Job analysis is the process of breaking a job down into its component parts. One of the major outcomes of a job analysis is a complete list of the tasks that make up the job.
There are several ways to approach a job analysis. One is to simply write a list of tasks, usually with the help of job incumbents, but this method can be difficult and important tasks can easily be overlooked.
There is another approach to job analysis that helps to produce a more complete and better organized list of tasks. The tasks are derived through a structured, top-down analysis of the job. The result is a hierarchy that represents the way the job is organized. The hierarchy becomes a tool that helps to identify the tasks more systematically, while arranging them in the context of the whole job.
Before getting to the job analysis activity in VISION, it may be helpful to overview what a Job Analysis is, from the VISION perspective. Here is general information about the job analysis process.
Deciding Which Job to Analyze
For purposes of job analysis, a "job" is:
•A position usually designated with a title or job classification
•That involves an ongoing service or collection of work functions
•Which comprise the worker’s entire set of responsibilities
•And is usually performed by a group of workers who have the same job title
Size of a Job
Jobs come in various shapes and sizes. Some are very broad, encompassing a wide array of responsibilities and tasks. Others are very narrow in scope, or highly specialized.
•A mechanical maintenance technician position may involve several categories or specialty areas: turbine mechanic, welder, heavy machinery operator, rigger. Is it one job, or is it several specialized jobs? Here is a suggested rule:
oIf a category is performed by only certain job holders with special skills, treat the category as an individual job.
oIf the individuals occupying the job position are responsible for all of the categories, even though they may tend to specialize in some of the functions or tasks, consider the categories as a subset, such as a responsibility area, of one job position.
Job Progression
A worker may progress within a job according to incremental levels of proficiency, experience or simply time on the job.
•A maintenance technician may have three levels: helper (level 1), apprentice (level 2), and journeyman (level 3).
•For purposes of job analysis, do not consider these levels as separate jobs or as subsets of a job unless each level is associated with distinctly different tasks that do not significantly overlap.
•Regardless of how the organization chooses to advance a worker within the job position, the scope of the job is still defined by all of the tasks that the worker must perform.
Here are some examples of jobs, as applied to the conduct of job analysis:
•Data Entry Clerk
•Salesperson
•Chef
•Assembly Line Worker
•Ground Crew Maintenance Technician
Breaking a Job into Responsibility Areas
The first step in a job analysis is to identify the major responsibility areas. Use this definition to look for them:
•Very broad, general areas of a job rather than specific duties.
•Each responsibility area usually takes up a major portion of job time.
•A responsibility area results in more than one specific outcome.
•Responsibility areas are generally independent of each other. In other words, the job holder operates within one responsibility area at a time.
•Each responsibility area usually has its own tools, equipment, and procedures.
Most jobs can be divided into general areas of responsibility. But some jobs are so narrow in scope that only one area of responsibility is really involved.
For example, in one organization, word processing responsibilities are performed by a general office clerk who may have a number of other responsibilities, such as administrative, personnel, etc. But other organizations may use a word processing specialist who performs no other function. In the latter case, there is only one area of responsibility: word processing.
It all depends on how the job is viewed. Do not try to invent levels of the job analysis that do not apply. If the job is narrow in scope and does not appear to contain more than one area of responsibility, simply skip over responsibility area to the next job and subdivision: function.
Identifying Functions (or Duty Areas)
A function (also called duty area) consists of a set of activities within a job responsibility area:
•that may comprise a process with a definitive beginning and end, and
•is directed toward a whole outcome, product, or result.
The outcome of one function is:
•relatively independent of the other functions,
•may involve use of similar or the same equipment across functions or duty areas, and
•is often performed by a team, rather than by a single individual.
Chances are, the job you are analyzing can be separated into functions or duty areas. Most jobs have at least several functions. But again, don’t force complexity that does not exist.
When duty areas have phases
Some functions or duty areas can be separated into phases. Phases have these characteristics:
•they occupy exclusive time slices of a function (or duty area)
•they are interdependent: the outcome of most phases is input to the next
•each phase has a clear beginning and end
•each contains more than one major task
Not all functions or duty areas contain phases. In some functions there is little or no sequence involved. This means there are no phases. Simply ignore the level and proceed to the next: tasks. Do not try to invent phases that do not exist.
On the other hand, some functions reflect a sequential operation or work process. If this is the case, look for phases. The identification of phases will make it easier for you to find and organize the tasks.
