Job Task Analysis & Job Dictionaries
At a glance:
- A documented breakdown of what a role demands, captured through a Job Task Analysis and compiled into a Job Dictionary.
- Gives employers, staff and health professionals an accurate picture of a role’s inherent requirements.
- Supports safer hiring, injury prevention, and clearer return-to-work pathways.
- For HR, WHS and RTW coordinators who need to document role demands for pre-employment, injury prevention, or return-to-work processes.
Job Task Analysis (JTA) vs Job Dictionary: What’s the Difference?
Though often used interchangeably, a JTA and a Job Dictionary are not the same thing.
A Job Task Analysisis an assessment process that breaks down exactly what a job task demands – physically, psychologically, cognitively, behaviourally and environmentally. A Job Dictionary is a document compiling multiple JTAs across an organisation.
In short: a JTA looks at one role in detail, while a Job Dictionary brings those assessments together into a single organisation-wide picture of every role’s requirements.
What is a Job Task Analysis?
Most organisations have a position description outlining KPIs and expectations, but a position description isn’t the same as the inherent requirements of a role. A JTA fills that gap.
Conducted onsite by experienced occupational health consultants with extensive knowledge of workplace environments, a Job Task Analysis helps organisations identify the inherent requirements of a role and can be used for pre-employment screening and RTW planning.
What is a Job Dictionary?
Once JTAs have been completed, they’re collated into a Job Dictionary. This is a single, organisation-wide reference that keeps internal and external stakeholders informed of the specific tasks and inherent requirements of every role.
Rather than referring back to individual reports, a Job Dictionary provides one source of truth to draw from whenever a hiring, safety, or return-to-work decision needs to be made.
Where a Strong Job Task Analysis Process Makes a Difference
Bodycare places onsite occupational health consultants in your workplace to help identify the inherent requirements of a role to produce a Job Task Analysis and Job Dictionaries. Here are the most common use cases for Australian workplaces.
Benefits of a Job Task Analysis
What’s Included in a Bodycare Job Task Analysis?
Bodycare’s job task analysis process is conducted onsite, observing the role as it’s actually performed rather than working from a written description alone. Our experienced occupational health consultants compile a report for each role, which you can use for various use cases, from recruiting new hires to streamlining a worker returning after injury.
Each job task evaluation includes the following:
- A description of the job task
- The physical demands of the job task, including frequency and duration
- An assessment of the work environment
- The equipment required to perform the duties
- The psychological, cognitive and behavioural demands of the role
- Shift times
- Photos of the employee performing the job task
- Overall physical demand rating of each job task
Bodycare provides employers with a document reviewing each job task in light of the elements set out above. When multiple JTAs are completed, they are collated to form a Job Dictionary.
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What are the benefits of having a Job Dictionary?
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A detailed document outlining each job task in an organisation is a vital resource when completing pre employment screens or assessments as it can be used to assess an individual’s functional capacity against the inherent requirements of the role they are potentially going to be performing.
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When an employee is injured, a Job Dictionary can be used to identify less strenuous tasks that are suitable to perform while they recover.
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Having a clear understanding of the physical requirements and demands of the role means that injury prevention programs can be tailored to ensure injury risks are minimised i.e. regular heavy overhead lifting may lead to the creation of a customised shoulder strengthening program or a tailored stretching program to assist with recovery.
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When an employee is required to take time off work due to a serious injury, they are treated and assessed by external providers such as doctors or rehabilitation specialists. Providing these external health professionals with a detailed list of the tasks that the worker regularly performs will allow them to detail reduced or restricted duties that the worker will be able to perform so that they can return to work sooner.
Job Task Analysis Enquiry
Request a quote for Job Task Analysis and ensure your workforce is supported.
Job Task Analysis & Job Dictionary FAQs
Understanding the complexities of a workplace and a role’s specific physical demands is crucial for both employee well-being and business success. Here, we answer some of the most common questions about how our Job Task Analysis and Job Dictionaries can help you.
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Yes, it can. Research from Australian sources shows that providing employees with clear information about job roles can increase their confidence and job satisfaction. A well-designed job dictionary gives employees a clear picture of what is expected, helping them feel better supported and more engaged, which can contribute to improved staff retention rates.
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A Job Task Analysis (JTA) is an in-depth assessment of a single job role or specific task, identifying all its physical and environmental demands. A Job Dictionary is a comprehensive document that compiles multiple Job Task Analyses from different roles across your organisation into one single reference too
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A Job Task Analysis is a valuable tool for several key areas. It provides a clear picture of a role’s physical requirements for pre-employment screening, helping you hire the right person for the job. It’s also crucial for injury prevention, as it allows health professionals to identify risks and create targeted programs.
To learn more about how a Job Task Analysis can benefit your business, contact Bodycare today to speak with one of our consultan
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A Job Dictionary gives potential employees a clear and accurate understanding of a role’s physical demands before they start, ensuring they are a good fit and helping to manage expectations. It also helps them understand the physical requirements of the job so they can perform it safely.
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Our Job Task Analysis and Job Dictionaries streamline the rehabilitation and return-to-work process. A study by the Government of South Australia showed that a “participative ergonomics approach” led to a 20% reduction in workplace injuries.
The detailed information provided to health professionals, such as specific suitable duties available, allows them to create tailored rehabilitation plans that are both safe and effective, helping your employees get back to work faster.
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Our Job Task Analysis is conducted by our experienced Occupational Health Consultants. They are trained to thoroughly examine all aspects of a task, from its physical demands and equipment to environmental factors and shift times, to provide a comprehensive and accurate report.
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A Job Dictionary can be a vital tool for meeting your work health and safety obligations. By providing a comprehensive record of a role’s demands and risks, it helps you demonstrate a proactive approach to safety and injury prevention.
This is an important part of ensuring a safe workplace for your team. To ensure you’re fully compliant, contact Bodycare today to discuss your specific needs.
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A Job Dictionary is created by our experienced Occupational Health Consultants who conduct a detailed analysis of each role. The time it takes will vary depending on the number of roles and the complexity of the tasks involved.
We work with you to determine the most relevant roles for analysis to ensure the process is as efficient as possible. Contact us for your tailored timeframe.
South Melbourne, VIC 3205
In the spirit of reconciliation Bodycare acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.