1.1(b) Job analysis
Job analysis is the PROCESS of obtaining valid, relevant information about jobs to assist management planning and decision making. It collects comprehensive information; the actual work content of jobs; the skills, knowledge and abilities required to perform the work; resources required; outcomes/results required from performance and the methods and measures used to assess achievement of the outcomes.
Job analysis provides information about three basic aspects of a job.
- Job content: the duties and responsibilities of the job
- Job requirements: the formal qualifications, knowledge, skills, abilities and personal characteristics which employees need to perform the content of the job
- Job context: situational and supporting information regarding the particular job
It involves designing a series of questions in order to get a response to base other decisions on.
- Why does the job exist?
- Is the job necessary?
- What is done on the job? What are the physical and intellectual activities?
- Why is it done?
- How is it done?
- Where is it done?
- When is it done?
- What skills, knowledge and abilities are needed to do it?
- What resources and work equipment does it require?
- What are the features of the working environment it is in?
- In what context is the job performed (e.g. reporting relationships, levels of authority and responsibility, contact with others, levels of autonomy, travel, workload, work pressure, etc.)
- What constitutes effective performance of the job? How is this measured?
- What problems have previous and current job holders encountered on the job?
- How can the job be changed to; improve the performance; improve the efficiency and productivity; make it easier to attract employees; make it more interesting or satisfying?
- How much does the job pay?