Job task analysis is widely recognized as a successful training method in the workplace. Before managers and bosses can train their staff, they need to decide what exactly they want to train them in. And this is where job analysis comes in.
Job task analysis is the method by which a company determines which tasks each employee is required to complete. It also determines the standards to which the employee has to complete the task.
There are three important tools that a manager can use when using the job task analysis technique. These are: job breakdowns, task lists, and performance indicators.
A job breakdown is exactly what it sounds like. It provides the benefit of helping you to plan training and create training lesson plans. It lets you know exactly what areas are covered by the job in question, what tasks are exempt, and what areas could be added to or subtracted from the position in order to make it more efficient and productive. A good thing to do is to create training manuals that detail the tasks, and how they are to be done. It is also a good idea to indicate what level each task should be done to.
Task lists provide a more detailed method of breaking down an employee’s duties, and each task list should be specific and tailored to each individual position within the company.
Your task list must include a thorough report of what is expected of the employee on a daily basis. For example, a secretary may get a to do list which includes items such as “answer telephone calls,” “take messages,” “greet customers,” and “prepare the meeting minutes,” amongst many other things. Make sure that you take the time to get to know the position properly so that you don’t miss any vital areas in your task list.
Lastly, you have performance indicators to think about when doing a job analysis. Performance indicators are basically a set of standards that you have in place, which indicate what level will be satisfactory for each completed task.
Performance indicators are set at a level that will be beneficial to your company. It is important not to aim too high, which may cause employees to feel discouraged, but you must also avoid aiming too low, as this will make it less likely that your staff are working to their full potential.
Performance indicators can be as simple as “smile at people as they enter the reception area” to more demanding ones such as “convert five out of every ten calls to a sale.”
Whichever indicators you choose to set in order to monitor the performance of your staff, make sure that they are achievable, yet something staff have to work hard for.
Job task analysis is actually nothing more than taking a long, hard look at what a job entails, and then listing down what you want to be achieved, and how this can be done. It is important to do an analysis of the tasks completed in a job on a regular basis, to ensure that your procedures and tasks don’t get out of date.
By Fiona McLaren