Occupational analyst

An Occupational Analyst is a specialist who studies and evaluates jobs to understand their functions, requirements, and value within an organization or labor market. They analyze how work is performed, the skills and qualifications needed, and how roles align with organizational goals or industry standards. Occupational Analysts are vital in areas such as human resources, workforce development, job classification, compensation, and labor market research. Their insights support strategic decision-making related to job design, recruitment, training, and career planning.

Occupational analysts typically do the following:

• Collect and analyze data about jobs through interviews, observations, questionnaires, and job shadowing.
• Identify and document tasks, responsibilities, skills, knowledge, tools, and working conditions associated with each role.
• Develop and maintain job descriptions, specifications, and classifications for organizational or industry use.
• Evaluate how jobs align with internal career paths, industry standards, or regulatory requirements.
• Work with HR, compensation, and training departments to support performance management, pay structures, and employee development programs.
• Conduct labor market research to track employment trends, emerging roles, and evolving skill demands.
• Support job evaluation and reclassification projects to ensure internal equity and external competitiveness.
• Advise on organizational restructuring, workforce planning, and the impact of automation or digital transformation on job roles.
• Use occupational databases and frameworks (e.g., O*NET, ESCO, ISCO) to compare jobs across regions or sectors.
• Prepare reports and presentations summarizing findings and recommendations for stakeholders.

The following job titles also refer to occupational analyst:

job analyst
corporate business analyst
organizational structure analyst
corporate business consultant

Occupational Analysts typically work in office environments, often within human resources departments, consulting firms, government agencies, or labor market research organizations. The role involves significant desk-based work, including data analysis and documentation, but may also require field visits to observe jobs or conduct interviews. Standard business hours are common, with occasional travel depending on the scope of research or client location.

A bachelor’s degree in human resource management, industrial-organizational psychology, business administration, sociology, or a related field is typically required. Advanced roles may require a master’s degree or specialized training in job evaluation or occupational classification systems. Familiarity with job analysis methodologies, statistical tools, and occupational databases is essential. Strong analytical, research, communication, and report-writing skills are crucial. Experience in HR, workforce planning, or organizational development is often beneficial for transitioning into this specialized and impactful role.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Occupational analyst is a Skill level 4 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to occupational analyst.

recruitment consultant
human resources officer
employment and vocational integration consultant
polygraph examiner
equality and inclusion manager

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of occupational analyst.

• Labour legislation: Legislation, on a national or international level, that governs labour conditions in various fields between labour parties such as the government, employees, employers, and trade unions.
• Job market offers: Job opportunities available on the labour market, depending on the economic field concerned.
• Employment law: The law which mediates the relationship between employees and employers. It concerns employees’ rights at work which are binding by the work contract.
• Market analysis: The field of market analysis and research and its particular research methods.
• Human resource management: The function in an organisation concerned with the recruitment of employees and the optimisation of employee performance.
• Company policies: The set of rules that govern the activity of a company.

These skills are necessary for the role of occupational analyst.

• Carry out job analysis: Research and perform studies on occupations, analyse and integrate data to identify the content of jobs, meaning the requirements to perform the activities, and deliver the information to business, industry or government officials.
• Advise on personnel management: Advise senior staff in an organisation on methods to improve relations with employees, on improved methods for hiring and training employees and increasing employee satisfaction.
• Design job analysis tools: Identify the need for and design job analysis tools, such as manuals, reporting forms, training films or slides.
• Advise on efficiency improvements: Analyse information and details of processes and products in order to advise on possible efficiency improvements that could be implemented and would signify a better use of resources.
• Write work-related reports: Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.
• Develop occupational classification systems: Design, modify and maintain systems that provide an organised collection of job descriptions.
• Write job descriptions: Prepare a description of the required profile, qualifications and skills for a specific function, by doing research, analyse the activities to be performed and get information from the employer.
• Report analysis results: Produce research documents or give presentations to report the results of a conducted research and analysis project, indicating the analysis procedures and methods which led to the results, as well as potential interpretations of the results.
• Present reports: Display results, statistics and conclusions to an audience in a transparent and straightforward way.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of occupational analyst. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Organisational structure: Framework of the different departments within the organisation, as well its people, their roles and responsibilities.
• Human resources department processes: The different processes, duties, jargon, role in an organisation, and other specificities of the human resources department within an organisation such as recruitment, pension systems, and personnel development programs.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of occupational analyst. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Liaise with union officials: Seek advice and collaborate with union officials responsible for topics that are relevant to you and your work or business.
• Support managers: Provide support and solutions to managers and directors in regards with their business needs and requests for the running of a business or the daily operations of a business unit.
• Liaise with government officials: Consult and cooperate with government officials who handle matter that is relevant to you or your business.
• Create training materials: Develop and compile training items and resources according to didactical methods and training needs and using specific types of media.
• Develop training programmes: Design programmes where employees or future employees are taught the necessary skills for the job or to improve and expand skills for new activities or tasks. Select or design activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the performance of individuals and groups in organisational settings.
• Carry out recruiting services: Attract, screen, select and haul on board persons fit for a job.
• Gather feedback from employees: Communicate in an open and positive manner in order to assess levels of satisfaction with employees, their outlook on the work environment, and in order to identify problems and devise solutions.
• Interview people: Interview people in a range of different circumstances.
• Liaise with industry experts: Consult and cooperate with industry experts who handle matter that is relevant to you and your business.
• Manage tests: Develop, administer and evaluate a specific set of tests relevant to your activities or to the people who have to complete the tests.
• Maintain professional administration: File and organise professional administration documents comprehensively, keep customer records, fill in forms or log books and prepare documents about company-related matter.
• Organise training: Make the necessary preparations to conduct a training session. Provide equipment, supplies and exercise materials. Ensure the training runs smoothly.
• Administer appointments: Accept, schedule and cancel appointments.
• Identify necessary human resources: Determine the number of employees needed for the realisation of a project and their allocation in the creation, production, communication or administration team.
• Document interviews: Record, write, and capture answers and information collected during interviews for processing and analysis using shorthand or technical equipment.
• Profile people: Create a profile of someone, by outlining this person’s characteristics, personality, skills and motives, often by the use of information obtained from an interview or questionnaire.
• Train employees: Lead and guide employees through a process in which they are taught the necessary skills for the perspective job. Organise activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the performance of individuals and groups in organisational settings.
• Liaise with managers: Liaise with managers of other departments ensuring effective service and communication, i.e. sales, planning, purchasing, trading, distribution and technical.

2423 – Personnel and careers professionals

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References

1. Occupational analyst – ESCO
2. Featured image: Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash