Advantages and Disadvantages of Job Analysis Methods
Method Advantages
 Firsthand information.
 Simple to use.
 Verifies data from other
Observation sources.
 Useful for manual and
psychomotor tasks.
 Incumbent describes work.
 Can yield data about
cognitive and psychomotor
processes difficult to
observe.
Interview
 Qualitative data can be
examined.
 Works well for jobs with
long job cycles.
 Analysis is based on
Critical
concrete behavior.
Incident
 Collects data as events
Diary happen.
 Inexpensive.
Checklist  Easy to administer.
Questionnaire  Does not require trained
interviewer.
 Relatively less expensive.
 Can reach more workers.
Disadvantages
 Time consuming.
 May bias worker
performance.
 Small sample size.
 Requires skilled
observer.
 Validity & reliability
may be problematic.
 Not useful for jobs
consisting of mostly
mental tasks.
 Requires experienced
interviewer and well-
designed questions.
 Difficult to combine data
from disparate
interviews.
 Data gathered is
subjective and should be
verified.
 May elicit extraneous
data.
 Scales require some
expertise to develop.
 Consistent and
continuous entries may
be difficult to obtain.
 Data not in standardized
format.
 May not include all
important parts of work.
 May be difficult to
construct.
 May have low response
rate.
 Responses may be
 Method Advantages Disadvantages
incomplete.
 Data is standardized  Responses may be
(structured). difficult to interpret
(open-ended).

 SME's may have trouble

 Data from experience is
superior to observation.
Technical  Data is comprehensive.
Conference  SME's chosen for expertise
and competence.
breaking work into tasks
and describing work.
 Time consuming.
 Differences in opinion
need to be resolved to
consensus.

What Is Job Analysis?

Job analysis is the systematic study of jobs to identify the observable work
activities, tasks, and responsibilities associated with a particular job or group of
jobs.

What job analysis is:

 It is a systematic method for gathering information

 It focuses on work behaviors, tasks, and outcomes
 It identifies the personal qualifications necessary to perform the job and
the conditions under which work is performed
 It reports the job as it exists at the time of analysis; not as it was in the
past nor as it exists in another organization

What job analysis is not:

 It is not an analysis of thought processes, attitudes, traits, or aptitudes

 It is not a time and motion study
 It is not an analysis of an individual position
Why Do Job Analysis?
  Job data obtained by job analysis serves a variety of organizational
purposes and provides a basis for decision making. Click here for a listing
of common applications of job analysis.
 Job analysis serves as a legal compliance tool for EEOC and ADA
 Job analysis can be used to help organizations cope with change. In
today's rapidly changing world, organizations need a flow of accurate and
reliable information about the content and requirements of their jobs.

The OHR Compensation Study is using job analysis to meet these goals:

 Develop broader, more flexible job classifications

 Describe the work of the job family
 Identify and differentiate functions within the job family
 Develop a common language to describe work
 Aid in bargaining unit classification
 Conduct market studies of salaries
 Apply FLSA for exempt/nonexempt work
How Is Job Analysis Conducted?

Job analysts use a variety of job analysis methods to gather job information.
Each methodology has advantages and disadvantages. Choosing a "best"
method depends on the type of work being performed, the environment or
employer, and the desired outcomes or applications of the analysis.

The OHR Compensation Study utilizes a task inventory approach that is

developed in questionnaire format. Gathering information about the work being
performed is a participative process in the study. A representative group of
employees working in the jobs being studied are asked to describe their work.
These individuals are referred to as subject matter experts (SMEs). The SMEs
participate in a series of workshops to develop an inventory of tasks that
describes their work and the related requirements and competencies.

The inventory is then developed into a questionnaire. This questionnaire is

administered to all job incumbents to efficiently and accurately gather
information and describe work. Individual profiles are generated to reflect the
work of individuals, and the aggregate data provides the basis for other analysis.