A good job analysis is absolutely essential to finding the right candidate for the job and avoiding expensive bad hires. It can be difficult to find the time to do a good job analysis in a busy world. That’s why we present three steps that ensure a good job analysis, done in a short time.
The job analysis is the entire foundation of the subsequent recruitment process. In the job analysis, the key individuals at the workplace who have the greatest insight into what the job requires – both today and in the future – must define the most important competences for success.
Typically, the future employee’s immediate manager will be involved and have requests for competences that his or her team lacks. At other times, the senior manager may want competences that can enhance the organisation based on a long-term strategic perspective.
Job analyses that are not accurate in relation to which competences are essential to succeed will significantly increase the probability of a costly recruitment mistake. The job analysis is used to create a job profile against which the candidates’ match scores are measured.
Match Score: A tool that gives you a more objective assessment of how well candidates match a job profile.
Although a good job analysis is absolutely essential for recruiting the right candidate, many HR managers find that it is difficult for those making decisions in the recruitment process to find the time for it. This can result in the job analysis either not being done or not being done accurately.
At People Test Systems, we fully understand that a busy work life can compromise the job analysis.
Therefore, we present three steps to ensure a good job analysis with minimal time consumption for decision makers.
1. Use the virtual competence prioritisation tool
In order to optimise time spent on the job analysis, we have developed a virtual competence prioritisation tool. This is a PDF file containing the 32 most requested competences, described in simple language.
Next to each competence is a clickable field where you can put a tick to prioritise the relevant competence.
In order to optimise the time spent on the job analysis, you can first send an email to the people involved in the job analysis asking them to complete the virtual competence prioritisation form. They should highlight 4–6 competences that they each find most important in relation to the vacant position.
2. Establish constructive dialogue at joint meetings
When you have received the competence priorities from the people involved in the job analysis, you must first investigate whether there are major discrepancies in the prioritised competences. For example, if one person prefers a result-oriented profile and another prefers a more analytical profile, it is a good idea to constructively summarise the different points of view in a joint email before the meeting.
That way, participants will be aware of any disagreements that will need resolving at the upcoming meeting. In order to avoid this becoming too time-consuming, you should quickly assess whether there will be a constructive dialogue with a solution just around the corner, or if it will become a drawn-out struggle that strains resources. If it is the latter, the discussion must be stopped. It may be a sign that more than one new employee is needed, or that the job content should be reconsidered. No employee can succeed in a position where there are conflicting requirements for their competences.
If, however, everyone tends to agree on the competence priorities, you can summarise at the joint meeting that there is a great deal of agreement, and quickly be able to agree on the 4–6 most important competences.
3. Live validation of the job profile
At the joint meeting, you can continuously prepare different job profiles in People Test Match based on your dialogue. In the system, you can examine whether the selected competences are in conflict with each other, and validate the quality of the competence combination using the job profile bias tool.
The tool examines how the last 1,000 test persons match with the job profile. This provides information about how realistic it is to find the dream candidate, and whether there are embedded biases in the job profile.
By validating the job profile at the meeting itself, you can ensure that it is of sufficient quality to form a solid basis for your recruitment process.
As a certified user, the validated job profile gives you:
- a question framework for the structured interview
- a match score on the analysis result as well as on the competence level
- a comparison of the candidates including match scores
This provides a well-founded starting point for a focused dialogue with candidates and a validated basis for decision-making during the evaluation process, in collaboration with the hiring manager/committee.
