Purpose of Job Analysis and Job Description

Module 3: Week 3 - M3: Assignment 3

Baroness Thompson
PSY320 Industrial Organizational Psychology
Marian Orr
March 15, 2008
 Before creating the job description for Senior Staffing Manager, the executives at

Florida Sun Company conducted an in-depth job analysis. Do you think conducting an in-

depth job analysis was the critical first step?

It is important t for the Senior Staffing manager to conduct a Job Analysis. This

would begin by understanding the requirements of the job being filled. Important aspects

of the analysis focus on the needs in the company. What kind of personality, experience

and education are needed? After Florida Sun Company hires a Senior Staffing Manager,

how can this job analysis continue to be useful? To determine these attributes they would

have to sit down and do a job analysis covering the following areas. Once the job has

been analyzed a job description is put in place.

Direct Observation of incumbents performing their jobs enables the trained job analyst to

obtain first-hand knowledge and information about the job being analyzed. The

Observation method of Job Analysis is suited for jobs in which the work behaviors are.

What potential problems can the executives face if they create a job description

without first conducting a job analysis? They may put information in the job description

that isn’t accurate. Once an employee is hired they may perform duties, that weren’t in

the job description. Job Analysis is a process to identify and determine in detail the
particular job duties and requirements and the relative importance of these duties for a

given job. Job Analysis is a process where judgments are made about data collected on a

job. An important concept of Job Analysis is that the analysis is conducted of the Job, not

the person. While Job Analysis data may be collected from incumbents through

interviews or questionnaires, the product of the analysis is a description or specifications

of the job, not a description of the person.

Purpose of Job Analysis

Do you think the company will need to conduct another job analysis for this

position in the future? Why or why not? The purpose of Job Analysis is to establish and

document the 'job relatedness' of employment procedures such as training, selection,

compensation, and performance appraisal. The company has to be specific about what

they are looking for.

The Job Analysis is the very important for the progress on the company. Duty

statements should focus on primary, current, normal, daily duties and responsibilities of

the position (not incidental duties, an employee’s qualifications or performance, or

temporary assignments). A new employee may feel that they are performing duties that

they aren’t required to do. Related or similar duties should be combined and written as

one statement. Job descriptions could suffice as a management tool, can greatly simplify

an organization's human resource management. A job description clarifies work functions

and reporting relationships, helping employees understand their jobs. Job descriptions aid

in maintaining a consistent salary structure. Performance evaluations may be based on

job descriptions.
References:

Levy, Paul E. (2006) Industrial/ Organizational Psychology: Understanding the

Workplace. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company

http://www.hr-guide.com/data/G013.htmBaroness Thompson final project.doc

Argosy Lecture Notes. (2007). Retrieved March 14, 2008, from

http://myeclassonline.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=2895398&CPURL=myeclasso

nline.com&Survey=1&47=4156968&ClientNodeID=404511&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

http://www.hr-guide.com/data/

Before creating the job description for Senior Staffing Manager, the executives at Florida

Sun Company conducted an in-depth job analysis. Do you think conducting an in-depth

job analysis was the critical first step? Provide reasons. What potential problems can the

executives face if they create a job description without first conducting a job analysis?
Which aspects of the above job description do you think may have resulted from job-

oriented job analysis techniques? Which aspects of the job description do you think were

products of?

Worker-oriented job analysis techniques?

Consider that Senior Staffing Manager is a newly created position at Florida Sun

Company. How will you conduct a job analysis on a newly created position? How will

the information for this job analysis be gathered?

After Florida Sun Company hires a Senior Staffing Manager, how can this job analysis

continue to be useful? Do you think the company will need to conduct another job

analysis for this position in the future? Why or why not?

Submit your response to the Faculty by Monday, March 17, 2008. Your response should

be at least two pages long. You can use the Course Project template to submit the answer.

Assignment 3 Grading Criteria and Respective Point Value Maximum

Points

Explained why conducting an in-depth job analysis was the critical first step. 15

Described the potential problems the company may have faced had it created a job

description without first conducting a job analysis. 15

Identified the aspects of the provided job description that they think may have resulted

from job analysis techniques. 10

Identified the aspects of the provided job description that they think may have resulted

from worker-oriented job analysis techniques. 10

Described how a job analysis may be conducted on a newly created position. 15

Described the way information for this job analysis would have been gathered. 15

Explained how this job analysis may continue to be useful. 15

Stated whether they think the company will need to conduct another job analysis for this

position in future and provided reasons. 10

Total: 105