When you’re job hunting, it’s easy to get confused by the terminology used by employers. For example, very few candidates can tell the difference between a job profile and a job description. Although these terms are often used interchangeably, they have different meanings. Here’s what you should know about job profiles and why they’re important.
Organizations draft job profiles to streamline recruitment, employee onboarding, performance appraisals and other internal processes. A job profile is a written document that summarizes the key features of a given role, including educational requirements, duties and pay rates.
Why Employers Use Job Profiles
Recruiters and HR managers often spend hours creating the perfect job profile. This document summarizes the responsibilities and functions associated with a given job, explains Baylor University. It may also include other relevant information, such as compensation grades, pay rates, exempt status and job transfers. Large organizations often list job codes, job families, and management levels.
Simply put, a job profile is an internal document that outlines the key characteristics of a given role. A job family on the other hand is a group of similar job profiles. Companies use these documents to streamline hiring, performance appraisals, and other processes. For example, they can set specific salary ranges for employees with similar job profiles. This information allows them to write compelling job descriptions that reflect their expectations.
A complete job profile should contain the minimum qualifications that candidates must possess, notes the British Columbia government. At a minimum, employers should describe the educational background, skills and qualifications required for the job. They may also include a list of skills such as business acumen, integrity, empathy and attention to detail. This document may provide a summary of job conditions, categories or levels of duties and responsibilities.
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