Finding and hiring the right candidate is a lot of work and can be expensive.
A job analysis collects information about what the job’s responsibilities and tasks are. It judges and formulates a list of responsibilities, skills, certifications or licenses, educational background, etc. needed to identify the specifics of the job position. Job analysis is an important tool in recruitment and training estimation needs, and plays a key role in determining the compensation, performance evaluations, efficiency of operations, and insight on legal or risk management.
But why does my office need a job analysis?
The Use of Job Analysis Data in…
Recruitment
Hiring candidates before developing a list of KSA’s (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities) is like going to a new place without using directions. You’re running late, and you’ve cried at least once, but you’ll get there eventually. Your job analysis involves listing the Key Result/Key Responsibility Areas and should be the first step in the hiring process, to prevent that kind of frustration.
Once responsibilities are known, the KSAs necessary for the job help establish the selection criteria- such as education, experience, communication, etc. They also help formulate recruitment materials and interview questions, encouraging effective hiring practices. Here’s the kicker: when you don’t establish KSA’s, you open yourself up to bad applicants. Bad applicants are no joke—you’ve already lost time and money, and it’s too late to regain those things when you realize you should’ve hired someone else. By listing specifically the qualities needed to perform in your job descriptions, you’re ensuring the candidates you’re interviewing will be a more accurate fit for the job.
In short, a good job analysis prevents expensive turnover due to bad hires.
Managing Efficiency of Performance
Efficiency improves when employees are performing jobs that are well-suited for them- or when there’s a balance between authority and responsibility throughout the organization. When specific expectations are clearly stated, it’s easy for employees to get their jobs done. Pretty simple, right? Job analysis ensures that the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of work goals are met.
Development and Training
Like we said, analyses provide a job description that organizes the specifics of the job, so you end up with more qualified people off the bat. From there, training will be your foundation for business success. Training helps employees acquire (or improve) their knowledge and skills necessary to do the job. Once the KSAs are known, effective training and development programs can be introduced to address any gaps among current workers. Plus, they improve the overall performance of the team. Training not only prepares your team for their jobs, but consistently gives new information that improves their performance and professional development.
Internal Transfer
Job analysis also helps determine when to transfer an employee to a different department. If an employee is having difficulty achieving performance standards, even with training, that person’s probably in the wrong place. Comparing the KSAs, the employee possesses, to other jobs might suggest there’s a better position within your company for that employee. This approach not only improves productivity, but also saves valuable hiring resources for the company that’d otherwise be wasted on an employee termination.
Administering Compensation
SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management ) states, “If jobs have equal content, then the pay established for them will likely be equal. On the other hand, if job content is perceptibly different, then those differences, along with the market rates, will become part of the rationale for paying certain jobs differently.” Job content and salary need to be balanced, which your job analysis would supplement for. The analysis’ description clearly defines the responsibilities of the position, which makes it so much easier to develop specific performance objectives. Employees can then be evaluated in conversation with these objectives, and establish the internal equity and means of similar jobs.
Since you’ve crafted a job analysis that clearly explains what your expectations are, the next step is making sure your recruits are motivated to take the position.
Risk Management
A job analysis specifies what companies need (not want ), and focuses on important work behaviors necessary for success- including professionalism in the workplace.
If an organization is involved in legal issues, the first thing they’ll review is the job analysis, because it can justify employment decisions- as long as the analysis and KSAs were consulted during the decision-making process. Making sure a job analysis is done well can avoid costly legal settlements resulting from recruitment decisions, and accomplish the company’s goals. Who doesn’t want that?
As with all things, a job analysis that’s properly executed takes time and effort. It takes time in order to fully describe the open postion. That can be done through numerous methods such as interviews, questionnaires, observations, a work diary (or log), etc. As the company and people evolve, so does the job. It’s necessary to a company's long-term success, and worth the time and effort spent to perfect it.