Functional job analysis (FJA) is a system used by HR professionals to determine all elements of a job and evaluate them, ranking their importance. FJA is used for making decisions like staffing levels and compensation. It is important to keep in mind that FJA evaluates the job itself and not the person in the job. FJA is periodically reviewed and updated to manage changes in job duties and responsibilities.
A functional job analysis (FJA) is a system devised by the United States Department of Labor in the 1940s to determine all elements of a job and evaluate them, ranking their importance. Measure the time spent and the nature of interactions with things, data and people. A good functional job analysis also measures the quality of instruction and supervision needed, as well as the amount of training required to adequately perform a job.
The completeness of the functional analysis of the job makes it applicable to any job within an organization. For example, the FJA of a manufacturing worker in a factory would note the time spent setting up machinery and operating it. An FJA of the position of a shipping clerk, on the other hand, would focus on the time spent moving and handling items for shipment. The average time spent on continuing education and routine interaction with supervisors is also measured. Some FJAs can be very demanding, with monitors using stopwatches to determine the exact amount of time it takes to perform certain tasks.
HR professionals conduct FJAs and use the results in making a wide range of decisions, from staffing levels to compensation. FJAs are also invaluable when making other management decisions, such as reorganizations and consolidations. It is important to keep in mind that a functional job analysis evaluates the job itself and not the person in the job. A good functional job analysis, however, is an invaluable aid in evaluating an employee’s performance, under the theory that one must know what a job entails before one can determine how well an employee performed it.
Functional job analyzes are used by many organizations as a first step in preparing job descriptions. Accurate job functional analysis includes scales that measure the actual functions of a job, as well as the mental processes that accompany them, such as reasoning and language. These, however, are not the only elements of a job. An FJA also measures the human interactions included in job performance and the training needed to do the job well. Collecting all this data is very helpful in recruiting new talent.
The duties and responsibilities associated with many jobs can change over time, even if the job titles remain the same. For example, many traditional office jobs changed dramatically in the second half of the 20th century due to office automation culminating in computerization. Analyzes describing these jobs would show the changes they have undergone in many areas and improve the employer’s ability to manage them. The FJAs, therefore, should be periodically reviewed and updated.
Many jobs involve technical or professional skills and abilities. Therefore, if the position is not vacant, the actual scrutiny and evaluation of a particular job is best done by the incumbent and supervisory staff. The involvement of HR professionals in this phase of the FJA process is often limited to supervision and guidance.
The actual analysis is the stage in the process where certain assumptions are challenged, especially regarding credit or academic requirements. This is also the stage where management needs to consider the possibility of disabled people doing the job. It is legal in the United States to deny applicants on grounds of disability, but employers who do so should be able to document that such denial reflects the applicant’s lack of a bona fide professional qualification (BFOQ). Without such documentation, employers can face significant legal challenges.
Before computerization, the main skill set of many office workers was the operation of a typewriter, a tool that, compared to modern computers, had limited advantages. The same keyboard skills are still required to operate computers, but the basic knowledge base required to obtain a meaningful work product has expanded significantly. An FJA quantifies the amount of time a worker spends on a computer, differentiating between tasks such as word processing, spreadsheets, presentations and other functions. Knowing this information is critical to successful recruitment.
Changes in factory workflow can also have a significant impact on the jobs of manufacturing workers. Changes to the way incoming raw materials are packaged, for example, can increase or decrease the amount of time that raw materials spend in the workflow. If those changes save time, good managers often allocate the time elsewhere. Managers who maintain control of their departments’ workflow through FJA and interim observations will generally manage them more efficiently.
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