Job Analysis and Job Description Writing: Role Profiles, Job Architecture and Role KPIs – Paris, 27 Sep – 8 Oct 2027

Programme overview

Introduction:

Job analysis and job description writing are often reduced to copying an old template, so roles drift from the work actually done, duties overlap between positions and recruiters, trainers and appraisers each work from a different picture of the same job. This Core Concept course gives HR and line practitioners a disciplined method to collect job data, analyse tasks and KSAOs, and draft precise role profiles with measurable accountabilities and role KPIs. Participants finish with a Job Analysis Report plus a Job Description and Role KPI Set for a case department.

Course Objectives:

• Plan a job analysis project with a defined job sample, subject matter expert panel and sponsor sign-off
• Collect job data through interviews, task inventory questionnaires, observation, work diaries and critical incidents
• Analyse tasks and KSAOs and link them through a criticality matrix
• Write job purpose statements, key accountabilities, person specifications and competency profiles that job holders validate
• Organise roles into job families, career levels and a role catalogue linked to structure, procedures and HR records
• Translate key result areas into role KPIs and individual performance plans and set a review cycle for role documentation

Target Audience:

• HR specialists who draft, update and file job descriptions
• Organisational development analysts who maintain role catalogues and job families
• Line managers who define the duties and targets of the roles in their teams
• Talent acquisition and learning specialists who rely on role profiles for hiring and training decisions
• HR information system administrators responsible for job and position records

Course Outline:

Day 1: Job Analysis Purpose, Scope and Project Planning

• Job Analysis Uses: Selection, Appraisal, Training Needs and Unassigned Duties
• Task-Oriented Versus Worker-Oriented Job Analysis Approaches
• Job Analysis Project Charter: Scope, Job Sample and Sponsor Sign-Off
• Subject Matter Expert Panel Selection and Job Holder Communication Brief
• Existing Documentation Audit: Legacy Role Profiles, Procedures and Organisation Charts

Day 2: Job Data Collection Methods

• Structured Job Holder and Supervisor Interview Protocol
• Task Inventory Questionnaire Rated for Importance and Frequency
• Direct Observation and Work Sampling Record Sheets
• Work Diary and Activity Log Design for Irregular Roles
• Critical Incident Technique for Effective and Ineffective Job Behaviour

Day 3: Structured Instruments, Task Statements and KSAO Analysis

• Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) Domains and Scoring Logic
• Functional Job Analysis Data, People and Things Scales
• ONET Task Statements and Detailed Work Activities as a Starting Inventory
• KSAO Inventory: Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other Characteristics
• Task-to-KSAO Linkage Matrix and Criticality Ratings

Day 4: Drafting the Job Description and Person Specification

• Job Purpose Statement Formula: Action, Object and End Result
• Key Accountability Areas and Measurable Responsibility Statements
• Decision Authority, Financial Scope and Reporting Relationships Section
• Person Specification: Essential and Desirable Qualifications and Experience
• Competency Profile Linking Behavioural Indicators to the Role

Day 5: Guided Case Study: Validating Draft Role Profiles

• Common Drafting Errors: Vague Verbs, Task Lists and Inflated Titles
• Inclusive and Gender-Neutral Wording Check for Role Requirements
• Job Holder Validation Workshop and Line Manager Sign-Off Record
• Guided Case Study: Analysing a Customer Service Team Leader Role
• Peer Review of Draft Job Descriptions Against a Quality Checklist

Day 6: Job Architecture and Role Catalogues

• Job Families, Sub-Families and Career Level Descriptors
• Generic Versus Position-Specific Role Profiles and Consolidation Rules
• Role Catalogue Build and Job Code Taxonomy
• Professional, Technical and Managerial Career Track Differentiation
• Job Evaluation Handover File: What an Evaluation Panel Needs

Day 7: Role Governance, Procedures and HR System Records

• Role-to-Structure Mapping Against the Approved Organisation Chart
• RACI Alignment Between Role Profiles and Process Procedures
• Version Control, Approval Workflow and Ownership of Role Documents
• Non-Discrimination Review of Qualification and Experience Requirements
• Job and Position Records in the HR Information System: Fields and Access Rights

Day 8: Using Job Data for Workforce Planning, Recruitment and Learning

• Vacancy Advertisement and Interview Question Drafting from the Person Specification
• Training Needs Identification from KSAO Gap Analysis
• Workforce Planning Inputs: Role Counts, Critical Roles and Skills Supply
• Line Manager Briefing and Job Holder Consultation on Changed Duties
• Onboarding Checklist and Probation Targets Derived from the Role Profile

Day 9: Role KPIs, Performance Plans and Review Cycles

• Key Result Area to Role KPI Translation Using SMART Criteria
• Leading and Lagging Indicators for Operational and Support Roles
• Individual Performance Plan Template: Targets, Weights and Evidence Sources
• Role Documentation Audit Metrics: Currency, Completeness and Consistency
• Job Content Review Triggers and Continuous Improvement Log

Day 10: Capstone: Job Analysis Report and Role KPI Set

• Case Department Job Data Pack Briefing and Analysis Plan
• Job Analysis Report Drafting: Method, Findings and Recommendations
• Job Description Set Build for Five Case Department Roles
• Role KPI and Performance Plan Set for the Case Department
• Panel Presentation and Defence of the Job Analysis Report

Skills You Will Gain:

• Job Analysis Project Planning
• Job Data Collection
• Task and KSAO Analysis
• Accountability Statement Writing
• Person Specification Design
• Job Family and Career Level Mapping
• Role KPI Definition
• Role Documentation Governance

Why Attend This Course:

• Leave with a Job Analysis Report plus a Job Description and Role KPI Set for a case department, reviewed by a peer panel
• Replace copied templates with role profiles grounded in evidence gathered from job holders and supervisors
• Give recruiters, trainers and appraisers one consistent source of truth for each role
• Compare job analysis practice with HR and line colleagues from public, private and non-profit organisations

Conclusion:

A job description is only as reliable as the job analysis behind it. The first week moves from project planning and data collection, through structured instruments and KSAO analysis, to drafting and validating role profiles. The second week adds job architecture, role governance, the use of job data in hiring, learning and workforce planning, and role KPIs with performance plans. The final day brings these elements together in a Job Analysis Report plus a Job Description and Role KPI Set that participants can apply to their own organisation.