Why Job Analysis Is Important In Job Search

Why Job Analysis Is Important

Hello, Before we start talking about why job analysis is important in job search we need to break the words, so we can understand them and the meaning of each word which will help, in the process as you read, don’t forget to share this content.

What is the full meaning of Job?

Job analysis is the process of understanding what a job entails and what skills are required to do that job, Job analysis can be conducted in many ways, but it is most often done through observation and interviews.

There are many benefits to conducting a job analysis, such as determining the training needs of a business or organization. Developing an effective selection process for new hires, identifying the knowledge and skills needed for the job, and designing a performance appraisal system.

Importance of Job analysis

Job evaluation

The information gathered during a job analysis is mostly used as input for the organization’s job evaluation system. Anthony, W. P. (2002) mentioned that the job evaluation determines the worth of a particular job to the organization. This information is primarily used to determine the pay for the job. Thus, employees should be paid more for working on more difficult jobs. Job analysis information is instrumental in determining which jobs contain more difficult tasks, duties, and responsibilities.

Labour and personal relations

The information generated from the job analysis can help both labor and management understand what should be expected from each job incumbent and how much employees should be compensated for performing a particular job. Obviously, the information generated from the job analysis is most beneficial if it is clearly communicated to both employees and management. This communication can help alleviate perceived inequities among employees.

Recruitment, selection, and placement

A good job analysis should provide information useful in planning for recruitment, selection, and placement. Managers will be better able to plan for the staffing of their organizations if they have an understanding of the skills needed and the types of jobs that will most likely open up in the future. Further, selecting an individual for a job requires a thorough understanding of the type of work to be done and the qualifications necessary to perform the work. ²

Selecting individuals to fill positions is only effective if there is a clear and accurate understanding of what the job entails. Job analysis information is also useful for detecting unnecessary job requirements. For example, a manager for a manufacturing plant may be able to hold recruiting and salary costs down if the job analysis reveals that it is not necessary for first-line supervisors to have a college degree. Finally, placing employees into jobs by means of promotions and transfers is made easier if the details of what the job entails are known and the qualifications necessary to do the job are well understood.

Utilizing personnel in Job analysis importance

All managers who would like to utilize their employees are not performing even adequately. Job analysis information can help both employees and managers pinpoint the root of the problem. By comparing what the employee is supposed to be doing with what the employee is actually doing, supervisors can determine if the employee is performing adequately and if not, what areas need improvement.³

Training and development

Newstrom, J. W. (2002) argued that job analysis information can also be useful for training and development needs. By clearly depicting what the job entails and what qualifications are necessary to do the job, managers should be able to discover any qualification deficiencies. Most deficiencies are probably best remedied by training or retraining employees. In addition to identifying training needs, job analysis information is helpful in career development. Especially, managers will be able to tell employees what will be expected if the employee desires a transfer or promotion. This information can help employees prepare for career advancement.

Uses of job and person specification in recruitment and selection

Recruiting and selecting the right employees have always been a challenge for managers. Current economic and demographic factors of the labor force will undoubtedly increase the challenges managers face. During the next decade, the overall growth in the workforce will slow down as fewer young people enter the workforce and the employees already working begin to grow older. Approximately 83 percent of new entrants into the labor force will be minorities, immigrants, and women. The diversity among workers will call for new strategies and approaches to recruitment and selection. In addition, jobs will require increasingly skilled workers.

Recruitment procedures

Most job openings are filled with people from within the organization and entry-level positions are the most likely to be filled by external sources. Methods of internal recruiting include job posting, skills inventories, job bidding, and referrals. Methods of external recruiting include school and college recruiting, advertising, employment agencies, and executive search firms.

Internal recruiting

Job posting

Many positions can be filled by posting the job opening on bulletin boards or announcing the opening in the company newsletter. DeCenzo, D. A. states that a job posting procedure enables employees to strive for better a position within the company. Notices of position openings should include all important information about the job (for example, brief job description, the education or training required, the salary, and whether it is full or part-time).

Although posting jobs can be an efficient method of recruiting, a number of problems have also been associated with it.⁴ For example, job posting can lead to conflict if an employee perceives he is more qualified for the job than his chosen peer. In addition, competing for jobs can put a supervisor in a very stressful situation. A supervisor might have to decide among three very qualified employees- all of whom would do a good job.

Skills inventories

Bloisi, W. (2007) explains another internal recruiting method is the use of skills inventories. Essentially, a skills inventory includes a list of employee names, their education, training, present position, work experience, relevant job skills and abilities, and other qualifications. The organization can search through the company skill inventory in order to identify potential candidates for the position opening.

Job bidding

When a union is present, the labor-management agreement typically establishes job-bidding procedures. These procedures typically specify that all jobs covered by the agreement must be filled by qualified applicants who take competitive examinations and the position is filled by the highest scoring applicant. In either case, only those currently employed are permitted to apply. This has the effect, especially among blue-collar and other unionized jobs, of filling only entry-level positions from external sources.⁵

Referrals

An excellent source of information is the current employee who may know someone who would be qualified and interested in the open position. This source of information is very low cost, yet can yield a number of good prospects. Employees usually have a clear understanding of what the job entails and what type of person would “fit” with the organization.

External recruiting

School and college recruiting

Recruiting at high schools or vocational schools is often the strategic approach adopted by organizations with position openings at the entry-level or in internal training programs. Recruiting at the college level serves as a major source for acquiring managerial, professional, and technical skills. College recruiting can be expensive, so human resource managers should be certain that a college degree is needed for successful performance in the position openings. In general, professionals (such as engineers and human resource managers) are recruited nationally while more technical or lower-level jobs are recruited regionally or locally.

Advertising

Foot, M. (2005) states that advertising job openings in newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and other media sources (such as radio) is a relatively inexpensive recruiting mechanism. Advertising is also useful for filling open positions quickly. However, advertising is not usually targeted at a specific audience; thus, the organization may receive numerous responses from unqualified or marginally qualified candidates. The cost of screening candidates may preclude the use of media sources for most jobs other than entry-level. The effectiveness of media advertising for position openings should be examined periodically. Evaluating the success or failure of recruiting efforts by counting the number of qualified candidates is not a recommended method.⁶

Public employment agencies

All states provide employment services to job seekers and employers. An effort has been undertaken in recent years to improve the image and the services provided by the public employment service. Traditionally, employers and job seekers believed that the public employment system was only useful for filling blue-collar, unskilled jobs. In part, this resulted from the association the public employment system has with the payment of unemployment compensation. However, the service has been used successfully by employers even though this utilization has been focused on unskilled or low-skilled jobs.

Private employment agencies

Private employment agencies vary considerably in size and effectiveness for good sources of employees and must be chosen carefully by employers and job seekers alike. For a fee, these agencies will conduct the preliminary applicant screening for the organization. Agencies usually charge the job seeker a fee if he is hired by an employer through the agency. The employer may agree to pay all, part, or none of this fee. Regardless, the fee is usually based upon some multiple of the employee’s salary.

Executive search firms

Some employment agencies focus their efforts on seeking quality management-level employees. Bratton, J. (2007) states that an executive search is characterized by aggressive action on the part of consultants and managers who actively pursue the optimal candidate. The search is directed toward identifying those whose careers are on track with their current employers and those who are not actually looking for another job but would be interested in considering another opportunity. Recently, some companies have decided to not limit this type of recruiting activity to executives. Recruiting for any position within the organization can be done by sending out “scouts” to look for good employees who are not necessarily looking for another job. ⁷

The Selection Process

Application blanks and resumes, why job analysis is important

The initial screening of potential employees is usually done by examining resumes and or having the applicant fill out an application blank. Application blanks usually include information regarding the name and address of the applicant, work history, education, training, skills, and references.

Example of job analysis and it important

Information obtained from a job analysis can be used to develop performance appraisal forms. An example of a job analysis-based form would be one that lists the job’s tasks or behaviors and specifies the expected performance level for each. The role of job analysis is crucial here. Without job analysis information, organizations typically use a single, generalized form in which all workers are appraised on the basis of a common set of characteristics or traits that are presumed to be needed for all jobs (e.g., cooperation, dependability, leadership).

Job analysis-based appraisal forms are superior to the generalized forms because they do a better job of communicating performance expectations and because they provide a better basis for giving feedback and for making HRM decisions.

Difference Between Job Analysis and Job Description

Job Analysis can be understood as the process of gathering information related to the specific job. The information encompasses knowledge, skill, and ability, possessed by the incumbent, to perform the job effectively. It is helpful in the preparation of job descriptions and job specifications. The job description is a document indicating what a job covers, i.e. tasks, responsibilities, duties, powers, and authorities, attached to a job.

In finer terms, Job Analysis means an in-depth examination and evaluation of a particular Job. Conversely, a Job Description is a statement that characterizes a particular job.

At present, these two concepts have gained much importance because of extreme competition; all the organization wants to put the right man at the right job. But it can only be possible if you thoroughly investigate the details regarding the Job. so, here in this article, we will explain the difference between job analysis and job description, in tabular form.

Content: Job Analysis Vs Job Description

Comparison Chart For Job Analysis and it’s important

BASIS FOR COMPARISON	JOB ANALYSIS	JOB DESCRIPTION
Meaning	A deep research on a particular job to ascertain every small details about it, is known as Job Analysis.	A comprehensive job summary depicting the job contents in short but in an exhaustive manner.
What is it?	Process	Statement
Concept	A process of determining all the necessary requirements and aspects of a job.	A concise statement of what a job demands.
Incorporates	Tasks, responsibilities, skill, abilities, working conditions and adaptabilities of a certain job.	Duties and Responsibilities, authority, purpose and scope of a specific job.
Mode	Oral or Written	Written
Advantage	Helpful in Recruitment and Selection of manpower	Helpful in ascertaining whether an applicant is eligible as per the set standards.