Job Analysis Methods

Before learning about the different methods, it is important to understand the concept of job analysis. Job analysis refers to the systematic study of different jobs to understand the work activities, tasks and responsibilities that need to be undertaken by employees performing the job. Job analysis also defines the qualities and characteristics needed in order to ensure that the work performance of the employees reaches optimum levels.

These methods of job analysis helps ensure that the right candidate is hired for a job. In plain and simple terms, it is a systematic method to gather information, and identify those qualities that are needed in order to perform a job. When different types of job analysis methods are employed, the analysis is done on the basis of the demands of the job at that time and not as per the demands of the job if it were in another organization or as it was in the past. Job analysis is not a subjective study of just one person who is doing the job nor does it analyze thought processes or traits and aptitudes of a person.

So what are the different advantages? The data that is made available to the organization after job analysis helps in the decision-making process of the organization. It also serves as a way to help different organizations cope with the changes that occur as a result of the changes in technology and needs of the world. They need reliable information that can help them design profiles for various jobs. Not receiving complete information about a job can result in incorrect evaluation of the job that in turn, can result in unfair pay scales. Besides setting the pay scale of the organization, information obtained from job analysis is useful in recruiting, planning of organizational hierarchy, designing jobs, training, settling grievances, and other such programs. It is also helpful in ensuring job satisfaction in employees.

Common Job Analysis Methods

There are many different analysis methods employed to analyze the demands of the job. These methods include interviews, questionnaires, observation, investigations, etc. It is generally common for most professionals in human resources management to use a group of methods to analyze a job correctly. A human resource professional may actually observe employees to analyze the demands of their jobs and then interview the employees to understand what they believe that the job needs. This means that the person conducting the analysis uses both observation and interviews for the purpose of analysis. He may actually back these methods with employee surveys and meetings with psychologists in order to detail out the profile obtained as a result of job analysis. The different commonly used methods are described below.

Observation: One of the most commonly used methods, a person trained for the job will observe the employee and make records of all the tasks he performs and the methods he employs to perform them. If the professional observing employs the method of continuous observation, then he will observe the employee for a long period of time which is specified and if he employs the method that is commonly called sampling, then he will observe different employees performing the same jobs across periods.

Interview: As the name suggests, in this method the professional conducting the analysis interviews an employee trying to understand the different skills that the employee needs to use in order to perform his job. It is generally advisable to interview more than one person to get a reliable pool of data for this method of analysis as the answers to the questions asked will be subjective. You can also conduct group interviews where every employee contributes towards building the profile. This is one of the common methods for police officers and other security and defense forces job profiling.

Questionnaire: This is another commonly used job analysis method, where the analyst frames a questionnaire with standard, structured questions that help identify the tasks related to the job and also the time they spend on performing the job. In this type of questionnaire, the employee sticks to answering the questions in the list. An open ended questionnaire will have the employee describing his job and tasks involved in the job in his own words.

Other methods that are commonly used are critical incidents, wherein the analyst defines a job on the basis of the behavior needed to perform the job. Maintaining a diary is also a common method where employees are asked to record activities and tasks that they perform as a part of their job. Often experts are hired to provide information about the job profile and the characteristics needed in an employee performing the job. These are just some of the most commonly used job analysis methods. There are other more specialized methods that enable professionals to define the job better.