Requirements Profile
A job description is a document that outlines what a role is expected to deliver and the skills, experience, and qualities required to perform the job.
It is written before the recruitment process begins and guides everything that happens afterward: the job posting, the application process, the interviews, any tests, and the final decision. If there is no job description, candidates are evaluated based on gut feeling, and that gut feeling shifts as the process progresses. If it’s in place, everyone is evaluated against the same standard.
What is a requirements profile?
A job requirements profile is neither a job posting nor a job description. The job description outlines what someone does in their role. The job posting is a promotional summary. The job profile is the framework that you agree on internally: this is what the person is expected to accomplish during their first year, and these are the skills they need to succeed in doing so.
The work begins with the mission, not with the competencies. What is the purpose of the role? What three or four outcomes should it deliver? Who does it depend on, and who depends on it? Only once the mission has been formulated can we determine which requirements are actually requirements. A common outcome of this approach is that the list becomes shorter. Many of the requirements included in the first draft turn out to be wishes or descriptions provided by the person who created the position.
The next step is to distinguish between ”must” requirements and ”should” requirements and to make each requirement observable. “Good communication skills” is not observable. “Can present an investment analysis to a management team and counter objections” is. That distinction determines whether the job requirements can be used in interviews and as a reference, or whether they’ll just end up as a document sitting in a folder.
The job profile also serves as a guiding document. The owner is the hiring manager, who is known in English as hiring manager, but the profile only becomes useful once everyone involved in evaluating candidates has read and approved the same text. Once the hiring manager, HR, and any potential future colleague have signed off on the same profile, they’re all on the same page about what you’re looking for. That agreement saves time when comparing candidates.
A well-developed requirements profile provides you with:
- A clear job description for the role, not just a list of tasks.
- A common basis for decision-making for everyone involved in the evaluation process.
- Background material for the ad, search strategy, and interview guide.
- A reasonable salary structure, given that the requirements are clearly defined.
What should a requirements profile include?
The format may vary, but the content should cover the same points each time. The order listed below works for most specialist and managerial roles.
- Purpose and Mandate of the Role. Why does the position exist, what decisions is the person authorized to make, to whom do they report, and who reports to them?.
- Expected results. Three to five specific deliverables during the first twelve months. These will later serve as the basis for follow-up.
- Mandatory requirements. Experience, education, familiarity with systems, language skills, and industry knowledge are required. Please provide a range of years rather than exact numbers.
- Competencies and behaviors. Four to six competencies to be assessed, defined in observable terms and linked to interview questions.
- Conditions and Context. Salary range, location, travel requirements, team composition, and what the role offers the candidate.
Also include what is often overlooked: how the evaluation will be conducted. What steps the process involves, who participates in each step, and how you will compile the evaluations. This links the requirements profile to a skill-based recruitment in practice rather than on paper.
Common Mistakes with Requirements Profiles
- A copy of the one who quit. The profile is written as a portrait of the predecessor, including their background and familiarity with the system. The role has often changed since they took office, and the organization may need something different now.
- Wish List. Twelve mandatory requirements, several of which are rarely found in a single person. The result is either an empty list of candidates or that the requirements are downplayed after three weeks, making the evaluation arbitrary.
- Properties without a definition. Words like “driven,” “unpretentious,” and “organized” mean different things to different people in the room. Without a definition, the interview becomes a discussion about word choice rather than about the candidate.
- The profile that never takes root. The hiring manager writes it alone; the others don't see it until the final interview. That's when new requirements are added at the last minute, and the process starts over, at least in part.
How Talent Search Works with Job Profiles
Let's get started each assignment with a working meeting to discuss the job requirements, usually together with the hiring manager and the person in charge of the budget. We ask a lot of questions, because that’s how we uncover what isn’t in the first draft: why the position is hard to fill and what’s actually negotiable. Curiosity is our method, not politeness.
- We'll write the profile for you and send it to you for your signature before the application process begins.
- We translate each skill into questions that are used in structured interview, so that the assessment is comparable.
- We're open to discussing situations where a requirement makes the role unreasonable to fill, and we'll suggest ways you can adjust the position level or salary.
- We translate the profile into a search strategy, so that the requirements guide where we look—not just what we ask.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Requirements Profile
How long does it take to develop a requirements profile?
A couple of hours for a work meeting, plus a day or so to write and approve the text. If you already have a recent job description, the process will go faster, but the consultation process among managers can rarely be shortened.
Who should be involved in drafting the requirements profile?
The hiring manager should always be present, preferably along with HR and someone who will be working closely with the new colleague. Having more than four people involved slows down the process without improving the candidate profile.
How many "must" requirements are reasonable?
Five to seven “must-have” requirements are sufficient for most specialist and managerial roles. If there are more than that, you should reclassify a few as “nice-to-have” requirements; otherwise, you risk screening out candidates who would have been able to handle the job.
Can the requirements profile be changed during the process?
Yes, but do it deliberately and in writing. It’s wise to make adjustments based on the initial market signals. Drifting away from the profile without anyone saying so out loud, however, is one of the most common reasons why a hiring process drags on.
Are you looking to fill a position and would like to have the candidate's background checked first? Email the job description to us.