What Does a Personnel Analyst Do?

What Does a Personnel Analyst Do?

Organizations often utilize the services of a personnel analyst. This professional helps determine the best use of employees and makes the business as profitable and efficient as possible. As a member of the human resource department, these trained professionals focus on the employees and on the organization as a whole. Here is an overview of:

  • a personnel analyst’s duties
  • how to become one
  • the career outlook

What They Do

These analysts are responsible for many procedures and processes dealing with overseeing a business’s employees, such as:

  • policies and regulations
  • compensation
  • examinations and recruitment
  • organizational studies
  • equal employment opportunities, among others

Using analytical tools and their education, they determine how each employee will best fit into the company based on his or her life situation and personality. Their ultimate goals are putting employees in positions that are least harmful to them but most profitable to the company.

Their duties may vary depending on the employer, but they generally analyze both the employee and the company to ensure they’re using the best affirmative action and policies to help all the workers. Personnel analysts also use business analytics and psychology to help decide their course of action. Then they generally collaborate with management to offer advice in developing regulations and rules. They also offer their reasoning for their recommendations.

General Duties

This position has more than one specific job duty. Their ultimate goal is working with personnel to help the employees work to their full potential and make the organization efficient. They have several different duties to help them attain their goals.

• Conduct Personnel Studies – They conduct research on employee work assignments. They report back to the organization with any recommendations regarding reassigning or downsizing the staff. Their decisions are often based on:

  • surveys
  • observation
  • interviews

• Advise and Assist Senior Management – Personnel analysts generally work in a specific area of human resources, such as:

  • health care
  • pensions
  • wages

They work with human resources and senior management. They advise them of legal and operational guidelines applicable to the company.

• Create and Evaluate Examinations – Personnel analysts often design written examinations for various human resources activities. One example might be a project to analyze experience and education used when hiring employees.

• Present Reports – After extensive analyzing, consulting and research, the analyst writes up a report. He or she must present it to human resource specialists and make appropriate recommendations.

• Train Personnel – They may assist in training and supervising personnel and handling specific instructional goals of the company. One example might be an analyst in charge of benefits explaining the benefits or compensation package to a new employee.

Training Requirement

Personnel analysts generally must have at least a bachelor’s degree in:

  • human resource management
  • public administration
  • a similar field

Some companies might require a master’s degree. The individual may also be required to have at least one year of experience working in:

  • wage/salary administration
  • position classification
  • employee/employer relations
  • compensation

Career Outlook

Personnel analysts are put in the category of human resources specialists by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It predicts a seven percent job growth for them between 2016 and 2026. According to PayScale, personnel analysts earned a median annual wage of $61,492 as of April 2018 with wages ranging from $35,000 to $87,000 or more.

With so many companies facing financial hardship today, management is constantly looking for ways to cut costs and be profitable. Many have found the services of a personnel analyst to be invaluable.

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