So what is a job analysis?
A job analysis is the process of studying a job to determine which activities and responsibilities it includes, its relative importance to other jobs, the qualifications necessary for performance of the job and the conditions under which the work is performed. Essentially it is the process of identifying the core essential functions necessary to successfully perform a job. This is an analysis of the role itself, not of the person currently filling that role. We’ll talk about that in a later blog.
An in-depth job analysis helps organizations create in-depth job descriptions and get managers and employees on the same page. It is also useful in defining the path job holders will take to move up in an organization and transition to higher-level positions.
1. Gather internal information
The first step is to review the roles and responsibilities for the specific position. It is critical that you ask the actual employees who are doing the job what they do every day on the job. Check out work diaries, questionnaires or manuals, then list down the activities the job entails. Rank and organize the specific tasks based on the amount of skill level and experience involved. Make certain that you have described the daily duties in sufficient detail so that your organization is able to hire a qualified new employee who has the capacity to do the job correctly.
2. Compare against market
What are the qualifications for the position? What are the responsibilities and activities that job holders are expected to fulfill? Check out similar positions to evaluate whether the scope of the job is aligned with industry standards. While you never want to copy another company's job description, looking at several is helpful in writing your own job descriptions. Use government literature and information from professional organizations to check your results. Consult subject matter experts who can describe the tasks needed to perform a job. Network with other businesses and compare data. All of this searching can help you figure out how to word the job analysis and help remind you of the tasks and responsibilities that you may have forgotten.
3. Identify the necessary outcomes
Think of this like your 30-60-90 day goals. How will this role align with your organization's overall goals and objectives? Even similar roles don’t have the same outcome because roles and responsibilities vary across departments. For example, a tech company may recruit a technical writer for the marketing department for advertising copy. Sometimes, you can identify holes in your organization and figure out a way to fill them by doing job analyses. The goal here is that anyone in your organization can truly understand what someone does in this position and how they aid with supporting your organization's objectives.
4. Identify the Necessary skills and requirements
Not every position has the same essential skills, training, and experience. Management could even opt to assign or unassign responsibilities based on their level of importance to the team. Explore what tools and expertise you can train them on to achieve both short and long-term success. The goal here is to identify what you can offer an employee in their first few weeks and throughout the year, to help them along the road towards mastery in their role. It’s important to define the specific skills, training and education required for each candidate. The more specific you are, the better your job analysis will be.
5. Decide on Compensation and Benefits
Determining a job’s salary can be tricky. What salary is your competition offering? What are the current salary brackets in your organization? What skill requirement is needed to go up a level of salary within the team/department/organization. Your job analysis can help resolve this. An analysis will uncover the required skills, work environment, responsibilities, education and more needed for deciphering an appropriate figure. You can check out websites such as Glassdoor, Payscale, Indeed and the Bureau of Labor Statistics to get an overview of the ideal compensation.
A job analysis isn’t a one-time thing, so don’t stop updating your job analysis after creating it. Continue elevating the job analysis to enhance your employee’s career development. As the industry and organization evolve, the expectations for each position change. With a thorough job analysis, you’ll be able to attract candidates who are the right fit for the job and provide them with the right compensation based on industry standards. Periodically assess if there are any additional obligations or outcomes to add to the job analysis.
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