Job analysis

is the process of researching and gathering information on a job's operations and duties.
A systematic research, study, and documentation of a specific job's responsibilities,
duties, skills, accountabilities, work environment, and ability needs
identifies the roles and behaviors required to perform them inside the organization.

The data is evaluated, and the facts regarding the nature of the job, working
environment, and employee traits are readily apparent.

Steps in Job Analysis Process

There are six steps in doing a job analysis process. The steps are shown in the following figure:

1. Decide how we will use the information.

2. Review relevant background information.
3. Select representative positions.
4. Analyze the job.
5. Verify the job analysis information.
6. Develop a job description and job specification.

Job Analysis Methods

An organization uses different methods to collect information and conduct job analysis.

These methods are;

1. Observation method.
2. Job performance.
3. Work sampling.
4. Individual interview.
5. Structured questionnaire.
6. Critical incident method.
7. Diary method.
Job Description

A job description contains fundamental job-related information that can be used to

promote a position and attract candidates. Job title, job location, reporting to and from
employees, job summary, nature and objectives of a job, tasks and duties to be performed,
working conditions, machinery, tools, and equipment to be utilized by a prospective worker, and
risks associated are all included.

Purpose of Job Description

● The main purpose of job description is to collect job-related data in order to advertise for
a particular job. It helps in attracting, targeting, recruiting and selecting the right
candidate for the right job.
● It is done to determine what needs to be delivered in a particular job. It clarifies what
employees are supposed to do if selected for that particular job opening.
● It gives recruiting staff a clear view of what kind of candidate is required by a particular
department or division to perform a specific task or job.
● It also clarifies who will report to whom.
Job Specification

A job specification, also known as an employee specification, is a written declaration of

educational credentials, specific attributes, amount of experience, physical, emotional, technical,
and communication skills required to execute a job, job tasks, and any unusual sensory
demands. It also encompasses intelligence, aptitude, memory, judgment, leadership skills,
emotional capacity, adaptability, flexibility, morals and ethics, politeness, and creativity, among
other things.

Purpose of Job Specification

● Described on the basis of job description, job specification helps candidates analyze
whether they are eligible to apply for a particular job vacancy or not.
● It helps the recruiting team of an organization understand what level of qualifications,
qualities and set of characteristics should be present in a candidate to make him or her
eligible for the job opening.
● Job Specification gives detailed information about any job including job responsibilities,
desired technical and physical skills, conversational ability and much more.
● It helps in selecting the most appropriate candidate for a particular job.

Job analysis has two parts: job description and job specification. They completely define
a position and instruct both the company and the individual on how to go about the entire
recruitment and selection process. Both data sets are critical for finding the correct match
between job and talent, assessing performance and determining training needs, and
determining the value of a position.

The Importance of Job Description in Recruitment Process:

1. Suitable candidate:

For an organization to grow and survive in the market, the tool is nothing but manpower.
Having the most suitable person for each job position can do wonder in production
and sales. The performance of the entire organization would increase merely if each employee
has a right and suitable position for him/her.
Hence, the first and foremost reason to have a job description is to find a right fit candidate. If
the job description is not given, people from all backgrounds would apply which will make it
tougher to choose and moreover the extra amount of time would get wasted.

2. Sorting out:

Each position in the organization has its own work, duties and responsibility to perform. It is
always considered that only a candidate who seems to be good enough to perform all these
duties and works is appointed.

Thus, mentioning a clear job description would emphasize more on the kinds of responsibility
that a person is going to handle. Thus, among thousands of people seeking for a job only a
handful of people who feel that they fit the description would apply. So it makes sorting or
filtering easier. It saves time for the recruiting team as well.

3. An idea about the job:

A candidate is supposed to prepare for the interview beforehand. Be it any kind of interview,
there is some amount of preparation that is needed.

What an organization can do is, instead of vaguely saying that we need a person for this post, the
description of the profile would be much helpful. It will give an idea to the candidate and make
his preparation much easier.

4. Resume:

One cannot have a single resume for all sorts of jobs. It depends upon the requirement
of the job that a candidate is applying for, as to which side of his or her work experience has to
be highlighted. With a job description in hand, making changes in the resume becomes easier.

Like, if your job description says that they need a content writer, but an expert in SEO then in
your resume you can highlight your experiences related to SEO content writing only. There is no
use having endless irrelevant things on the resume. Thus, cutting it shorter and crispier as per
the job description can be helpful for both sides.

5. Deciding:

You might be a reviewer, however, there are chances that you like to review films instead of food.
Here, if in the description it is stated that they are looking for a food reviewer then you can
decide that you don’t want to apply.

On the contrary, if there is no specification as such, you will end up wasting yours and the
employer’s time.

6. Understanding responsibility:

Responsibility comes with every job that is assigned to you. It is not always easier to handle
responsibilities, especially if one is unclear about it. Having a job description handy makes it far
easier to understand what your work is supposed to be and then you can take your steps
accordingly.

Whereas, without a job description you won’t be able to analyze your exact job which will leave
you confused. Instead, with a job description you can figure out your work even before
somebody tells you.

7. Prepare for interview:

A job description in a way gives you direction for preparing your interview. If you go through the
job description you can easily figure out what type of question might be asked to you and how
you can prepare yourself for the same.

It is important to be prepared when interviews are scheduled, and with a job description beside
you can narrow down the preparation and make it deep instead of wide.
8. Criticality of job:

Putting up a job description below the advertisement or the post makes it crystal clear how
important and crucial the job is supposed to be. It gives an impression that employers are
serious about the job and the kind of people that they wish to recruit.

If there is no description of the job given, then even the candidate would not trust it completely
and hence it is very important to have a job description.

9. Details:

Job description also deals with important details. Half of the details like, post, evaluation
criteria, summary, reporting time and attributes are needed for the position. You might miss out
on a lot of details if you do not bother to read it.

Not going through a job description might land you in an endless trouble and that is
why, the short summary called job description shouldn’t be done unseen at all.

10. The List of expectations:

A job description is like a list of expectations from the side of a company towards the
candidate. Going through the job description prescribed by the organization enables an
employee to understand the kind of quality and efficiency that they are looking for.

Only an overview of a job description can certainly tell you a lot about the expectation that
would be hung around you as an employee in later time.

11. Credibility:

Having a well described job also adds credibility from the point of you of an applicant. It
somehow portrays the seriousness and professionalism of the organization.
Not putting a job description portrays a casual attitude and non professionalism without any
doubt.

It is highly professional to give details regarding the job if you are asking or inviting applicants
to apply. Any vague brief is considered informal.

12. Compensation plan:

Compensation and pay plans are to be made in advance even before the interview process begins
to take place. If the company has described the job well then, the pay scale and compensation
becomes easier.

Nobody can further question it since the description of the work is clearly laid down and the
compensation or pay scale would be given accordingly.

13. Performance management:

Any job description works like a parameter when it comes to managing the performance of the
employee. This implies that suppose an employee is not working well then the organization can
check the job description and take action accordingly. The description acts as a parameter.

In the same way for an applicant who is applying, the description of the job becomes the criteria
to decide whether to take the employee in or not. If the candidate’s experience, skill and
knowledge match the job description, then only he/she gets selected.

14. Benchmarking:

Relating it with the previous point. The job description could act as a benchmark to decide
whether the quality of the candidate is more or less than the requirement. If the quality is more
then he or she can be hired immediately.
For instance, if the post job description talks about the goal which is to bring more clients, then
the number of clients that you have bought into the organization is going to be your parameter
of the test as an employee. Similarly for a candidate the benchmark would be the number of
clients he has dealt with in past years of work.

15. Ethical:

Providing a job description is ethical in nature, which means that whatever is prescribed
in it is the only responsibility to deal with. Any candidate who gets selected won’t be given any
other work which is totally opposite to the given description.

This is more ethical on the part of the organization since it assures the candidate in a way. There
are times when you are assigned a totally different job though the post remains the same. In
such cases job description comes as your proof to save you.

16. Avoid being misled:

There are N number of chances of getting misled while applying for the job. Not having a proper
job description is probably one of them. If a proper job description is given by the company, only
applicants who fit the criteria will apply, but giving no description leaves it for applicants to
interpret it in their own way.

The result of this will be nothing more than just a waste of precious time. Therefore, putting
forth a job description doesn’t allow the candidate to have his/her own interpretation and hence
it offers no chance of being misled.

17. Differentiation of roles:

In an organization, the principle of division of work is what works most of the time. Each
employee has a destined job to perform. Not having any division at work will end up causing
chaos in the entire organization which will hamper the efficiency and effectiveness of the
production.
Similarly, this implies a job description, if the job description is not provided clearly before
fixing up a candidate at that position, it will start a new ruckus. Confusion will crop in from both
the sides.

The candidate won’t be able to understand what he is supposed to do and on the other hand,
management would find his performance lesser than the expected level. Therefore, having a job
description clears up the confusion on both sides.

18. A legal document:

A job description is a document which carries details regarding your salary, compensation,
work, position, responsibilities and so on. It can serve as a proof or a legal document
when an argument arises between the company and the employee.

In any case, whether the company is at fault or the employee who is filing the case, any of the
sides can use this document as a proof in seeking justice.

Not giving a job description beforehand or not asking for a job description is in a way not
completing an important legal formality. Thus, always having a crystal clear job
description shared on both sides is beneficial.

19. Base of the interview:

Taking personal or telephonic interviews is one of the important aspects of the recruiting
process. No company can hire a candidate without interviewing him or her in any way. In any
interview generally questions are asked which a candidate is supposed to answer.

Having a job description readily available makes it easier for the recruitment team to form the
questions that are to be asked.
For example, if you are applying for the post of personal lawyer, whose work would be to fight
personal cases which are pending then the base of the question would be highly related to those
pending cases.

There won’t be any point in asking a candidate questions about anything that is not related to
law because that is not in the description of the job.

20. Training and development:

Today, most of the companies have indulged themselves in training employees. Those who are
new as well as old ones. Training is important, especially when new technology at the workplace
is introduced. It is also important to train the employees so that the desired level of efficiency
and performance is obtained.

Here a proper job description plays a key role. If the description of the job is clearly defined then
what kind of exposure should be given to the employee or candidate in terms of training and
development programs becomes easier to sort out.

The Importance of Job Specification in Recruitment Process:

1. The job requirements are Specific and Measurable

● The value of a job specification is that it allows the recruiters to compare
evidence from each candidate against the requirements of the job.
2. Job criteria are Fair, Relevant and Justifiable
● The job specification you use in recruitment and selection must contain fair,
relevant, and justifiable criteria.
3. Each requirements classed as Essential or Desirable
● The essential criteria in a job specification are the requirements, which all
applicants need to possess if they are to be considered for the job.
● The desirable criteria are the extras that make the difference between the
candidates and allow you to select
○ Essential criteria are the minimum requirements, the basis for rejection.
○ Desirable criteria are the optional extras, the basis for selection.
Ensuring Regulatory Compliance

1. Determine which regulations are relevant to your business

2. Identify the specific requirements you need to comply with

3. Conduct an initial internal audit

4. Establish and document compliance policies and procedures

5. Provide your employees with regular compliance training

6. Rely on experts

7. Constantly improve your regulatory compliance

8. Leverage tech tools and entrust the right software providers