Job analysis is a systemic process that is usually performed by a member of the Human Resources department or a job analyst to gather information about the content and human requirements of a job. The final product of job analysis is a comprehensive job description. To be specific, job analysis is aimed at defining why a job exists, what a worker needs to perform a job successfully, and when and how a job is to be performed (“Job Analysis,” n.d.) The objectives of job analysis include determining the most effective strategies for performing a job, improving the level of employee satisfaction, defining the best way to train employees, and developing systems to measure employee performance. The procedures that are supported by job analysis include employee training, personnel selection, job evaluation, and performance appraisal.
Comprehensive job analysis is crucial for workforce planning and strategic workforce development as it gives detailed information on each position. Periodic job analysis enables the human resource department and the leadership team of a company to thoroughly understand all the components of certain jobs. This facilitates analyzing the resources and establishing the best strategies to obtain the goals and objectives of an organization. According to Mayhew (2018), job analysis can be especially helpful in reorganization and the eventual restructuring of the business. If comprehensively elaborated, job analysis may serve as a helpful and effective tool in hiring a qualified and skilled workforce.
The steps that should be taken to conduct a successful job analysis include identifying the jobs that are to be analyzed; determining the methods for collecting information on a job. When the job analysis methods are implemented, the data should be carefully reviewed, analyzed, and summarized. An effective job analysis should contain the following elements: duties and tasks, the working environment, tools and equipment needed to perform a job, the hierarchy of an organization, and all the requirements to a position. If an element is missing from job analysis, it may cause difficulties in workforce planning and development.
Advantages of an observation method of collecting data include getting direct firsthand information, the possibility to verify information from other sources, and simplicity in use. However, this method is time-consuming, may bias employee performance, and require particular skills from an observer. Also, it should be mentioned that defining its validity may be a problematic task. Interview, in turn, enables a job analyst to get information on cognitive and psychomotor processes (which is difficult to observe) and examine qualitative data. On the other hand, conducting a successful interview may require an experienced interviewer and well-thought-out questions. Apart from that, all the data obtained is subjective, that is why it should be verified. Another method to collect data for the job analysis is a questionnaire, which is advantageous as it does not require a trained and qualified interviewer and allows for the standardization of gathered data. However, disadvantages of the method given include difficulties regarding preparing a questionnaire, getting incomplete answers, and a low response rate.
To sum up, in the given essay the importance of a job analysis alongside its key objectives has been identified. The steps that should be taken by a job analyst in order to conduct a complete and comprehensive job analysis have been determined. Finally, the main advantages and disadvantages of several methods of collecting data for job analysis, such as interviews, observation, and questionnaires, have been discussed.
References
Job analysis. (n.d.). Web.
Mayhew, R. (2018). The importance of job analysis. Web.