Once you have identified that you have a role available, the starting point in any recruitment process is to write the job description. The job description is an important document for a number of reasons: not only does it give you the chance to really focus on what duties are applicable to a specific role, it can also prevent disputes arising at a later stage as the employee will understand exactly what was expected from them since the start of the employment with you. It also acts as a useful way to demonstrate that you are following a fair and non-discriminatory process.

The job description should be objective, identify the main purpose of the job and set out the specific tasks that need to be completed – for example, dispensing prescription drugs, providing excellent customer service and so on.

You should avoid making assumptions as to how the role needs to be completed. For example, do not state that the role must be completed on a full-time basis if, in reality, it would be suited to part-time working or job-sharing. The more consideration you give to the job description and the specific duties that need to completed, the less likely you are to make assumptions and include working that could potentially be discriminatory.

The person specification is slightly different. This should identify the skills, qualifications, experience and qualities you think the person carrying out the role (as set out in the job description) should have. As an employer, this is where you should think about what you like the successful candidate, to have – for example, a certain level of qualification or experience of a particular type of work.

Although this may seem straightforward, this is commonly where businesses fall foul of discrimination laws.

For example, stating that any applicant must have a degree and five years’ experience is likely to be age discrimination. This is because any applicant who graduated less than five years ago, and so is likely to be younger than any applicant who graduated more than five years ago, is not even going to be interviewed for the role irrespective of how valuable and relevant their work experience has been since graduating.

This is where identifying essential and preferable criteria is useful. It might be ‘essential’, for example, that every applicant for an assistant role has a biology or science GCSE pass, while it might be ‘ideal’ (but not essential) if they have worked in a pharmacy before.

By focusing on the specific essential requirements of the role, as well as what an ideal candidate would have but what is not essential, you should find that you then have a job description and person specification that helps you recruit the right person and avoids any possibility that you have been discriminatory.