Steps of job analysis: a guide for HR leaders in 2026

Finding the right person for a role often feels like hunting for a unicorn in a global talent shortage. We’ve all been there – reading through endless resumes that look perfect on paper, only to realise during the interview that the candidate doesn’t actually fit the team or the work environment.

The world of work has shifted significantly as we move through 2026. Strategy can be copied, and technology can be replicated, but your people and your culture remain your only true competitive advantages. Yet, despite having more recruitment tools than ever, many businesses still struggle with misalignment. Recent data suggests that over 70% of employers admit to hiring the wrong person for a position at some point, leading to high turnover and cultural friction.

The problem usually isn't the lack of candidates; it's a lack of clarity about what the job actually requires. Without a structured approach to understanding a role, you’re essentially guessing. This is where mastering the steps of job analysis becomes critical. It allows you to move away from subjective 'gut feel' and toward data-driven decisions that ensure every new hire is a repeatable miracle for your business.

Why job analysis matters for your 2026 talent strategy

Job analysis is the foundation of every human resources function. It is the systematic process of gathering, documenting, and analysing information about a job to determine its duties, responsibilities, and the necessary skills or behaviours required to perform it. In the modern workplace, we need to look beyond just technical qualifications. We need to understand the motivations, the team dynamics, and the cultural alignment necessary for success.

When you skip these steps, you risk the 'brilliant jerk' problem – hiring someone who is technically gifted but toxic to your team's morale. By performing a thorough analysis, you create a blueprint for the 'true self' of the role. This helps you align the ego-driven desires of an applicant with the actual day-to-day realities of the work they will perform.

At Compono, we believe that understanding your actual company culture is the first step toward better talent acquisition. By using tools like Compono Engage, you can find out what your company culture actually is, rather than what leadership thinks it is, creating powerful benchmarks for your job analysis process.

Step 1: Identify the purpose and scope of the analysis

Before you start collecting data, you need to know why you are doing it. Are you creating a new role for a growing department? Are you redesigning an existing position because of high turnover? Or are you looking to standardise roles across a global organisation? Defining the purpose helps you decide which methods to use and who needs to be involved.

In 2026, many mid-market businesses are focusing on scalability. This means your job analysis should aim to create repeatable processes. You want to identify the core tasks that drive results and the 'soft' or critical skills that allow a person to thrive in your specific environment. We suggest starting with a clear vision of your organisational goals for the next twelve months to ensure the role supports your broader strategy.

You should also determine the scope. Will you analyse every role in a department or focus on a specific high-impact position? Setting these boundaries early prevents 'scope creep' and ensures your team stays focused on the most relevant data points. Remember, the goal is to inform your hiring first and sell the role later.

Step 2: Collect relevant job data and information

This is the research phase. To get an accurate picture of the role, you need to gather information from multiple sources. Traditional methods include interviewing current employees, observing them at work, or asking them to keep a log of their daily activities. However, in our current hybrid and remote work landscape, digital data collection is often more efficient.

You want to look for the 'unwritten rules' of the role. What are the daily pressures? Who do they interact with most frequently? What kind of decision-making authority do they truly have? We often find that job descriptions are 'outside-in' – they focus on what society thinks the role should be. Your job is to look 'inside-out' to find the true requirements.

Consider using surveys that go beyond task lists. Ask about work atmosphere and job motivation. This data provides a rich context that a simple resume can never capture. By understanding what truly motivates your top performers, you can begin to profile the ideal candidate for future vacancies.

Step 3: Analyse duties, responsibilities, and requirements

Once you have your data, it’s time to break it down. You need to distinguish between 'must-have' skills and 'nice-to-have' attributes. In a talent-short market, being too rigid with technical qualifications can cause you to miss out on 'hidden gems' who have the right transferable skills and cultural fit.

We recommend categorising the information into three main areas: technical skills, work personality, and work environment fit. Technical skills are the easiest to measure, but work personality – how someone naturally prefers to work – is a much stronger predictor of long-term performance. Are they a 'Doer' who thrives on task completion, or a 'Pioneer' who loves exploring new ideas?

This stage is where you build your selection criteria. By assigning weightings to different criteria, you can ensure your recruitment process is objective. For instance, for an executive assistant role, you might place a higher weighting on 'Organisation Fit' and 'Conformity' than on specific software certifications that can be easily learned on the job.

When you need to match these analysed requirements to real people, Compono Hire uses an intelligent skills ontology to screen and rank candidates in real-time. It understands the relationships between qualifications and transferable skills so you can focus on the talent best matched to how your business actually works.

Step 4: Develop the job description and person specification

Now you can translate your analysis into a usable format. A great job description in 2026 isn't just a list of chores; it’s a document that reflects the personality of your organisation. It should clearly outline the primary purpose of the job, the key result areas, and the reporting structure.

The person specification should detail the human qualities needed. This includes the education, experience, and personal characteristics you’ve identified as essential. Use the Australian English spelling 'organise' and 'prioritise' (or local equivalent) to maintain your brand voice and local relevance. Make sure the tone is warm and inclusive, inviting candidates to see how they might fit into your team's unique 'glue'.

Avoid jargon and 'corporate-speak'. Instead, use clear language that describes the 'way we do things around here'. If your culture is 'People Centered' and 'Delegated', make sure your description reflects that freedom and empowerment. This transparency helps candidates self-select, reducing the number of mismatched applications you have to process.

Step 5: Validate the analysis with stakeholders

The final step is to ensure your analysis matches reality. Share the draft job description and specification with the hiring manager and, if possible, the people currently doing the work. They can provide a 'reality check' to ensure you haven't overlooked any critical tasks or overestimated the time spent on certain duties.

Validation is also a great time to discuss team dynamics. If the team is currently full of 'Doers' but lacks an 'Auditor' to check the details, you might adjust your person specification to specifically look for that detail-oriented personality. This strategic approach to team design is what turns a standard HR function into a strategic partner for the business.

Once validated, these steps of job analysis provide a reliable benchmark for your entire employee lifecycle – from recruitment and onboarding to performance reviews and succession planning. It ensures that your 'leading indicators' (the hire) eventually lead to your 'lagging indicators' (the business results).

To automate this entire journey, the Compono Platform integrates these insights across hiring and development, allowing you to manage your talent from hire to retire with science-backed data.

Key takeaways for successful job analysis

• Start with purpose: Know exactly why you are conducting the analysis to choose the right tools.
• Look beyond the resume: Focus on motivations, work personality, and cultural fit as primary predictors of success.
• Use multiple data sources: Combine interviews, surveys, and observations for a holistic view of the role.
• Weight your criteria: Prioritise the attributes that truly drive performance in your specific team.
• Validate with the team: Ensure the final description matches the day-to-day reality of the workplace.
• Stay evergreen: Review your job analyses regularly as the role and the business evolve.

Where to from here?

• Explore: The Compono Platform
• Talk to an expert: Book in a 15-minute chat to get a walkthrough of Compono.