Functional job analysis

What is functional job analysis?

Functional job analysis is a method to gather specific data about job information. A job description is created using the unique information produced based on the employee’s behaviors and actions. 

The United States Department of Labor fabricated the functional job analysis method of job analysis (DOL). It is used to examine a job’s requirements, assign the right candidate for that job, examine the candidate’s education and skills, and assign them the correct job position. This strategy entails a thorough analysis of a person’s talents and general qualifications concerning the needs and expectations of their specific job in a broader framework. 

This sort of job analysis is used in both the private and public sectors to assure that job candidates and present workers can perform their jobs in a safe and productive manner.

The information to be collected during functional job analysis includes duties and tasks, tools and equipment, work environment, and so on.

The requirements and responsibilities of a job position are recorded in a document called ‘functional job description.’ The document also mentions the tasks to be performed and how they are assessed.

Purpose of functional analysis

Employees are the most important resources of a company. Employers know this, and they want to hire the right people. A thorough job analysis makes sure that the company invests in the right kind of employees. Evaluating a person’s job skills, experience, education, and ability to perform the job helps choose the right employees for the organization. Functional job analysis also informs employees on the task at hand as well as the qualifications required to accomplish it successfully.

This method focuses on the unique abilities and limitations of the employees. This makes it a valuable tool for employers to assess how each position in their company affects overall operations. Companies and organizations may examine almost every facet of a profession and how an individual’s unique blend of physical, mental, and social talents affects their performance in that capacity by conducting evaluations from this perspective. According to the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, functional analysis can also be used to manage the transition of injured employees returning to work with their healthcare professionals.

Different job analysis methods –

There are different methods to conduct a functional job analysis, such as-

• Survey method
• Interview method
• Record method
• By observation
• By test

How to perform a functional job analysis?

There are 5 main steps to performing a functional job analysis.

1. Determine the goal of the job position
2. Determine the analysis method
3. Collect relevant data
4. Examine the data
5. Analyze the data and understand the impact.

7 related areas from which the job analysis gathers information

1. Things
2. Data
3. Worker instructions
4. Reasoning
5. People
6. Math
7. Language

How to build a functional job analysis?

The first step in building a functional job analysis is to identify the duties and responsibilities of a particular role. The next step is to group these duties into specific functions. Then these functions have to be analyzed to write a job description.