ABSTRACT
A pre-requisite of the recruitment process is a job description. I continue to be surprised at how often scant attention is devoted to preparing a bespoke and most importantly a thoroughly considered job description. The job description must be a blend of many things. It must take into consideration the role context. Typically this entails thinking about the current composition of the team, succession planning, the duration of the project (if the organisation has been established for a single project), the culture of the organisation and any future workload. It also involves considering the risk management goals and process, the software currently in use, the current level of risk management maturity, the composition of the organisation and the project requirements. The project requirements might be the contract conditions of the delivery organisation which would describe the specific risk management activities to be completed. Job descriptions must make explicit the qualifications and
experience required for the role, the specific capabilities necessary and any essential specialist skills (such as a second language). Job descriptions are a key communication tool to aid selection and inform candidates of the hiring organisation’s requirements. Once shortlisting has been completed, the interview process can begin.
