The application of within-person methods to promote inclusive job analysis

Abstract

Despite various policy shifts and organizational efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace over the past several decades, inequities in how work is assigned and performed still exist. Members of historically marginalized groups often face unequal task assignments, experience stereotypes influencing their roles, and encounter barriers that limit their ability to perform work equitably. These inequities not only reinforce systemic biases but also hinder organizational goals for fairness and inclusivity. Given recent changes in governmental and organizational policy to scale back or eliminate DEI initiatives (Executive Order No. 14,151, 2025), these inequities may likely persist and even widen in the near future. Given these conclusions, we propose a supplement to traditional job analysis methods—that of experience sampling—as a tool to better uncover these inequities. We first review how job analysis is positioned as both a practical HR tool and a research method meant to support the creation of fair HR systems, followed by a summary (guided by diversity theory) of the biases that can still manifest within traditional job analysis methods. Then, we introduce experience sampling methodology (ESM) as a novel job analysis tool that can be used in tandem with traditional job analysis to advance DEI goals in organizations. The paper concludes with a concrete description of how such methods could be implemented, including considerations of organizational buy-in, participant sampling, and conditions for ESM use.