Analysing a Job?

The following questions/headings are a starting point for you to reflect on your job role, discuss it with others and - from the notes that you generate - subsequently write your job analysis report for your self-development portfolio.

What is the job title? Is the title appropriate/sifficiently explanatory? Does it need a title? What does the title indicate in terms of status, authority - both within your "firm" and to the world in general?
How is the job "placed" within the "firm "? What is its grade/salary? How does the grade and salary compare to other jobs both within the " firm " and externally in relation to comparable jobs both within the industry and other industries? What are the comparable jobs? Why are they - legitimately in your view - comparable jobs?
Organisation chart Draw an organisation chart for your "firm " and identify your job; its level and position within it. What are the formal (internal) reporting relationships with the job - (up, down, sideways relationships)? For your job - explain who do you report to in the hierarchy (formally - boss and key others)? who are you responsible (number of full-time and part-time staff and their job titles)? What others are members of, what might be termed, your job network or role set: (list the contacts/other jobs - internal and external - that form your job's network of contacts). These might include: External (customer groups, agencies, suppliers etc) Internal (other departments who are your internal clients or who must work with you or service your needs.) Write brief notes on the significance of the relationships. Why are they significant?
Job ownership How permanent is the job? In what way is this a significant question for you? What are your expectations about permanence? In what way is the job a "job for life "? How wedded to the job are you? If not, why not? How is the job changing or likely to change in terms of permanence? What are the implications for you and "the firm"?
Mobility What physical mobility is involved with the job? What mental mobility is involved with the job?
Responsibilities What are the main responsibilities (routine/non-routine) of the job Routine (daily, weekly) Yearly - and responsibilities that arise from time to time. Other Key events/points in job cycle that you are responsible for.
Key Result Areas Now focus on the really important - key areas - those that are crucial for good job performance and success overall LIST the key result areas (KRAs) For each KRA, LIST the key duties and tasks that have to be carried out For each KRA, write brief notes on the main "indicators " that would show that key performance standards/critical success standards have been met What would be the indicators if these standards of performance had not been met?
Information systems What information systems do you use in your job in order to carry out your responsibilities? List them and write a brief explanatory note about them. The information systems can be manual, paper-based or computerised. Which of these systems information systems service the needs of customers? enable the "firm" to obtain efficiency, consistency, cut costs and make better profits? How many transactions do you make (entering, obtaining data) with these information systems each day? Which information systems does your boss and others use to monitor your performance and progress in the job? What would result if these information systems - suddenly were not available? What steps are taken to ensure the security of both the data and the fabric of the information systems themselves?
What meetings do you attend and why? Describe each of the meetings. How do formal meetings compare with informal, daay to day interaction in terms of significant decision making and managerial co-ordination? What contributions must you - because of your job responsibilities - bring to these meetings? What personal qualities do you bring to these meetings and the others who attend the meetings?
Supervision/Support What supervision and support processes are you involved with? Consider:- your boss to you you to your boss you to your staff your staff to you you to others others to you
Authority/Resources What "decision-making authority" do you have over staff and resources e.g. to give instructions (explain briefly) allocate work (explain briefly) make rewards available (explain briefly) fix/change terms and conditions of employment (explain briefly) give feedback (explain briefly) assess and appraise and discipline? (explain briefly) Other? (explain briefly) Even if you do not have formal authority - what influence e.g. by way of expertise/advice, personal qualities - are you still expected to have over others? In each case describe the personal qualities you bring to bear to apply such influence. What responsibility do you have for assets the fabric of the workplace; fixtures and fittings etc maintenance,cleaning, security etc. expenditure on services and consumables? expenditure on other major items? Describe each of these and give details of what, how much etc. Do you have a budgetary recording and monitoring system? Explain this briefly. What are its strengths and weakness?
Given your present job and your experience of it: What differences in expectation are you currently experiencing between: Your staff and yourself and vice versa Your boss and yourself and vice versa Your customers/clients and yourself and vice versa (internal and external clients)
Role Tensions What role ambiguity are you facing? What role incompatibilities do you perceive between yourself (your personal make-up and your role)? What role conflicts are you facing? What is causing these? Why are they conflicts? What role overload are you experiencing? What is causing these? What role underload are you experiencing? What is causing these? What role ensignia do you use/display (both physical and in terms of mannerisms/behaviours)?
Strategies for Change What strategies are you using to cope with job changes?
Strategies for Stress What strategies are you using to cope with job stresses?
Strategies for Achievement What scope for achievement (in areas of certainty and uncertainty) do you have? What are the things that are blocking your potential for achievement at the moment? What scope is there for advancement? What is blocking advancement? What do you think you might do about this?
Strategies for Learning Other than starting your BSc in Business Administration what strategies do you use to open up and take advantage of learning opportunities in relation to: your current job? your career in a wider sense? your interests and life commitments in a wider sense?