Job analysis is information about a position to be filled that helps to identify the major job requirements (MJR) and links them to skills, education, training, etc., needed to successfully perform the duties of that job. The purpose of the job analysis is to identify the experience, education, training, and other qualifying factors, possessed by candidates who have the potential to be the best performers of the job to be filled.
There are two key elements of a job analysis:
- Identification of MJRs which are the most important duties and responsibilities of the position to be filled. They are the main purpose or primary reasons the position exists. The primary source of MJRs is the most current, official position description.
- Identification of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) required to accomplish each MJR and the quality level and amount of the KSAs needed. The goal of KSAs is to identify those candidates who are potentially the best qualified to perform the position to be filled. Source documents to identify KSAs may be the position description, Office of Personnel Management qualification standards and job classification standards.