Job Analysis is a systematic exploration, study, and recording of the

responsibilities, duties, skills, accountabilities, work environment, and ability

requirements of a specific job. It also involves determining the relative importance
of the duties, responsibilities, and physical and emotional skills for a given job. All
these factors identify what a job demands and what an employee must possess to
perform a job productively.

What Does Job Analysis Involve?

The process of job analysis involves in-depth investigation in order to control the
output, i.e., get the job performed successfully. The process helps in finding out
what a particular department requires and what a prospective worker needs to
deliver.

It also helps in determining particulars about a job including job title, job location,
job summary, duties involved, working conditions, possible hazards and machines,
tools, equipment, and materials to be used by the existing or potential employee.

JOB ANALYSIS PROCESS

 Identification of Job Analysis Purpose: Well any process is futile until its purpose is not

identified and defined. Therefore, the first step in the process is to determine its need and
desired output. Spending human efforts, energy, as well as money, is useless until HR

managers don’t know why data is to be collected and what is to be done with it.

 Who Will Conduct Job Analysis: The second most important step in the process of job
analysis is to decide who will conduct it. Some companies prefer getting it done by their

own HR department while some hire job analysis consultants. Job analysis consultants may
prove to be extremely helpful as they offer unbiased advice, guidelines, and methods. They

don’t have any personal likes and dislikes when it comes to analyzing a job.
 How to Conduct the Process: Deciding the way in which the job analysis process needs to be

conducted is surely the next step. A planned approach to how to carry out the whole process
is required in order to investigate a specific job.

 Strategic Decision Making: Now is the time to make a strategic decision. It’s about deciding

the extent of employee involvement in the process, the level of details to be collected and
recorded, sources from where data is to be collected, data collection methods, the

processing of information, and the segregation of collected data.

 Training of Job Analyst: Next is to train the job analyst about how to conduct the process
and use the selected methods for the collection and recording of job data.

 Preparation of the Job Analysis Process: Communicating it within the organization is the

next step. HR managers need to communicate the whole thing properly so that employees
offer their full support to the job analyst. The stage also involves the preparation of

documents, questionnaires, interviews, and feedback forms.

 Data Collection: Next is to collect job-related data including educational qualifications of

employees, skills, and abilities required to perform the job, working conditions, job activities,

reporting hierarchy, required human traits, job activities, duties and responsibilities involved,
and employee behavior.

 Documentation, Verification, and Review: Proper documentation is done to verify the

authenticity of collected data and then review it. This is the final information that is used to
describe a specific job.

 Developing Job Description and Job Specification: Now is the time to segregate the

collected data into useful information. Job Description describes the roles, activities, duties,
and responsibilities of the job while job specification is a statement of educational

qualification, experience, personal traits, and skills required to perform the job.
Thus, the process of job analysis helps in identifying the worth of a specific job, utilizing human

talent in the best possible manner, eliminating unneeded jobs, and setting realistic performance
measurement standards.

PURPOSE OF JOB ANALYSIS

 Recruitment and Selection: Job Analysis helps in determining what kind of person is required
to perform a particular job. It points out the educational qualifications, level of experience,

and technical, physical, emotional, and personal skills required to carry out a job in the
desired fashion. The objective is to fit the right person in the right place.

 Performance Analysis: Job analysis is done to check if the goals and objectives of a particular
job are met or not. It helps in deciding the performance standards, evaluation criteria, and

individual output. On this basis, the overall performance of an employee is measured and he
or she is appraised accordingly.

 Training and Development: Job Analysis can be used to assess the training and development
needs of employees. The difference between the expected and actual output determines the

level of training that needs to be imparted to employees. It also helps in deciding the
training content, tools and equipment to be used to conduct training and methods of

training.
 Compensation Management: Of course, job analysis plays a vital role in deciding the pay

packages and extra perks and benefits, and fixed and variable incentives for employees.
After all, the pay package depends on the position, job title, and duties and responsibilities

involved in a job. The process guides HR managers in deciding the worth of an employee for
a particular job opening.

 Job Designing and Redesigning: The main purpose of job analysis is to streamline human
efforts and get the best possible output. It helps in designing, redesigning, enriching,

evaluating, and also cutting back and adding extra responsibilities in a particular job. This is
done to enhance employee satisfaction while increasing human output.

Therefore, job analysis is one of the most important functions of an HR manager or department.

This helps in fitting the right kind of talent at the right place and at the right time.

PROBLEMS WITH JOB ANALYSIS

 Lack of Management Support: The biggest problem arises when a job analyst does not get
proper support from the management. The top management needs to communicate it to
 the middle-level managers and employees to enhance the output or productivity of the

process. In case of improper communication, employees may take it in the wrong sense and
start looking out for other available options. They may have a notion that this is being

carried out to fire them or take any action against them. In order to avoid such
circumstances, top management must effectively communicate the right message to their

incumbents.
 Lack of Co-operation from Employees: If we talk about collecting authentic and accurate job

data, it is almost impossible to get real and genuine data without the support of employees.
If they are not ready to cooperate, it is a sheer waste of time, money and human effort to

conduct the job analysis process. The need is to take the workers in confidence and
communicate that it is being done to solve their problems only.

 Inability to Identify the Need for Job Analysis: If the objectives and needs of the job analysis
process are not properly identified, the whole exercise of investigation and carrying out

research is futile. Managers must decide in advance why this process is being carried out,
what its objectives are, and what is to be done with the collected and recorded data.

 Biases of Job Analyst: A balanced and unbiased approach is a necessity while carrying out
the process of job analysis. To get real and genuine data, a job analyst must be impartial in

his or her approach. If it can’t be avoided, it is better to outsource the process or hire a
professional job analyst.

 Using Single Data Source: A job analyst needs to consider more than one source of data in
order to collect true information. Collecting data from a single source may result in

inaccuracy and it, therefore, defeats the whole purpose of conducting the job analysis
process.

However, this is not the end. There may be many other problems involved in a job analysis process

such as insufficient time and resources, distortion from the incumbent, lack of proper
communication, improper questionnaires and other forms, absence of verification and review of

the job analysis process, and lack of reward or recognition for providing genuine and quality
information.

ADVANTAGES

 Provides First-Hand Job-Related Information: The job analysis process provides valuable job-

related data that helps managers and job analysts the duties and responsibilities of a
 particular job, risks, and hazards involved in it, skills and abilities required to perform the

job, and other related info.

 Helps in Creating Right Job-Employee Fit: This is one of the most crucial management

activities. Filling the right person in the right job vacancy is a test of the skills,
understanding, and competencies of HR managers. Job Analysis helps them understand

what type of employee will be suitable to deliver a specific job successfully.

 Helps in Establishing Effective Hiring Practices: Who is to be filled where and when? Whom

to target and how for a specific job opening? The job analysis process gives answers to all
these questions and helps managers in creating, establishing, and maintaining effective

hiring practices.
 Guides through Performance Evaluation and Appraisal Processes: Job Analysis helps

managers evaluate the performance of employees by comparing the standard or desired

output with delivered or actual output. On these bases, they appraise their performances.

The process helps in deciding whom to promote and when. It also guides managers in
understanding the skill gaps so that the right person can fit in at that particular place in

order to get desired output.

 Helps in Analyzing Training & Development Needs: The process of job analysis gives

answers to the following questions:

o Whom to impart training

o When to impart training

o What should be the content of the training

o What should be the type of training: behavioral or technical

o Who will conduct the training

 Helps in Deciding Compensation Package for a Specific Job: A genuine and unbiased process

of job analysis helps managers in determining the appropriate compensation package and
benefits and allowances for a particular job. This is done on the basis of responsibilities and

hazards involved in a job.

DISADVANTAGES

 Time-Consuming: The biggest disadvantage of the Job Analysis process is that it is very

time-consuming. It is a major limitation especially when jobs change frequently.
  Involves Personal Biasness: If the observer or job analyst is an employee of the same

organization, the process may involve his or her personal likes and dislikes. This is a major
hindrance in collecting genuine and accurate data.

 Source of Data is Extremely Small: Because of the small sample size, the source of collecting
data is extremely small. Therefore, information collected from a few individuals needs to be

standardized.
 Involves Lots of Human Efforts: The process involves lots of human efforts. As every job

carries different information and there is no set pattern, customized information is to be

collected for different jobs. The process needs to be conducted separately for collecting and

recording job-related data.

 Job Analyst May Not Possess Appropriate Skills: If a job analyst is not aware of the objective

of the job analysis process or does not possess appropriate skills to conduct the process, it is
a sheer waste of the company’s resources. He or she needs to be trained in order to get

authentic data.
 Mental Abilities Cannot be Directly Observed: Last but not the least, mental abilities such as

intellect, emotional characteristics, knowledge, aptitude, psychic, and endurance are

intangible things that cannot be observed or measured directly. People act differently in

different situations. Therefore, general standards cannot be set for mental abilities.

Job Description

Job description includes basic job-related data that is useful to advertise a specific
job and attract a pool of talent. It includes information such as job title, job
location, reporting to and of employees, job summary, nature and objectives of a
job, tasks, and duties to be performed, working conditions, machines, tools, and
equipment to be used by a prospective worker and hazards involved in it.

Purpose of Job Description

 The main purpose of the job description is to collect job-related data in

order to advertise a particular job. It helps in attracting, targeting, recruiting,
and selecting the right candidate for the right job.
  It is done to determine what needs to be delivered in a particular job. It
clarifies what employees are supposed to do if selected for that particular job
opening.
 It gives recruiting staff a clear view of what kind of candidate is required by a
particular department or division to perform a specific task or job.
 It also clarifies who will report to whom.

Job Specification

Also known as employee specifications, a job specification is a written statement

of educational qualifications, specific qualities, level of experience, physical,
emotional, technical, and communication skills required to perform a job,
responsibilities involved in a job, and other unusual sensory demands. It also
includes general health, mental health, intelligence, aptitude, memory, judgment,
leadership skills, emotional ability, adaptability, flexibility, values, ethics, manners,
creativity, etc.

Purpose of Job Specification

 Described on the basis of the job description, job specification helps

candidates analyze whether are eligible to apply for a particular job vacancy
or not.
 It helps recruit a team of an organization to understand what level of
qualifications, qualities, and set of characteristics should be present in a
candidate to make him or her eligible for the job opening.
 Job Specification gives detailed information about any job including job
responsibilities, desired technical and physical skills, conversational ability,
and much more.
 It helps in selecting the most appropriate candidate for a particular job.

Job description and job specification are two integral parts of job analysis. They
define a job fully and guide both employer and employee on how to go about the
whole process of recruitment and selection. Both data sets are extremely relevant
for creating the right fit between job and talent, evaluating performance and
analyzing training needs, and measuring the worth of a particular job .

JOB ROTATION

Job Rotation is a management approach where employees are shifted between

two or more assignments or jobs at regular intervals of time in order to expose
them to all verticals of an organization. It is a pre-planned approach with the
objective to test the employee’s skills and competencies in order to place him or
her in the right place. In addition to it, it reduces the monotony of the job and
gives them a wider experience, and helps them gain more insights.

Job rotation is a well-planned practice to reduce the boredom of doing the same
type of job every day and explore the hidden potential of an employee. The
process serves the purpose of both the management and the employees. It helps
management in discovering the talent of employees and determining what he or
she is best at. On the other hand, it gives an individual a chance to explore his or
her own interests and gain experience in different fields or operations.