job analysis HR

Sample Job Analysis Guidelines

The following guidelines are provided to help navigate the five essential steps in conducting a simple job analysis.

Step 1. Responsibility and Duty Identification

We want to find out exactly what a person does on the job. We are interested in all activities performed. By completing the job analysis questionnaire, we will be able to update the job and then actually write a job description. Note that the analysis is not the same as the actual job description. These are two separate and independent documents.

Example: Secretary

Job Responsibility: 1. Acts as a receptionist

1.1 Answers telephone, relaying information or transferring calls to appropriate individuals to meet callers’ demands.

1.2 Greets visitors, answering their questions and/or directing them to the appropriate individual to meet their needs.

2. Performs various administrative activities.

2.1 Schedules appointments to use manager’s time effectively

2.2 Composes routine correspondence to reduce workload of manager.

2.3 Makes travel arrangements to ensure travel efficiency and comfort.

2.4 Reserves meeting rooms as necessary to ensure their availability.

Responsibility Identification Form:

One way to capture the information into a simple format is to create a one page table like the following example to capture the data based on an interview with an incumbent in this specific position.

Table 1.

Rank Order of Importance	What Is Done (Use Action Verbs)	To What Is It Done? (Object)	Modifying Words Or Phrase (If Appropriate)
1	(Responsibility 1) Calculates	Payroll costs	For Human Resources Department
	(Responsibility 2)

The next step in the job analysis process is the identification of duties. Now we can take information from Table 1 to determine not only the rank order of importance but for legal purposes state if the duty is essential or non-essential.

Table 2.

State the General Responsibility:

List the Specific Duty Under Each General Responsibility in Space Provided Below:

Essential or Non- Essential	Rank Order of Importance	Specific Duty
		1.
		2.
		3.
		4.

Step 2. Knowledge and Skills

In this section we are attempting to identify the real knowledge and skills a person must have to perform each duty. Also we are interested in attempting to determine how a person learned the skill or knowledge.

Possible Sources of Training:

1. In grammar school

2. In high school

3. In community college (2 years)

4. In college (4 years)

5. In graduate school (5 years or more)

6. In specialized training sessions

7. Through experience on the current job

8. Through experience gained in other jobs

9. Other

Note: To the left of the knowledge and skills place an asterisk (*) if you think that a person should have this level of training prior to being hired for the job.

Table 3.

Responsibility #	Knowledge	How Knowledge Was Acquired	Skills

Step 3. Education and Experience Requirements: Licenses, Certification, Registration

In some cases the job we are evaluating requires special education, and experience which might appear as licenses, certification, or registration. To assist in that evaluation refer to the five questions listed below:

1. If you were hiring someone to replace you in your current position, what is the lowest educational level you would require the person to have?

_____ completion of high school education

_____ graduation from a technical or junior (2 year) college

_____ graduation from a college or university (4 year)

_____ possession of a master’s degree or equivalent

_____ other (specify)

2. If you were hiring someone to replace you in your current position, how many years of experience would you require the person to have (i.e., minimum experience requirement)?

3. What licenses, certifications, or registrations are legally required to perform your job?

4. Are you required to participate in or attend any additional training programs in order tom maintain your licenses, certifications, or registrations?

5. Are there any other jobs an applicant should have performed before entering this job?

Step 4. Miscellaneous

In this section we are attempting to take into consideration different things that impact the job such as legal issues, physical demands, working conditions, and most challenging duties. To assist in this process consider the following five questions:

1. What specific laws or ordinances do you use or follow in your work (laws or ordinances that you must have knowledge of and use as a reference to perform your job)?

2. Describe the physical demands of your job (examples: work is generally sedentary: requires long periods of standing or walking; requires bending or stooping; constant lifting of items weighing 60 pounds of more).

3. Describe any working conditions that cause you to feel stress when performing your job activities (examples: must frequently meet critical deadlines with little advance notice; workload is extremely heavy, allowing no time to relax; employees in department on each other’s back; minimal to no cooperation or support).

4. Describe the normal and unusual conditions of your work (examples: work is performed in an office; in a noisy place; around much dust, dirt, grease, etc.; around smoke, fumes, irritating chemicals, or toxic conditions; outdoors; on call 24 hours a day.

5. Please list the number of the most difficult responsibility you perform (the one that is hardest for you). Why is this responsibility difficult?

Step 5. Additional Considerations

The following information is designed to make sure that the incumbent in this position is in fact performing the job within the current organizational plan and job classification. Consider carefully the following three questions:

1. Are there any job activities that you are not performing now that you should be?

2. Are there any job activities that you are now performing that you should not be?

3. Is there any additional information that you would like to state about your job that we should know?

________________________________________________________________________

Source:

Henderson, R. I. (2006). Compensation management in a knowledge-based world. (10th edition), New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.