What will happen if there is no thorough job analysis and resulting job description?

A job analysis is a process used to gather information about the tasks, responsibilities, skills required, outcomes and working environment of a particular job. To create a job description, which is the common result of job analysis, you need as much data as possible.

If you lack essential information, you may end up paying an employee incorrectly, which would lead to employee dissatisfaction or hiring someone who does not have the essential skills to do the job. The job analysis analyzes the responsibilities of a job down to the essential functions necessary for the proper execution of the job. The job analysis is useful to get an overview of the basic requirements of each job.

Work center analysis also allows you to create recruitment and hiring plans, publish jobs and announcements, and plan performance development within your performance management system. Work center analysis is a practical tool that you can use to complete each of these work success processes.

How to conduct a workplace analysis

Some activities will help you create a successful workplace analysis. The work center analysis can include the following activities:

1. Review the professional responsibilities of current employees. It is important that you ask the employees who do the work that they do every day in their workplace. Often, HR and management (especially senior management) have no idea of the day-to-day functions of a particular position. They can see the results, but they have no idea of the workflows and behaviors of the employee who produces them.

If you are asked to list your current responsibilities for workplace analysis, you should be careful with the information you provide. Don’t just say that you “produce monthly reports”. Let’s say you “collect data from six different departments, check the accuracy of the data with a customized access tool that I created and maintained, and so on”. If you omit the details, they may think that your report is generated by a button that you press once a month to produce.

Make sure you have described your daily tasks in enough detail so that your company can hire a newly qualified employee who can do the job properly.

2. Conduct internet research and consult examples of online or offline job descriptions that highlight similar jobs. Although you never want to copy another company’s job description, it makes sense to consult several of them when writing your own job descriptions.

For examples of job descriptions, see “Sample Job Description” or view job offers for jobs currently being posted by companies. You can also visit LinkedIn to see how people describe their performance in a job.

You can also view job descriptions on websites such as Salary.com. All this research can help you understand how to formulate job analysis and remember tasks and responsibilities you may have forgotten.

3. Analyze the tasks, tasks, and responsibilities that the employee occupying the position must fulfill. Not all positions within an organization are optimized. You may find tasks that are not performed or projects that you should move from one department to another. You may discover tasks that another job would make easier and more successful for you.

When performing a work analysis, consider the needs of the organization and any unallocated or illogical responsibilities. Then work with management to include the appropriate tasks in the job analysis.

4. Research and exchange with other companies that have similar jobs. Sometimes companies like to share information about their work descriptions. There are also wage survey companies where you can adapt your jobs to their descriptions and exchange wage information. But they can also help you determine what to include in your own job descriptions.

5. State the most important results or contributions required by the position. Sometimes you are so busy with tasks that you forget to look at the results you need. For example, if it is the report that is required, the entire data collection and review is worthless without the final analysis and report.

Sometimes you can identify gaps in your organization and find a way to fill them through workplace analysis. Tasks are not assigned to employees who are to be performed, for example. Or, a job involves more tasks than a person can perform.

The more information you can gather, the easier it will be to find the actual job description. You don’t have to worry about the beauty of the language. Above all, they want a functional job description. Make sure it is clear and concise. Ask yourself the question: “If someone else were to read this, would they know what the person is actually doing in this position?

Conclusion

Do not move the writing of work descriptions. You will find them invaluable if you check salary and remuneration at the time of recruitment and promotion and if you assess whether a job meets the overtime leave criteria or not. It is an effective communication tool that you can use with employees to make your expectations clear.

Read below blog posts for more info;

Why it’s important to have a recruitment system — https://medium.com/icehrm/why-its-important-to-have-a-recruitment-system-42301566edaa

What features should be there on an effective recruitment system? — https://medium.com/icehrm/what-features-should-be-there-on-an-effective-recruitment-system-ada2bf7aa77e

15 New recruitment trends to implement in 2019 — https://medium.com/icehrm/why-its-important-to-have-a-recruitment-system-42301566edaa

A job analysis is a process used to collect information about the duties, responsibilities, necessary skills, outcomes, and work environment of a particular job. You need as much data as possible to put together a job description, which is the frequent output result of the job analysis.

If you miss critical information, you could end up paying an employee incorrectly, and thus foster employee discontent and unhappiness. Or you could inadvertently hire an employee who lacks an essential skill needed for performing the job.

The job analysis pares the responsibilities of a job down to the core functions necessary to successfully perform the job. The job analysis is useful in providing an overview of the fundamental requirements of any position.

Additional outcomes of a job analysis include:

The job analysis is a handy tool that you can use to populate any of these processes for employment success. 

Certain activities will help you create a successful job analysis. The job analysis may include the following activities:

It is critical that you ask the actual employees who are doing the job what they do every day on the job. Frequently, HR and management (especially senior management) have no idea what encompasses the day to day functions of any particular job. They may see the output but they have no idea what work actions and behaviors go into the employee producing it.

If you're asked to list your current responsibilities for job analysis, be thorough with the information you provide. Don't just say you “produce monthly reports.” Say, that you “gather the data from six different departments, check the data for accuracy using a custom-designed Access tool that I created and maintain, and etc, etc, etc.” If you leave off the details, they may think that your report is generated by a button that you push once a month to produce.

Make certain that you have described your daily duties in sufficient detail so that your organization is able to hire a qualified new employee who has the capacity to do the job correctly.

While you never want to copy another company's job description, looking at several is helpful in writing your own job descriptions.

You can find sample job descriptions by searching for “[Job Title] Sample Description” or you can look at job postings for positions companies are currently hiring. You can also look at LinkedIn to see how people describe their accomplishments in a job.

You can also see the job descriptions that are listed on such sites as Salary.com or Payscale.com. All of this searching can help you figure out how to word the job analysis and help remind you of the tasks and responsibilities that you may have forgotten.

Not every job within a company is optimized. You may find duties that are undone or important projects that you should move from one department to another. You may discover tasks that another job would more successfully and easily accomplish.

When you're doing a job analysis, make sure you look at the needs of the company and at any unassigned or illogical responsibility. Then, work with management to add the proper tasks to the proper job analysis.

Sometimes companies will happily share information about their job descriptions. There are also salary survey companies, where you can match up your jobs to their descriptions and share salary information. But, they can also help you figure out what to include in your own job descriptions.

Sometimes you get so caught up in the tasks that you forgot to look at the needed outcomes. For instance, if it's the report that is needed, all the gathering and auditing of data is worthless without the final analysis and report.

Sometimes, you can identify holes in your organization and figure out a way to fill them by doing job analyses. Tasks are not assigned to any employee that needs to be done, for example. Or, one job has more tasks than any one person could accomplish.

The more information you can gather, the easier you will find the actual writing of the job description. You don't need to worry about pretty language. You want a functional job description more than anything else. Make sure it is clear and concise. Ask yourself, “If somebody else read this, would they know what the person in this position actually does?” 

Don't put off writing job descriptions. You will find them invaluable when you look at salary and compensation when hiring and promoting, and when evaluating whether or not a job meets the qualifications for exemption from overtime. They are an effective communication tool to use with employees so your expectations are clear.