Job analysis why is it so dreaded?
Most HR departments make a critical performance error, they do not take the time to conduct a proper job analysis of their organization. This is akin to asking a contractor to build a house without blueprints. You will get a house, but the rooms may not be in the right places for your needs.
Let us review some expert opinions on job analysis:
Monica Belcourt in her text book, Managing Human Resources (p. 124)m states:
“Job analysis is sometimes called the cornerstone of HR Management because the information it collects serves so many HRM functions”
Richard Melrose in his article, Stop Ignoring Job Analysis, states:
“I put the blame squarely on the C-suite, starting with the CEO and followed closely by the CFO, CHRO, and CLO. The chairman of the board and the lead director ought to take some heat, as well. All of these folks know or should know the costly and risky nature of their company’s neglect.”
Click Here to Read the Article.
It is easy blame the C-suite when HR does not get things accomplished. As the theory goes, HR is only allowed to do what the C-suite allows them to do, as the C-suite controls the resources.
HR could accept this notion and sit and wait for the C-suite to give them the authority to conduct a comprehensive job analysis program. However, HR should not do anything else until a comprehensive job analysis program is completed. Everything HR does is derived from job analysis programs such as:
- Recruitment
- Training
- Compensation
- Promotion
- Performance appraisals
- Job descriptions
This is why the website, Management Study Guide, has a great article called the Advantages and Disadvantages of Job Analysis.
Click here to Review the Article
The article states the advantages as:
- Provides First Hand Job-Related Information
- Helps in Creating Right Job-Employee Fit
- Helps in Establishing Effective Hiring Practices
- Guides through Performance Evaluation and Appraisal Processes
- Helps in Analyzing Training & Development Needs
- Helps in Deciding Compensation Packages for a Specific Job
And states the disadvantages as:
- Time Consuming
- Involves Personal Biasness
- Source of Data is Extremely Small
- Involves Lots of Human Efforts
- Job Analyst May Not Possess Appropriate Skills
- Mental Abilities Cannot be Directly Observed
All HR professionals are aware and some are even afraid of the disadvantages and therefore choose not to conduct job analysis. Let’s look at the definition of cornerstone from the Cambridge Dictionary Online:
“Something of great importance that everything else depends on”
If everything else in HR depends on job analysis don’t HR Professionals have to take the lead and develop systems that can overcome the disadvantages?
Discussion Question:
- You are getting resistance from your CEO that job analysis is too time consuming, provide research and a business plan to convince your CEO that job analysis is vitally important to the success of the organization.