response:


What were your most significant failures?
Response:


How would your supervisor and coworkers describe your work?
Response:



What is your reason for leaving your current position?
Response:



If currently employed, what would need to change at your current position for you to continue to work there?
Response:

Determine Candidate's Work Environment and Cultural Needs

Describe your preferred work environment.
Response:



Describe the management style you exhibit and prefer.
Response:



What must exist in your work place for you to be motivated and happy?
Response:

By Susan M. Heathfield

Job Candidate Evaluation Form

Position:
Candidate Name:
Interviewer Name:
Interview Date:
Based on the interview, please evaluate the candidate's qualifications for the position listed above. In each section, space is provided to write additional job specific comments. If one of the questions does not apply to the position, please write N/A in the comment section.

Education / Training

The candidate has the necessary education and/or training required by the position.
_____ Exceeds requirements
_____ Meets requirements
_____ Needs a little more training
_____ Doesn't meet requirements
Comments:

Work Experience

The candidate has prior work experience that is related to the position.
_____ Extensive experience
_____ Meets requirements
_____ Not related but transferable skills
_____ No prior experience
Comments:

Skills (Technical)

The candidate demonstrated to your satisfaction that he/she had the necessary technical skills to perform the job successfully.
_____ Exceeds requirements
_____ Meets requirements
_____ Needs a little more training
_____ Doesn't meet requirements
Comments:

Supervising Others

The candidate demonstrated to your satisfaction that he/she had the necessary experience in supervising others to perform the job successfully.
_____ Exceeds requirements
_____ Meets requirements
_____ Needs a little more training
_____ Doesn't meet requirements
Comments:

Leadership Skills

The candidate demonstrated to your satisfaction that he/she had the necessary leadership skills to perform the job successfully.
_____ Exceeds requirements
_____ Meets requirements
_____ Needs a little more training
_____ Doesn't meet requirements
Comments:

Interpersonal Skills

Communication: articulated ideas clearly both written and orally.
_____ Exceeds requirements
_____ Meets requirements
_____ Needs a little more training
_____ Doesn't meet requirements
Comments:

Teamwork

Demonstrated the ability to work well in a team and with superiors, peers, and reporting staff.
_____ Exceeds requirements
_____ Meets requirements
_____ Needs a little more training
_____ Doesn't meet requirements
Comments:




By Susan M. Heathfield

Job Specification

A job specification describes the knowledge, skills, education, experience, and abilities you believe are essential to performing a particular job. The job specification is developed from the job analysis. Ideally, also developed from a detailed job description, the job specification describes the person you want to hire for a particular job.
A job specification cuts to the quick with your requirements whereas the job description defines the duties and requirements of an employee’s job in detail. The job specification provides detailed characteristics, knowledge, education, skills, and experience needed to perform the job, with an overview of the specific job requirements.

Components of a Job Specification

Experience: Number of years of experience in the job you are seeking to fill. Number of years of work experience required for the selected candidate. Note whether the position requires progressively more complex and responsible experience, and supervisory or managerial experience.
Education: State what degrees, training, or certifications are required for the position.

Required Skills, Knowledge and Characteristics: State the skills, knowledge, and personal characteristics of individuals who have successfully performed this job. Or, use the job analysis data to determine the attributes you need from your “ideal” candidate. Your recruiting planning meeting or email participants can also help determine these requirements for the job specification.
High Level Overview of Job Requirements: In under ten bullet points, cite the key components and requirements of the job you are filling.
A job specification is useful for recruiting as it helps you write your job postings and your website recruiting material. The job specification is also useful for distribution in social media, for screening resumes, and for interviewers.
By Susan M. Heathfield