The importance of job analysis

Although I have a limited amount of job expereince, I have already seen much that worries me about human resources within a company. I can say that my particular worries lie within retail. This is because many of the HR officers in retail stores have no HR background but are people promoted from within the store. I saw this particularly at Neiman Marcus.

Anyways, I have learned that many HR professionals are unaware of the importance of a job analysis. This is an important function of any human resources process. When starting to develop a compensation plan, selection system, or performance appraisal, a job analysis should ALWAYS be conducted. Many HR professionals just assume that a job stays stationary throughout time but one will learn that new responsibilities and new methods change constantly. This is why job analysis is vital. In addition, job analysis assists us in developing these tools because it allows employers to ensure that individuals are being measured based on the job, and not their personalities.

Job analysis can be a length process depending on the size of the organization and the experience of the individual conducting the analysis. However, I personally feel the best way to start a job analysis is to start with observing a job. The information can later be verified using focus groups composed of subject matter experts.

What is a subject matter expert? Find out in the next blog! Future blogs will be about how to conduct a job analysis and other information pertaining to the human capital.