7 Job Analysis

Dr Anurodh Godha

epgp books

 

1. Learning Outcome:

After completing this module, you will be able to:

  • Define job analysis.
  • Understand the basic steps in a Job analysis.
  • Understand the basic use of Job analysis for an organization
  • Identify the major methods of collecting Job analysis data.
  • Recognize the major elements of job descriptions
  • Explain how to prepare job descriptions and job specification and their use.

2. Introduction

Manpower planning is concerned with determination of quantitative and qualitative requirements of manpower for the organization. Determination of manpower requirements is one of the most important problems in manpower planning. Job analysis in this module and job design in next module put a light on this knowledge to clarify the concept. Before going through the mechanism of job analysis and job design, it is relevant to understand the terms which are used in job analysis and job design.

 

Job: A job may be defined as a “collection or aggregation of tasks, duties and responsibilities which as a whole, are regarded as a regular assignment to individual employees,” and which is different from other assignments, In other words, when the total work to be done is divided and grouped into packages, we call it a “job.” Each job has a definite title based upon standardized trade specifications within a job; two or more grades may be identified, where the work assignment may be graded according to skill, the difficulty of doing them, or the quality of workmanship. Thus, it may be noted that a position is a “collection of tasks and responsibilities regularly assigned to one person;” while a job is a “group of position, which involve essentially the same duties, responsibilities, skill and knowledge.” A position consists of a particular set of duties assigned to an individual.

 

 

Source: https://corehr.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/job.jpg

 

Decenzo and P. Robbins define other terms as follows:

 

 

Figure 7. 1: Job Analysis Information Hierarchy

(Adapted from Decenzo and P. Robbins, Personnel/Human Resource Management)

 

Task: It is a distinct work activity carried out for a distinct purpose.

 

Duty: It is a number of tasks.

 

Position: It refers to one or more duties performed by one person in an organization, There are at least as many positions as there are workers in the organization; vacancies                         may create more positions than employees.

 

Job: Group of position, with same duties responsibilities, skills and knowledge.

 

Job Family: It is group of two or more jobs that either call for similar worker characteristics or contain parallel work tasks as determined by job analysis.

 

Occupation: It is a group of similar jobs found across organizations.

 

Career: It represents a sequence of positions, jobs, or occupations that a person has over his working life.

 

3. Defining Job Analysis

 

Developing an organizational structure, results in jobs which have to be staffed. Job analysis is the procedure through which you determine the duties and nature of the jobs and the kinds of people (in terms of skills and experience) who should be hired for them.’ It provides you with data on job requirements, which are then used for developing job descriptions (what the job entails) and job specifications (what kind of people to hire for the job).

 

Source: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7dWoP8f0rUM/maxresdefault.jpg

 

Some of the definitions of job analysis ate given as follows, to understand the meaning of the term more clearly:

 

According to Michael L. Jucius, “Job analysis refers to the process of studying the operations, duties and organizational aspects of jobs in order to derive specifications or as they called by some, job descriptions.”

According to DeCenzo and P. Robbins, “A job analysis is a systematic exploration of the activities within a job. It is a basic technical procedure, one that is used to define the duties, responsibilities, and accountabilities of a job.”

According to Herbert G Herman “A job is a collection of tasks that can be performed by a single employee to contribute to the production of some product or service provided by the organization. Each job has certain ability requirements (as well as certain rewards) associated with it. Job analysis process used to identify these requirements.”

Flippo has offered a more comprehensive definition of job analysis as, “Job analysis is the process of studying and collecting information relating to the operations and responsibilities of a specific job. The immediate products of the analysis are job descriptions and job specifications”

 

Thus, job analysis involves the process of identifying the nature of a job (job description) and the qualities of the likely job holder (job specification).

 

 

4. Uses of Job Analysis

 

As summarized in Figure 7.2 the information generated by the job analysis is used as a basis of several interrelated personnel management activities:

 

 

Figure 7.2: Uses of Job Analysis

 

 

1. Achievement of Goals: Weather and Davis have stated, “Jobs are at the core of every organization’s productivity, if they are designed well and done right, the organization makes progress towards its objectives. Otherwise, productivity suffers, profits fall, and the organization is less able to meet the demands of society, customer, employees, and other with a stake in its success.”

2. Organizational Design: Job analysis will be useful in classifying the jobs and the interrelationships among the jobs. On the basis of information obtained through job analysis, sound decisions regarding hierarchical positions and functional differentiation can be taken and this will improve operational efficiency.

3. Organization and Manpower Planning: It is helpful in organization planning, for it defines labour in concrete terms and co-ordinates the activities of the work force, and clearly divides duties and responsibilities.

4. Recruitment and Selection: Job analysis provides you with information on what the job entails and what human requirements are required to carry out these activities. This information is the basis on which you decide what sort of people to recruit and hire.

5. Placement and Orientation: Job analysis helps in matching the job requirements with the abilities, interests and aptitudes of people. Jobs will be assigned to persons on the basis of suitability for the job. The orientation programme will help the employee in learning the activities and understanding duties that are required to perform a given job more effectively.

6. Employee Training and Management Development: Job analysis provides the necessary information to the management of training and development programmes. It helps in to determine the content and subject matter of in training courses. It also helps in checking application information, interviewing test results and in checking references.

7. Job Evaluation and Compensation: Job evaluation is the process of determining the relative worth of different jobs in an organization with a view to link compensation, both basic and supplementary, with the worth of the jobs. The worth of a job is determined on the basis of job characteristics and job holder characteristics. Job analysis provides both in the forms of job description and job specification.

8. Performance Appraisal: Performance appraisal involves comparing each employee’s actual performance with his or her desired performance. Through job analysis industrial engineers and other experts determine standards to be achieved and specific activities to be performed.

9. Health and Safety: It provides an opportunity for identifying hazardous conditions and unhealthy environmental factors so that corrective measures may be taken to minimize and avoid the possibility of accidents.

10. Employee Counselling: Job analysis provides information about career choices and personal limitation. Such information is helpful in vocational guidance and rehabilitation counselling. Employees who are unable to cope with the hazards and demands of given jobs may be advised to opt for subsidiary jobs or to seek premature retirement.

 

5. Steps in Job Analysis

 

The six steps of job analysis are shown in figure 7.3:

 

 

 

Figure 7.3 : Job Analysis Process

 

1. Determine the Use of the Job Analysis Information: Start by identifying the use to which the information will be put, since this will determine the type of data you collect and the technique you use to collect them.

2. Collection of Background Information: According to Terry, “The make-up of a job, its relation to other jobs, and its requirements for competent performance are essential information needed for a job evaluation. This information can be had by reviewing available background information such as organization charts (which show how the job in question relates to other jobs and where they fit into the overall organization); class specifications (which describe the general requirements of the class of job to which the job under analysis belongs); and the existing job descriptions which provide a starting point from which to build the revised job description”.

3. Selection of Jobs for Analysis: To do job analysis is a costly and time consuming process. It is hence, necessary to select a representative sample of jobs for purposes of analysis. Priorities of various jobs can also be determined. A job may be selected because it has undergone undocumented changes in job content. The request for analysis of a job may originate with the employee, supervisor, or a manager.

When the employee requests an analysis it is usually because new job demands have not been reflected in changes in wages. Employee’s salaries are, in part, based upon the nature of the work that they perform. Some organizations establish a time cycle for the analysis of each job. For example: A job analysis may be required for all jobs every three years. New jobs must also be subjected to analysis.

4. Collection of Job Analysis Data: Job data on features of the job, employee qualification and requirements, should be collected either from the employees who actually perform a job; or from other employees (such as foremen or supervisors) who watch the workers doing a job and there by acquire knowledge about it; or from the outside persons, known as the trade job analysis who are appointed to watch employees performing a job. The duties of such a trade job analyst are (i) to outline the complete scope of a job and to consider all the physical and mental activities involved in determining what the worker does.; (ii) find out why a worker does a job; and for this purpose he studies why each task is essential for the overall result; and (iii) the skill factor which may be needed in the worker to differentiate between jobs and establish the extent of the difficulty of any job.

5. Processing the Information: Once job analysis information has been collected, the next step is to place it in a form that will make it useful to those charged with the various personnel functions. Several issues arise with respect to this. First, how much detail is needed? Second, can the job analysis information be expressed in quantitative terms? These must be considered properly.

6. Preparing Job Descriptions and Job Classifications: Job information which has been collected must be processed to prepare the job description form. It is a statement showing full details of the activities of the job. Separate job description forms may be used for various activities in the job and may be compiled later on. The job analysis is made with the help of these description forms. These forms may be used as reference for the future.

7. Developing Job Specifications: Job specifications are also prepared on the basis of information collected. It is a statement of minimum acceptable qualities of the person to be placed on the job. It specifies the standard by which the qualities of the person are measured. Job analyst prepares such statement taking into consideration the skills required in performing the job properly. Such statement is used in selecting a person matching with the job.

 

 

6. Methods for Collecting Job Analysis Data

 

As discussed earlier, information is to be collected for job analysis. Such information may be collected by the trained job analyst, superiors concerned and job holders themselves. Job information is collected through the following methods:

 

1. Participant Diary/Logs: Workers can be to keep participant diary/log or lists of things they do during the day. For every activity he or she engages in, the employee records the activity (along with the time) in a log. This can provide you with a very comprehensive picture of the job, especially when it’s supplemented with subsequent interviews with the worker and his or her supervisor. This method provides more accurate information if done faithfully. However, it is quite time consuming. Further, each job holder may maintain records according to his own way which presents problems in analysis at later stage. Therefore, it has limited application.

 

2. Interview: There are three types of interviews you can use to collect job analysis data: individual interviews with each employee; group interviews with groups of employees having the same job; and supervisor interviews with one or more supervisors who are thoroughly knowledgeable about the job being analyzed. The group interview is used when a large number of employees are performing similar or identical work, since this can be a quick and inexpensive way of learning about the job. As a rule, the worker’s immediate supervisor would attend the group session; if not, you should interview the supervisor separately to get that person’s perspective on the duties and responsibilities of the job.

 

Source: http://www.jobhuntersbible.com/assets/images/uploads/Screen%20Shot%202014-12-04%20at%2012.04.42%20AM.png

 

3. Critical Incidents: In this method, job holders are asked to describe incidents concerning the job on the basis of their past experience. The incidents so collected are analyzed and classified according to the job areas they describe, A fairly picture of actual job requirements can be obtained by distinguishing between effective and ineffective behaviors of workers on the job. However, this method is time consuming. The analyst requires a high degree of skill to analyze the contents of descriptions given by workers.

 

4. Questionnaires: The method is usually employed by engineering consultants. Properly drafted questionnaires are sent out to job-holders for completion and are returned to supervisors. However, the information received is often unorganized and incoherent. The idea in issuing questionnaire is to elicit the necessary information from job –holders so that any error may first be discussed with the employee and, after corrections, may be submitted to the job analyst

 

Source: http://starfishenvy.typepad.com/.a/6a0115718934aa970b0120a8ff1fbd970b-pi

 

 

This technique is time consuming and generally does not yield satisfactory results because many employees do not complete the questionnaire or furnish incorrect information because of their own limitations. The use of questionnaire is recommended only in case of those technical jobs where the job contents are not completely known to the supervisor or the operation is too complex to observe.

There are certain standardized questionnaires developed by a few agencies which are used by various organizations for job analysis. Most of these questionnaires are of two types: position analysis questionnaire and management position description questionnaire that are described as follows:

 

 

a. Position Analysis Questionnaire. Position analysis questionnaire (PAQ) is a highly specialized instrument for analyzing a job in terms of employee activities. The PAQ developed by Purdue University is a comprehensive questionnaire for collecting information for job analysis.

In this questionnaire, various job elements have been grouped into six categories with each category containing relevant job elements resulting into 195 elements as shown in Table 7.1.

 

The advantage of PAQ is that it provides a quantitative score or profile of any job in terms of how that job rates on the basic activities. The PAQ’s real strength is, thus, in classifying jobs. PAQ’s results can be used to compare the jobs relative to one another and pay levels can be assigned for each job.

The major problem with PAQ is the time it takes for a job analyst to fill out the ratings. However, PAQ has been widely researched and tested and appears to be both reliable and valid.

b. Management Position Description Questionnaire: Management position description is a highly structured questionnaire containing 208 items relating to managerial responsibilities, restrictions, demands and other miscellaneous position characteristics. W.W. Tomov and P.R. Pinto have developed the following Management position Description factors:

  • Product, marketing and financial strategy planning
  • Coordination of other organization units and personnel
  • Internal business Control
  • Products and services responsibility
  • Public and customer relations
  • Advanced consulting
  • Autonomy of actions
  • Approval of financial commitments
  • Staff Service
  • Supervision
  • Complexity and stress
  • Advanced financial responsibility
  • Broad personnel responsibility

5. Technical Conference Method: This method utilizes supervisors with extensive knowledge of the job. Here, specific characteristics of a job are obtained from the “experts.” Although it is a good data gathering method, it often overlooks the incumbent worker’s perception about what they do on their job.

6. Job Performance: Under this method, the job analyst actually performs the job under study to get first-hand experience of the actual tasks, and physical and social demands of the job. This method can be used only for jobs where skill requirements are low and can be learnt quickly and easily. This is a time- consuming method and is not appropriate for jobs requiring extensive training.

 

Source: http://www.learningspy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/performance.jpg

 

 

7. Functional Job Analysis: Functional job analysis (FJA) is employee- oriented analytical approach of job analysis. This approach attempts to describe the whole person on the job. The main features of FJA include the following:

  • The extent to which specific instruction are necessary to perform the task
  • The extent to which reasoning and judgment are required to perform the task
  • The mathematical ability required to perform the task and
  • The verbal and language facilities required to perform the task.

8. Observation Method: Using this method, a job analyst watches employees directly on the job. Observations are made on various tasks, activities, the pace at which tasks are carried out, and the way different activities are performed. This method is suitable for jobs that involve manual, standardized, and short job cycle activities. This method also requires that the entire range of activities be observable; possible with some jobs.

The above methods are the most popular ones for gathering job analysis data. They all provide realistic information about what job incumbents actually do. They can thus be used for developing job descriptions and job specifications. Caroll L. Shartle, Otis and Lenhert have provided the following suggestions for making the job analyst’s task simple.

  • Introduce yourself so that the worker knows who you are and why you are there.
  • Show a sincere interest in the worker and the job that is analyzed;
  • Do not try to tell the employee how to do his job.
  • Try to talk to the employee and supervisors in their own language;
  • Do a complete job study within the objectives of the programmer: and
  • Verify the job information obtained.

7. Job Description

 

Job description is the immediate product of job analysis process; the data collected through job analysis provides a basis for job description and job specification.

Job Description: is a written record of the duties, responsibilities and requirements of a particular job. It is concerned with the job itself and not with the job holders. It is a statement describing the job in such terms as its title, location, duties, working conditions and hazards.

Flippo has Defined Job Description as, “A job description is an organized, factual statement of duties and responsibilities of a specific job. In brief, it should tell what is to be done. How it is done why. It is a standard of function, in that defines the appropriate and authorized content of a job.

According to Pigors and Myres, “Job description is a pertinent picture (in writing) of the organizational relationships, responsibilities and specific duties that constitutes a given job or position. It defines a scope of responsibility and continuing work assignments that are sufficiently different form that of other jobs to warrant a specific title.”

 

 

Source:http://cdn.halogensoftware.com/uploads/learn/how-to/creating-best-practice-job-description-templates/_thumb/800/creating-best-practice-job-description-templates.png

 

 

According to Zerga, who analyzed 401 articles on job description about 30 years ago. A job description helps us in:

 

(i) Job grading and classification

(ii) Transfers and promotions.

(iii) Adjustments of grievances;

(iv) Defining and outlining promotional steps:

(v) Establishing a common understanding of a job between employers and employees;

(vi) Investigation accidents ;

(vii) Indicating faulty work procedures or duplication of papers;

(viii) Maintaining, operating and adjusting machinery;

(ix) Time and motion studies;

(x) Defining the limits of authority;

(xi) Indicating case of personal merit;

(xii) Studies of health and fatigue;

(xiii) Scientific guidance;

(xiv) Determining jobs suitable for occupational therapy;

(xv) Providing hiring specifications; and

(xvi) Providing performance indicators.

 

“Job description” is different from “performance assessment.” The former concerns such functions as planning, co-ordination, and assigning responsibility; while the latter concerns the quality of performance itself. Though job description is not assessment, it provides an important basis establishing assessment standards and objectives.

8. Writing Job Description

A Job description is a written statement of what the job holder actually does, how he or she does it, and under what conditions the job is performed. This information is in turn used to write a job specification, which lists the knowledge, abilities, and skills needed to perform the job satisfactorily. While there is no standard format you must use in writing a job description, most descriptions contain at least sections on:

1. Job Identification: It includes the job title, alterative title, department, division, plant and code number of the job. The job title identifies and designates the job properly, the department, division, etc., indicate the name of the department where it is situated – whether it is the maintenance department, mechanical shop etc. Location gives the name of the place. This portion of job description gives answer to two important questions: to what higher level job is this job accountable. And who is supervised directly?

2. Job Summary: Job summary describes the contents of the jobs in terms of activities or tasks performed. Job summary should clear the nature of the job. Primary, secondary and other duties to be performed on the job should clearly be indicated separately.

3. Duties and Responsibilities: This is the most important phase of job description and should be prepared very carefully. It describes the duties to be performed along with frequency of each major duty. Responsibilities concerning custody of money, supervision and training of staff etc. are also described in this part.

 

 

 

 

4. Supervision: Under it is given number of persons to be supervised along with their job titles, and the extent of supervision involved –general, intermediate or close supervision.

5. Relation to Other Jobs: It describes the vertical and horizontal relationships of work flow. It also indicates to whom the jobholder will report and who will report to him. It gives an idea of channels of promotion.

6. Machine, tools and equipment define each major type or trade name of the machines and tools and the raw materials used.

7. Working Conditions: The working environment in terms of heat, light, noise, dust and fumes etc, the job hazards and possibility of their occurrence and working conditions should also be described. It will be helpful in job evaluation.

8. Social Environment: It specifies the social conditions under which the work will be performed. In this part the size of work group, interpersonal interactions required to perform the job and development facilities are mentioned

9. Job Specification: The job specification states the minimum acceptable qualifications that the incumbent must possess to perform the job successfully. Based on the information acquired through job analysis, the job specification identifies the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to do the job effectively. Individuals possessing the personal characteristics identified in the job specification should perform the job more effectively than individuals lacking these personal characteristics. The job specification, therefore, is a important tool in the selection process, for it keeps the selector’s attention on the list of qualifications necessary for an incumbent to perform the job and assists in determining whether candidates are qualified.

 

 

 

Source: https://www.holyrood.com/sites/www.holyrood.com/files/styles/original_-_local_version/entityshare/13606%3Fitok%3D6Tv_lujj

 

 

 

According to Dale Yoder, “The job specification, as such a summary properly described is thus a specialized job description, emphasizing personnel requirement and designed especially to facilitate selection and placement.”

 

Flippo has defined job specification as, “Job specification is a statement of the minimum acceptable human qualities necessary to perform a job properly ………….. It is a standard of personnel and designates the qualities required for acceptable performance.”

 

In is clear from the above definitions that job specification is a statement of summary of personnel requirements for a job. It may also be called “standard of personal for the selection”

 

A Job Specification should include:

 

(i) Physical characteristics, which include health, strength, endurance, age, height, weight, vision, voice, eye, hand and foot co-ordination, motor co-ordination, and colour discrimination.

 

(ii) Psychological and social characteristics such as emotional stability, flexibility, decision making ability, analytical view, mental ability, pleasing manners, initiative, conversational ability etc.

 

(iii) Mental Characteristics such as general intelligence, memory, judgement, ability to concentrate, foresight etc.

 

(iv) Personal Characteristics such as sex, education, family background, job experience, hobbies, extracurricular activities etc.

 

All these characteristics must be classified into three categories:

 

  • Essential attributes which a person must possess.
  • Desirable attributes which a person ought to posses.
  • Contra indicators which will become a handicap to successful job performance.

 

10. Summary

 

  • The purpose of an organization is to give each person a separate distinct job and to ensure that these jobs are coordinated in such a way that the organization accomplishes its goals.
  • Developing an organization structure results in jobs that have to be staffed. Job analysis is the procedure through which you find out (1) what the job entails, and (2) what kinds of people should be hired for the job. It involves six steps: (1) determine the use of the job analysis information; (2) collection of background information; (3) selection of jobs for analysis; (4) collection of job analysis data; (5) processing the information; (6) preparing job descriptions and job classifications; and (7) developing job specifications.
  • Techniques of job analysis are – observation method, questionnaires, participant diary/logs, interview, critical incidents, technical conference method, and job performance.
  • Job description and job specification are products of job analysis. Job description should indicate: duties to be performed by the job holder and the manner he should complete the tasks. Job specification: answer the question “what human traits and experience are necessary to do the job. It portrays what kind of person to recruit and for what qualities that person should be tested”.
you can view video on Job Analysis

References

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