Human Resource Management: Job Analysis Course

Lesson 1 • Defining Job Analysis

Clarifies what job analysis is, what it produces, and why organisations conduct it. Anchors all subsequent methods in a shared definitional framework.

Lesson 2 • Legal and Ethical Foundations

Covers regulatory requirements for defensible job analysis and ethical obligations to incumbents. Establishes compliance thinking before data collection begins.

Lesson 3 • Core Terminology and Concepts

Introduces essential vocabulary—job, position, task, duty, KSA—used throughout the course. Precise language prevents misinterpretation during data collection.

Lesson 1 • Interviews and Focus Groups

Develops skills for conducting individual and group interviews with incumbents and supervisors. Emphasises probing techniques that surface latent task knowledge.

Lesson 2 • Observation and Work Sampling

Teaches structured observation techniques and work sampling protocols for capturing task frequency and duration. Builds skills for jobs with observable, physical outputs.

Lesson 3 • Questionnaires and Surveys

Covers task inventory construction, rating scales, and survey administration for large incumbent populations. Links survey design to reliable, analysable data.

Lesson 4 • Overview of Data Collection Methods

Maps the landscape of qualitative and quantitative job analysis approaches. Provides a decision framework for method selection before diving into specifics.

Lesson 1 • Sampling Incumbents and Subject Matter Experts

Covers sampling strategies to ensure representative data from diverse job performers. Addresses how sample size and diversity affect data quality.

Lesson 2 • Selecting and Combining Methods

Applies the decision framework from Chapter 2 to real project constraints. Students justify method combinations that maximise validity within budget.

Lesson 3 • Building the Project Timeline and Communication Plan

Structures milestones, stakeholder communications, and approval gates for a job analysis project. Ensures organisational buy-in and on-time delivery.

Lesson 1 • Preparing Data Collection Instruments

Finalises interview guides, observation checklists, and survey instruments before fieldwork. Instrument quality directly determines data usability.

Lesson 2 • Quality Control and Data Verification

Introduces inter-rater reliability checks, outlier detection, and data cleaning protocols. Students verify that collected data meets quality thresholds before analysis.

Lesson 3 • Administering Surveys at Scale

Manages large-scale survey rollout, follow-up, and non-response mitigation. Ensures sufficient data volume for statistically meaningful analysis.

Lesson 1 • Synthesising Findings Across Data Sources

Integrates qualitative and quantitative findings into a coherent, unified job profile. Triangulation across sources strengthens defensibility and completeness.

Lesson 2 • Organising and Coding Raw Data

Applies systematic coding schemes to interview transcripts, observation notes, and survey responses. Consistent coding is the prerequisite for valid synthesis.

Lesson 3 • Task Rating and Prioritisation

Applies importance, frequency, and criticality ratings to rank tasks by their contribution to job performance. Ratings guide which tasks appear in final documents.

Lesson 1 • Anatomy of a Job Description

Breaks down each standard section of a job description and its purpose. Students understand what belongs in each section before drafting begins.

Lesson 2 • Writing Clear and Measurable Duties

Applies action-verb frameworks and specificity standards to duty statements. Well-written duties support performance management and legal defensibility.

Lesson 3 • Review, Approval, and Maintenance

Establishes a review workflow involving HR, legal, and hiring managers before publication. Covers scheduled review cycles to keep descriptions current.

Lesson 1 • Selection Tool Development

Links KSAs and competencies to structured interviews, tests, and work samples. Job-relatedness of selection tools is the foundation of legal defensibility.

Lesson 2 • Training Needs Analysis Integration

Uses KSA gap data from job analysis to identify training priorities and design learning objectives. Connects job analysis directly to instructional design inputs.

Lesson 3 • Performance Management Alignment

Derives performance standards and evaluation criteria directly from essential job functions. Ensures appraisals measure what the job actually requires.

Lesson 4 • Recruitment and Job Posting Design

Uses job descriptions and specifications to craft targeted, inclusive job postings. Accurate postings reduce mismatched applicants and improve time-to-fill.

Lesson 1 • Future-Oriented and Strategic Job Analysis

Applies job analysis to emerging and evolving roles where incumbents may not yet exist. Builds skills for anticipating competency needs before jobs are fully formed.

Lesson 2 • Competency Modelling at the Organisational Level

Scales individual job competency profiles into organisation-wide competency frameworks. Frameworks unify talent acquisition, learning and development, and succession planning.

Lesson 3 • Job Analysis During Organisational Change

Adapts job analysis processes to mergers, restructuring, and technology-driven role redesign. Rapid but rigorous analysis supports change management decisions.