Job Analysis

What is Job Analysis? 

Job analysis is a process that involves gathering and analyzing information about the various duties, responsibilities, and requirements of any specific job. The underlying motive behind this process is to clearly understand the individual needs of every job so that HRs can make informed decisions on recruitment, selection, training, and performance evaluation. 

It helps HR professionals design effective employee training programs and implement an efficient performance evaluation module. Job descriptions and job specifications are two direct products of this process.  

Good and efficient job analysis helps the organization to identify the gaps in the current workforce. It also assists in developing and implementing effective strategies for attracting and retaining top talent. It finally improves an organization’s profits by reducing the additional costs incurred by an organization. 

Methods used in Analysis of Job 

Several methods are used in job analysis, each with strengths and weaknesses. The choice of the method often depends on every organization’s specific needs and the nature of the job being analyzed. 

Here are a few of the prominent methods of job analysis: 

1. Observations:

In this, the job analyst observes the person performing the job in real time. It provides a detailed and accurate account of the job’s roles and responsibilities, along with any safety hazards involved. 

Advantages: 

• Detailed and accurate information: It clearly and precisely describes the job duties and responsibilities. 
• Insight of the work: It helps HR professionals understand the inherent challenges in the job role. 
• Capture infrequent tasks: It helps capture the sporadic tasks that might not be possible in other methods. 

Disadvantages: 

• Time-consuming: They tend to be time-consuming, especially when the specific tasks are lengthy and complex. 
• Observer bias: The observer might have a preconceived notion of the job, which might impact their collected data.

2. Critical Incident Technique: 

It involves collecting information about specific incidents on the job, and both positive and negative incidents are considered. This helps identify job-related behaviors and skills required for successful job performance. 

Advantages: 

• Provides specific information – Specific information about the incidents or events critical to job performance is provided. 
• Focuses on job performance – Helps organizations identify specific behaviors, skills and abilities needed for the job role. 
• Increases accuracy – It helps eliminate the subjectivity and bias that may be present in other methods.

Disadvantages:

• Time-consuming: It is time-consuming as it involves collecting data about a few specific events and incidents. 
• Highly skilled analysts: The job analyst needs additional training to collect accurate and reliable data. 

3. Work Sampling Method: 

It is a technique used to estimate the percentage of time workers spend performing specific tasks or activities. It usually involves taking periodic observations of workers over a specified period and recording the activities they are engaged in at that moment. 

Advantages: 

• Time-saving:  It can be completed quickly, helping organizations analyze multiple jobs faster. 
• Paints a representative picture: They are held at random time intervals making it easier to paint a more representative picture of the job. 
• Easy to administer: It does not involve highly trained observers, making it easier to administer. 

Disadvantages: 

• Inaccurate data: It provides inaccurate data compared to other methods as it is based on a small sample of observations and not the entire observation. 
• Requires a large sample size: To ensure accuracy, it needs a large sample size which is time and resource-consuming. 

4. Task Analysis Method: 

It involves identifying the required tasks and the knowledge, skills, and abilities to complete them successfully. For doing this, the job is broken into various tasks and activities. 

Advantages: 

• Detailed understanding of job requirements: It provides a comprehensive understanding of the tasks involved which helps to develop accurate job descriptions, identify training needs and so on. 
• Development of performance standards: They help establish clear and measurable performance standards and help in evaluating employee performance. 
• Enhances job design: It provides better insights into how the jobs can be made more efficient and effective. 

Disadvantages:

• May not capture all aspects: This method focuses on specific tasks and omits the other essential elements. 
• Limited usability in non-routine jobs: Its ineffective in the case of non-routine jobs as identifying the tasks required to perform these jobs are difficult. 

5. Functional Job Analysis: 

It is a method that breaks down a job into parts or functions, and then examines the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to perform it effectively. 

Advantages: 

• Comprehensive and Objective: It is a comprehensive method unaffected by personal bias or preconceptions. 
• Flexible: It is easily customizable to suit the organization’s specific needs. 
• Predictive: It can be used to identify the characteristics of successful job performance. 

Disadvantages: 

• Expertise: It requires a high level of expertise and knowledge of the job. 
• Overemphasis: It can lead to overemphasis on task analysis at the expense of other jobs. 

Purpose of Job Analysis 

Job Analysis is essential for organizations seeking a competitive edge through their human resources. It serves the following purpose: 

1. Recruitment and Selection:

It helps identify a particular job’s required skills, qualifications, and competencies. This information is used to develop job descriptions and specifications that guide the recruitment and selection of candidates. 

2. Performance Management:

It helps in understanding the key performance indicators for a particular job and developing appraisal tools and techniques, ensuring that the employees meet their goals. 

3. Training and Development:

It helps highlight the necessary skills and knowledge for the job. This assists HRs in creating training and developmental programs for the employees. 

4. Job Design and Redesign:

It helps gain insights into the critical tasks and responsibilities of the job and reorganize them to make them more efficient. 

5. Succession Planning:

This also helps identify the critical skills and competencies needed for organizational leadership positions. Thus, it helps develop a succession plan, so that all the vital positions are always filled in. 

6. Employee Engagement and Motivation:

It helps develop strategies and programs to enhance employee engagement and motivation, leading to a rise in job satisfaction and productivity.  

How to conduct a Job Analysis Process? 

The job analysis process is given below: 

1. Identify the purpose of the job analysis 

Determine the need for a job analysis, which helps focus efforts and choose the most appropriate methods. 

2. Determine the data collection method 

There are various methods to collect data like interviews, observations, questionnaires etc., choose the one that suits your needs. 

3. Collect job information 

In this, information about the job’s duties, skills, and qualifications, working conditions, and physical demands are collected from multiple sources, for instance, the job holder, their supervisor and various other stakeholders involved. 

4. Analyze the job information 

This step involves organizing the collected data into various categories and identifying patterns to highlight the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to perform the job efficiently. 

5. Validate the data 

Validate the previous information with the job holders and the industry standards to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the data. Seek feedback from other stakeholders and make necessary changes. 

6. Develop the Job Description 

A job description includes information about the job duties, required skills and qualifications, and other relevant information. It should be clear, concise and an accurate representation of the job. 

7. Communicate the findings 

Document and communicate the findings to all the relevant stakeholders like HR, recruiters, etc. Use this to update the existing job descriptions, develop training programs and evaluate performance. 

Job Analysis Examples 

Here is a job analysis example of a role in the Marketing department: 

Job Title: Marketing Manager 

Purpose: Identify the primary duties, responsibilities, and requirements of a Marketing Manager position. 

Primary Duties:  

• Develop and implement plans to promote the company’s products and/or services. 
• Collaborate with other departments to ensure branding consistency. 
• Analyze market trends and research customer needs. 
• Manage budgets and resource allocation. 
• Events to promote customer engagement. 
• Manage and supervise the marketing department. 

Responsibilities: 

• Effectively collaborate with the sales team to ensure alignment of objectives. 
• Monitor and analyze competitor activities. 
• Create and manage content from various marketing channels. 
• Maintain relationships with media outlets to promote brand awareness. 

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business administration or related field. 
• Strong project management skills. 
• Proficiency in marketing software and tools. 
• Excellent communication skills. 
• Ability to lead and motivate a team. 

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• Increase website traffic and engagement. 
• Improve reputation and brand awareness 
• Achieve the revenue targets. 
• Increase customer retention and loyalty. 

Validation:

The job analysis findings are validated with marketing managers and other stakeholders to ensure completeness and accuracy. 

Documentation and Communication: 

• Document the findings to develop job descriptions, training programs and recruitment plans. 
• Communicate the findings with the relevant stakeholders. 
• Periodically review and update it to ensure its relevance to the current standards. 

Here is another job analysis example of a role in the HR department: 

Job Title: HR Generalist 

Purpose: To identify the primary duties, responsibilities, and requirements of the role. 

Primary Duties: 

• Assist in the recruitment and selection process. 
• Administer employee benefits, such as insurance, retirement plans, etc. 
• Conduct employee onboarding and orientation programs. 
• Manage employee relations. 
• Maintain accurate up to date employee records. 
• Develop and implement HR policies. 

Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain relations with key stakeholders. 
• Communicate HR policies to employees. 
• Serve as a resource to managers and employees on HR-related issues and questions. 
• Participate in HR-related training and development programs. 

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in HR or related field. 
• 2-3 years of experience in an HR role. 
• Strong communication, interpersonal and organizational skills. 
• Knowledge of HR policies, procedures, and legal and regulatory requirements. 
• Proficiency in HR-related software programs. 

Key Performance Indicators:

• Time to fill position 
• Employee satisfaction with onboarding and benefits. 
• Compliance with HR policies and procedures. 
• Timeliness and accuracy of HR record-keeping. 

Validation: 

The job analysis findings are validated with HR Generalists and HR Managers to ensure completeness and accuracy. 

Documentation and Communication: 

• Document the findings to develop job descriptions, training programs and recruitment plans. 
• Communicate the findings with the relevant stakeholders. 
• Periodically review and update it to ensure its relevance to the current standards. 

Conclusion 

Job analysis is one of the best-proven techniques to understand the workforce of an organization, and the collected data is a knowledge hub to implement new organizational changes. Hiring a new workforce usually follows this process and our product makes it easy to analyze thousands of resumes against the data collected from your analysis relatively easy, check this out in action. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

Q1. Who conducts a job analysis?

HR professionals or subject matter experts typically conduct a job analysis. They gather and analyze data about a particular job’s duties, responsibilities, and requirements to identify the necessary skills, knowledge, and abilities required for the position. 

Q2. When should a job analysis be conducted?

A job analysis should be conducted whenever a new job is created, a job undergoes significant changes, or when there is a need to evaluate job performance or training requirements. 

Q3. What is the difference between Job Analysis vs Job Description?

Job analysis gathers information about a job’s tasks, responsibilities, and requirements. In contrast, the job description is a document that summarizes this information, outlining the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and other relevant details of the job. 

Q4. What is the difference between Job Analysis vs Job Evaluation?

Job analysis is identifying and documenting job requirements and responsibilities, while job evaluation is the process of assessing a job’s relative worth or value within an organization. So, while job analysis focuses on the content of the job, job evaluation is concerned with the job’s importance to the organization.