The Importance of Job Analysis

Job analysis refers to the process of getting detailed information about jobs. Job analysis has been called the building block of human resources because it is such an important activity for HR managers. This activity is important because almost every HR management program requires some type of information that is gleaned from job analysis: work redesign, human resource planning, selection, training, performance appraisal, career planning, and job evaluation.

The goal of this activity is to distinguish between the components of a job description and a job specification. Review the section on "Job Analysis" in your textbook that defines the elements of a job analysis and discusses their significance for human resource management. The two essential parts of job analysis are job descriptions and job specifications. The following exercise explores some examples of each category.