Information obtained from a _________ is often used to develop a job description and its specifications.

A job analysis involves systematically gathering information about a job's duties, responsibilities, necessary skills, outcomes, and work environment. This detailed examination provides crucial insights that are necessary to create an accurate job description. A comprehensive job analysis ensures that the job description reflects the actual requirements and expectations of the position, making it foundational to the hiring process and relevant for performance evaluations, training, and compensation.

In contrast, a performance appraisal assesses an employee's job performance against established criteria but does not inherently provide the broad scope of information needed to create or update a job description. A compensation study focuses on determining appropriate salary levels and benefits for roles within an organization, which is important for hiring and retention but does not directly inform the content of a job description. Lastly, training evaluation assesses the effectiveness of training programs, rather than the job itself, and therefore is not relevant for developing a job description and its specifications.