Job analysis is a combination of processes and activities that allow gathering the necessary information about a particular job. The information gathered includes requirements of that job, the incumbent’s duties, responsibilities, pay packages, and qualifications, as well as the other conditions and a general context of the job. This process is an integral part of all the important aspects of a company’s work, such as job evaluation, staffing, training, and compensation. Job analysis is also the first step to conducting job evaluation. The results of the job analysis are used to complete a wide range of a company’s tasks, as they provide important details about the requirements of the job, workforce needed, and compensation levels.
Job analysis has a number of highly important purposes and is beneficial for all the parties involved into the company’s work. First, it is crucial for recruitment and selection processes, as it helps to identify the qualifications required of the candidates for a particular job. Second, job analysis is used to assess performance and productivity (Belcourt et al., 2019). To meet their goals and objectives, companies have to measure the overall, as well as individual performance of their employees. The third purpose of job analysis is to evaluate employees’ needs in terms of training and professional development. After the requirements of the job and its favorable outcomes are identified, it is easier to determine what kind of training the employees need. The fourth major purpose is to identify the amount and type of the employee compensation. The results of a job analysis can guide the management, as it can use them when deciding what the pay packages for the job should be. Finally, the fifth major purpose of job analysis is to organize or reorganize the use of human resources in the way that will ensure successful outcomes.
It can be stated that the purposes of job analysis are interconnected with all the aspects of assessing any particular job. For example, job analysis acts as the first step to another important organizational procedure: job evaluation. While job analysis is aimed at collecting information about the content and responsibilities associated with the job, evaluation is meant to reveal the value of a given job and set appropriate compensation levels (Belcourt et al., 2019). This process requires management teams to conduct systematic assessments of various jobs and allows identifying the value or worth of the job in question in relation to those jobs.
Moreover, job analysis is highly important in relation to staffing. Before a company hires an employee, it needs to develop job descriptions and specifications (Gallo, 2020). These define what skills the employees need to qualify for the job. In turn, job analysis allows the management to identify the positions that need to be filled for a company to successfully achieve its goals. One of the activities of job analysis is creating a specific set of tasks an incumbent will have. This helps to not only define the number of employees to be hired, but also to design plans and strategies to use human resources in the most efficient way.
Apart from the recruitment of qualified staff, job analysis provides valuable information on the training that this staff will need for the company to fulfill its mission and increase employees’ job satisfaction. Training needs analysis is a part of job analysis and includes several important factors (Roslansky, 2021). These can be divided into conventional factors, such as corporate development and its impact on the employees’ needs, and accidental factors, such as new hires and their impact on training needs. After the requirements and objectives of the employee training are identified, the management develops a training program.
As mentioned above, job analyses also helps to identify the compensation levels for the job. Because pay packages directly depend on the responsibilities and duties the job will present, it is essential to identify all factors that will impact the level of compensation. Among the major factors influencing compensation are the skills required, schedule, education qualifications, and other working conditions. During job analysis, the management can also conduct a comparative study within the whole organization to define the relative value of the job.
To conclude, it can be stated that there are numerous advantages of job analysis that are present in all organizational settings. It provides a basis for designing plans to improve many aspects of the company’s work. It allows evaluating the job by comparing its performance and requirements to those of the other jobs. This, in turn, shows the job’s relative value or worth. Staffing issues are also largely dependent on the results of the job analysis, as it guides the managers on all aspects of recruitment.
In addition, job analysis helps to identify the employees’ training needs and develop programs to improve their professional skills. Finally, it shows the management what compensation levels would be appropriate for a particular job. Therefore, an effective job analysis helps the management to measure and maintain favorable performance, set feasible goals, and raise productivity.
References
Belcourt, M., Singh, P., Bohlander, G. W., Snell, S., & Morris, S. (2019). Managing human resources (9th ed.). Nelson.
Gallo, A. (2020). Write a better job description. Harvard Business Review. Web.
Roslansky, R. (2021). You need a skills-based approach to hiring and developing talent. Harvard Business Review. Web.