How to Write a Job Analysis Report

If your business is growing and you’re looking to hire a new employee, be sure to conduct a job analysis to determine exactly what kind of job function you’re looking to fill. A job analysis report is a useful business tool that helps companies to understand their human resource needs and articulate them into a clear and effective job description.

A job analysis report is used to understand the duties and responsibilities for a particular job and the skills and expertise needed to complete them. Businesses conduct a job analysis before they look to hire a new employee, as a job analysis forms the basis of a coherent job description. When attracting new employees to your organization, it’s critical to have an engaging and clear job description so they know exactly what to expect in their role.

Before conducting your job analysis, identify your main goal. Are you looking to hire a new employee at your company and require a job description as your ideal outcome? Are you looking to better clarify the roles and responsibilities of your current employees? Regardless, specify your objective so you can forge a clear path to your intended outcome.

Start by developing the title for the role you’re analyzing. Keep in mind that the industry may use several variations of the title. Have a list handy to which you can refer once you’ve determined the full scope of the job. For example, a customer sales representative may be called a sales associate, sales manager or customer service specialist depending on the duties and the place within the organization.

Speak with employees who do similar jobs to determine the full scope of responsibility for the role you’re analyzing. A job analysis interview example with an employee may involve asking him questions about his day-to-day tasks, departmental objectives and long-term initiatives. You’ll also want to research online for job descriptions of similar roles so you can ensure you’re looking at a comprehensive picture of the job.

Write down specific tasks, duties and responsibilities in your job analysis report. For example, instead of saying “helps customers with their needs,” break down the specific ways the employee should help customers. Does she greet them at the door, answer questions about specific products and help them check out at the cash register?

Once you have a thorough list of the tasks the role is required to complete, it’s important to determine what kind of skills, expertise and experience an ideal employee should have in order to successfully fill that role.

List specific educational requirements and training certifications needed. Do candidates need to have previously done the job before, and if so, for how many years? What kind of technical skills are required? Perhaps the employee needs to know a specific programming language.

What soft skills are required? For some jobs, employees need to have strong verbal communication and interpersonal skills, for example. Are there any physical requirements for the job? For example, does the employee need to be able to lift over 50 pounds?

Look online for job postings for jobs that are similar to the one you’re analyzing and write down the average salary that is being offered. It’s important to know the industry average so you can ensure what you offer is in line. This will help you to attract top talent to your organization and show potential employees that you offer fair compensation.

Note how the role will fit into the overall organizational structure. Will anyone report to this role? Who will manage the employee? Update your organizational chart so that it includes your new position. This will ensure you have a comprehensive view into your growing business.

Create a job analysis PDF and refer to it when you’re creating the job description and posting it to industry-specific job boards. You may also need to refer to it when describing the job and its position in the organization to potential employees.