Who conducts a job analysis?

1. Career development
2. How To Conduct a Job Analysis

By Indeed Editorial Team

Updated March 15, 2021 | Published September 25, 2020

Updated March 15, 2021

Published September 25, 2020

As the workforce changes to accommodate technology and performance methods, employers need to update their understanding and expectations of a job. A job analysis allows both employee and employer to identify the skills and tasks of a certain position. This kind of close inspection of a job can impact everything from the hiring process to compensation. In this article, we explain how to complete a job analysis and how that analysis benefits the workplace.

What is a job analysis?

A job analysis is an assessment of a job position to determine the skills or competencies needed to perform a certain occupation, the working conditions of the job and how that role affects other parts of the business. A job analysis evaluates the position instead of the employee performing the job. The goal of a job analysis is to define the unique set of abilities and expertise that each position requires.

The job analysis is a process that involves different methods and steps used to evaluate any position. Job analyses are conducted across multiple industries. The government even offers guidelines for conducting an analysis. A job analysis is most effective when the same professional standards are used to complete the process regardless of the industry or business.

Employers conduct a job analysis to better understand the competencies used to perform a certain role in the company. A competency is a set of behaviors, abilities and knowledge needed to work in a job. This might include knowing how to work a certain computer software or operating a specific machine or tool. It could also include certifications and education. Skills like time management and problem-solving may also be considered competencies necessary to perform a job.

Related: 17 Core Competencies to Include on Your Resume

How to conduct a job analysis

Here are steps a company can take to complete a job analysis:

Related: How to Write an Analysis (With Examples and Tips)

1. Gather information about a position

Observe and interview employees currently in the job position. Ask employees to describe the tasks they perform and encourage them to be as specific as possible when defining their responsibilities. Read through any manuals or written documents that currently define the position. Compare current job descriptions to what employees are actually saying and doing. Record your results by departments or individual positions. Generate an account of all the tasks and skills a job includes.

2. Evaluate the importance of each task and competency

Once you gain an understanding of which competencies are needed to perform each job, you can rank the difficulty of each task and skill set. Decide on the high-level skills for each position. Notice which skills are entry-level and which require more experience. You may get a different idea than what you originally thought was the most important part of a job.

3. Research industry standards

Find data about the positions on your job analysis to make sure you are aligned with the current workforce. 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.

4. Revise job descriptions and standards

Once you've observed and figured out the most important competencies needed to perform a job, set up a list of every task and skill set. Use this to modify an existing job description or create a new one that fits your analysis. Create a set of standards for each position that matches your employee input and your own observations of the job. Include expectations that you may not have observed but are based on professional guidelines from your research.

5. Use data to make changes

Look at your organization as a whole. Decide if the right tasks are assigned to the right jobs based on your analysis. If you find work from one department would better fit in a different team, shift those tasks to another job. You may also find that some departments are handling more than others. With the data from the job analysis, you can find ways to move work responsibilities based on the competencies of each position.

Related: How to Conduct Employee Evaluations

What methods can you use to conduct a job analysis?

Here are the main ways that employers collect data in a job analysis:

• Interviews: Asking an employee to give details about their job is one way to create an accurate job description. Employers will ask questions about specific tasks and also request a breakdown of the duties performed by those in a certain position.
  

• Observations: An employer may also choose to watch as employees complete their jobs, noting the tasks they complete and the skills needed for those tasks. Observations work well for physical processes and product outcomes.
  

• Surveys: Some employers will use a survey to find out how often a certain task is completed or how much a skill set is used. These surveys can be highly structured forms where employees use a scale to answer questions about the job. Surveys can also be used more informally for employees to answer open-ended questions.
  

• Work logs: Employers may request a written account of daily work for a certain period of time. This allows an employee to give a clear description of the regular duties of their job and the timeframe required for each task.

Benefits of conducting a job analysis

Here are ways a company can use the data from a job analysis to benefit their workplace:

Recognize necessary skills and tasks

A job analysis can benefit both the employer and employee by creating a clearer picture of what a job involves. This new knowledge base serves to educate managers who may not understand the nuances of every position under their leadership. It also creates a fair set of standards for employees so they know exactly what is expected of them within their role in the workplace. During a job analysis, employers will also rank the skills and tasks to determine which require higher knowledge and skillsets. After careful observation, the employers may also notice additional duties that were not originally part of the job description.

Create evaluation methods

After a job analysis, an employer may use this guidance to update or create new ways to evaluate job performance. Once the necessary skill set for a job becomes clear, employers can restructure evaluations to more realistically gauge how an employee fulfills their job responsibilities.

Determine salaries and promotion criteria

Using the job analysis, employers rank the competencies used in a job. A job analysis can help determine that a certain role has a higher skill set than previously noted and employers could decide to adjust the pay scale for that position. An analysis also helps determine when an employee is performing more high-level competencies and deserves a promotion.

Guide employee training and development

A job analysis helps employers understand how to best train new and existing employees. If the analysis shows an important skill set that was previously overlooked as a big part of the job, they may decide additional training is needed. Analysis data can also show the most effective areas for professional development.

Update hiring processes

A job analysis may show employers they need to update job descriptions used for hiring and evaluations. New job descriptions can be used to improve language from the hiring process. Potential job candidates can get a better idea of what skills employers are looking for in a certain position and what tasks the job involves.