JOB ANALYSIS: STAGES, METHODS, IMPORTANCE AND EXAMPLE - DUDAS - 2025

The job analysis is a process used to identify and determine in detail the functions and requirements of the job and the relative importance of these functions for a given position.

It is a crucial procedure to help people develop their careers. Also to help organizations develop their employees to maximize talent.

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An important concept of job analysis is that the analysis performed is of the job, not the person. Although data can be collected from job holders through interviews or questionnaires, the result of the analysis is the job description or specifications, not a description of the person.

Job analysts are typically industrial psychologists or human resources personnel who have received training and act under the supervision of an industrial psychologist.

One of the first industrial psychologists to introduce this concept was Morris Viteles. In 1922, he used this analysis to select the employees of a streetcar company.

What is job analysis for?

The results of the job analysis are key influences on the design of training, the development of performance evaluations and the improvement of processes.

The application of job analysis techniques makes it possible to assume that the information about a position, as it exists today, can be used to develop recruitment, selection, training and evaluation programs for people for a position that will exist. in the future.

Before you can create an accurate description for a job, a job analysis must be performed to assess the need and purpose of the job and how the job should be done.

A job description should include a list of essential duties. Job analysis ensures that the work to be done in a position is accurately described. A job description simply documents the findings of the job analysis.

General stages

The job analysis process should be carried out in a logical manner, therefore following proper management practices. Therefore, it is a multi-stage process, regardless of the methods used.

The stages for a job analysis may vary depending on the methods used and the amount of jobs included. The general stages are:

- Planning of job analysis.

- Preparation and communication to the personnel involved.

- Conduction of job analysis.

- Development of job descriptions and job specifications.

- Maintenance and updating of descriptions and specifications.

This process involves a job analyst who describes the incumbent's duties, the nature and conditions of the job, and some basic qualifications.

After this, the analyst fills out a form, showing the requirements of the position. A valid list of tasks is generated. This list contains functional areas, related tasks, and basic training recommendations.

Owners and supervisors must validate this final list in order to validate the analysis. The job analysis should collect information on the following areas:

Duties and tasks

The basic unit of a position is the performance of specific tasks and duties. The information to collect on these elements can be: frequency, duration, effort, skill, complexity, equipment, standards, etc.

Job analysis combines the tasks of a job with knowledge of human attributes. There are two different ways to approach job analysis:

Task oriented

They focus on the actual activities involved in performing the job. This procedure takes into consideration the duties, responsibilities and functions of the job.

The job analyst then develops task statements that clearly state in great detail the tasks being performed.

After creating task statements, job analysts rank tasks, indicating importance, difficulty, frequency, and consequences of the error.

Worker oriented

It aims to examine the human attributes required to do the job successfully. These attributes have been classified into four categories: knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics.

Knowledge is the information that people need to get work done. On the other hand, skills are the aptitudes necessary to perform each task. Finally, Capabilities are attributes that are relatively stable over time.

The other characteristics are all other attributes, usually personality factors.

The attributes required for a position are derived from the important tasks to be performed most frequently.

Methods

The method that can be used in the analysis of positions will depend on certain points, such as the type of position, the number of positions, the number of incumbents and the location of the positions.

There are several methods that can be used individually or in combination. These include:

Observation

This was the first job analysis method used. The process is simply to observe the incumbents at work and take notes.

Sometimes questions are asked while observing and usually even job duties are done. The more activities that are observed, the better the positions in question will be understood.

Interviews

It is essential to be able to complement the observation made by interviewing the headlines. These interviews are most effective when there is a specific set of questions based on observations and other job analyzes.

Also that they are based on previous discussions with representatives of human resources, trainers or managers who have knowledge about the positions.

Questionnaires and surveys

In questionnaires or surveys, task statements are included in the form of worker behaviors.

The experts are asked to rate the experience of each statement from different perspectives, such as its importance to the overall success of the job and its frequency.

The questionnaires also ask to rate the importance of the job requirements to perform the tasks, and experts can be asked to rate the context of the job.

Unlike the results of observations and interviews, responses to the questionnaire can be statistically analyzed to provide a more objective record of job components.

Currently, these questionnaires and surveys have been provided online to the headlines.

Critical and daily incidents

Experts are asked to identify the critical aspects of behavior or performance that led to their success or failure.

For example, an electrical service technician's supervisor might report that the technician was unable to verify a drawing on a time-consuming project, resulting in a line being cut, causing a massive loss of power.

The second method, a work journal, asks workers and / or supervisors to keep a log of activities for a specified period of time.

Job analysis questionnaire

The Job Analysis Questionnaire (CAP) assesses job skill level and basic characteristics of applicants for a set of job opportunities. Contains a series of detailed questions to produce many analysis reports.

It was designed to measure the validity of job components with respect to the attributes presented on aptitude tests.

The CAP contains 195 items called "work items" and consists of six different divisions:

- Information input.

- Mental processes.

- Result of the work.

- Relations with other people.

- Context of the work.

- Variables related to work.

Importance

One of the primary purposes of conducting a job analysis is to prepare job descriptions and job specifications. Likewise, they will help to hire the appropriate level of quality of the workforce in an organization.

Additionally, job analysis serves to document the requirements of a job and the work to be done.

The human performance improvement industry uses job analysis to ensure that training and development activities are focused and effective.

In the field of human resources and industrial psychology, job analysis is often used to gather information to be used in personnel selection, training, classification and / or compensation.

Industrial psychologists use job analysis to determine the physical requirements of a job and thus check whether a person who has suffered some physical impairment is prepared to perform the job with the need or not of some adaptation.

Professionals who develop certification exams use position analysis to determine the domain elements that must be sampled to create a valid content exam.

Provide information related to the position

It provides valuable data related to the position, helping managers to fulfill the functions and responsibilities of a particular job, the risks and dangers involved, the skills and abilities necessary to perform the job and other related information.

Proper job match with employee

This is one of the most important administrative activities. The right person filling a job vacancy is a test of human resource managers' skill, understanding and competence.

Thus, job analysis helps them understand what type of employee will be suitable to perform a specific job successfully.

Effective hiring practices

Who must fill a vacancy? Who to contact for a specific job position? The job analysis process answers these questions. Thus, it helps managers create, establish, and maintain effective hiring practices.

goals

One of the goals of job analysis is to be able to answer questions such as the following:

- Why does the position exist?

- What physical and mental activities does the worker carry out?

- When will the work be done?

- Where is the work to be done?

- Under what conditions will it be carried out?

Also establish and document the relationship of the position with the employment procedures, such as training, selection, compensation and performance evaluation. Other objectives are:

Training needs

The activities and skills, and therefore the training, that the job requires must be shown. It is used in training needs to develop:

- Training content.

- Evaluation tests to measure the effectiveness of the training.

- Training methods: small groups, computer-based, video, classroom.

Compensation

Information from the job analysis is crucial in estimating the value of each job and, therefore, its appropriate compensation.

Compensation usually depends on the skill and level of education required for the job, the degree of responsibility, the safety risks, etc. These are all factors that can be assessed through job analysis.

Job analysis provides the information to determine the relative value of each job. It is used to identify or determine:

- Skill and education levels.

- Work environment: dangers, attention, physical effort.

- Responsibilities: supervision, prosecutor.

Selection procedures

Job analysis provides information on what the job entails and what human characteristics are required to perform these activities.

This information, in the form of job descriptions and specifications, helps you decide what types of people you need to select. It is used in selection procedures to develop:

- Functions of the position to be included in the announcements of vacant positions.

- Appropriate salary level for the position.

- Minimum requirements of education and / or experience.

Performance evaluation

A performance evaluation compares the actual performance of each employee with performance standards.

Job analysis determines specific activities and job performance standards.

Example

For a snow cat operator's job on a ski slope, a task-oriented job analysis might include this statement:

It operates the snow-cat bomber, usually at night, to smooth and smooth snow marked by skiers and snowboarders and new snow that has fallen.

On the other hand, a worker-oriented job analysis might include this statement:

Evaluate the terrain, depth and snow condition, choosing the correct depth setting for the snow-cat, as well as the number of passes required on a given ski slope.

Job analysis methods have evolved using task-oriented and worker-oriented approaches.

Since the end result of both approaches is a statement of the required requirements, neither of them can be considered the "correct" way of conducting the job analysis.

Worker oriented

Because worker-oriented job analyzes tend to provide general human behavior and behavior patterns are less tied to the technological parts of a job, they produce more useful data for developing training programs and providing feedback to employees.

Additionally, the volatility that exists in today's typical workplace can make specific task statements less valuable in isolation.

For these reasons, employers are much more likely to use worker-oriented approaches to job analysis today than in the past.

References

1. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2018). Position analysis questionnaire. Taken from: en.wikipedia.org.
2. HR Guide (1999). Job Analysis: Overview. Taken from: job-analysis.net.
3. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2018). Job analysis. Taken from: en.wikipedia.org.
4. Management Study Guide (2018). Advantages and Disadvantages of Job Analysis. Taken from: managementstudyguide.com.
5. What is Human Resource (2018). Stages in the Job Analysis Process. Taken from: whatishumanresource.com.