Analyze Work and Design Defensible Positions

Analyze the work before writing the position

Job analysis is the systematic collection and interpretation of evidence about work content, context, outputs, and requirements. It is the evidence base, not the finished job description. Define why the analysis is needed and which job, location, shift, and level are in scope. Review the mission, organization chart, workflow, standards, incident data, current documents, and comparable roles. Gather evidence from multiple sources: incumbents, supervisors, customers, subject matter experts, observation, interviews, questionnaires, work logs, and performance data. Include busy and quiet periods, different shifts, and atypical but consequential duties. Write tasks as an action, object, purpose or output, and relevant condition. Rate frequency, importance, consequence of error, complexity, and whether the duty must be performed by this position. Identify the knowledge, skills, abilities, behaviors, licenses, and other competencies connected to critical tasks. Distinguish what is required on entry from what can be learned after hire. Have knowledgeable reviewers confirm the task-to-competency links and document the date, sources, method, and approvals. A copied description cannot substitute for analyzing the actual job.