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Sample Job Analysis or Job Description Template

written by: N Nayab•edited by: Linda Richter•updated: 9/24/2013

Download a free job analysis template and follow the instructions below to prepare a comprehensive and effective job description for any position.

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    Job Analysis Template A job analysis will collect all relevant data regarding a job, such as duties and responsibilities, necessary skills, competencies, and education required to perform the job, the nature of work experience required for the job, and other work environment-related information. This job analysis will help you prepare job descriptions, job specifications, training, and developmental needs of a position, and becomes the basis to hire new candidates for the position.

    Download a free job analysis template in Word format by clicking on the link. This form will help you prepare a job analysis for any position. Use a separate form for each individual position.

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    Follow these instructions to fill in the template. These instructions also provide an overview of how to perform a job analysis.

    • Title of the Job: List the job title or designation
    • Reporting To: List the designation of the reporting authority for the job. For instance, if an office assistant reports to the HR manager, list “HR Manager"; and if a “Technical Assistant" reports to the Project manager, list out likewise.
    • Job Status: Specify if the job is permanent or temporary, and full-time or part-time.
    • Description: Provide a brief summary of the job. For example, if the position is office assistant, specify “Assist HR manager by performing clerical and computing tasks".
    • Nature of Work: Specify the category to which this position belongs. The exact category depends on the organizational perspective. Common categories include managerial, supervisory, clerical, technical, engineering, worker--or just about anything else.
    • Roles and Responsibilities: Identify the key roles and responsibilities connected with the position, and, alongside, list the priority or importance of the duty relative to the overall job profile in the “Level of Responsibility" column and expected work outcomes for the role in “Key Deliverables" column. For instance, for an office or HR assistant, the nature of duties could be answering or forwarding incoming general mail, with a key deliverable being no mail kept pending in inbox; scheduling interviews and processing candidates who arrives for interview and or other recruitment tests; update and maintain employee leave records and benefits records, and assist with payroll preparation, with key deliverable being to forward the payroll file to Accounts by the 25th of every month.
    • Competencies, Skills, and Knowledge Required for the Position: List what is appropriate in the relevant columns. For instance, key skills for office assistants are typing skills and knowledge of MS office. Desirable skills include good communication skills. Optional skills may be knowledge of labor laws, and a “must not have competency" might be risk taking.
    • Education: Specify the minimum education quantification required, including the stream or subject covered and minimum grades required. This serves as cut-off when selecting candidates. Write “Not Applicable" wherever relevant.
    • Occupational Certificates: This includes trade licensing or licensure to practice certain professions. Many professions, ranging from engineers, architects, nurses, and others, require licensing.
    • Physical Requirements: Physical requirements include the physical characteristics required to perform the job. This becomes relevant only for blue-collar workers where the nature of work requires manual effort, or for specialized jobs such as modeling.
    • Special Problems/Hazards: Identify possible occupational hazards or other dangers associated with the job.
    • Other Comments: Anything else related to the job.
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    Bear in mind that the descriptions and values entered in the job analysis sheet are not set in stone and are reversible per need. Fill in the form according to what holds true at the time of completion. Nevertheless, applying thought to filling in the form comprehensively reduces the need to make changes that may cause disruptions to the work flow and require more training interventions later.

    Modify the sample job analysis template to suit the needs of the organization and/or job. Increase the space to include more information, if needed.

    A proper job analysis is the bedrock of proper allocation of jobs and interventions to improve job performance.

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    Mercer. "Position Analysis and Role Profile Workshop." Retrieved 11 March 2011.

    Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons