JOB ANALYSIS

What is a job?
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Group of related activities and duties Made up of tasks

Tasks

Basic elements of jobs what gets done

STAGES OF HRM
Job Analysis Human Resource Planning Recruitment

Selection
Placement Induction
3

The JOB ANALYSIS

A job analysis is the process used to collect information about the duties, responsibilities, necessary skills, outcomes, and work environment of a particular job. Process of defining a job in terms of its component tasks or duties and the knowledge or skills required to perform them

DECISION IS MADE TO CHECK THAT: Whether already existing post is valuable or not. To create a Post.

The JOB ANALYSIS

In simple terms, job analysis may be understood as a process of collecting information about a job. The process of job analysis results in two sets of data: i) Job description and ii) Job specification.

Job Description
Job description consists of Job title / Job identification / organization position Location Job summary Duties Machines, tools and equipment Materials and forms used Supervision given or received Working conditions Hazards

Job Specification
The capabilities that the job holder should possess/Consists human specific qualification Education Experience Training Judgement Initiatives Physical efforts Skills physical and communication Responsibility Emotional charecteristics Unusual sensory demands viz sight, smell, hearing etc

Important Applications of Job Analysis

The Job Analysis provides the foundation for almost everything HR is involved in.
HR Planning Job Descriptions Employee Selection Training Performance Appraisals Job Classification Job Evaluation Job Design and Redesign --Health and Safety

Reasons For Conducting Job Analysis

Training & Development Staffing Compensation & Benefits Safety and Health

Employee and labor relation ship

METHODS

Direct observation Interview of existing post holder Interview of immediate supervisor Questionnaires Previous studies Work dairies

Methods of Job Analysis: Observation

Information Source
Observing and noting the physical activities of employees as they go about their jobs

Advantages
Provides first-hand information

Increases reliability of information

Observation:
Disadvantages:
Time consuming Difficulty in capturing entire job cycle Of little use if job involves a high level of mental activity Observers Difference of mental disposition. Analysts caliber should match employees caliber

Methods of Job Analysis: The Interview

Information Sources
Individual employees (existing job holder) Immediate boss (Supervisors )

with knowledge of the job.

Interview format

Structured
Unstructured

The Interviews:

Advantages
Quick, direct way to find overlooked

information required.

Disadvantages
Exaggeration or depreciation of importance of job

In case of supervisor, he may not be interesting in the JD of the subordinates. Attitude may not be supportive. Difference in perception, attitude and aptitude of the interviewee. Lack of communication. Analysts caliber should match employees caliber.

Methods of Job Analysis: Questionnaires

Information Source:
Have employees fill out questionnaires to describe their job-related duties and responsibilities.

1. 2.

Questionnaires format: Structured checklist.( to identify the task performed) Open ended questions

Questionnaires

Advantages
Quick and efficient way to gather information from large numbers of employees Quick and economical to use

Disadvantages
Expense and time consumed in preparing and testing the questionnaire. Becomes less useful where the employees lack verbal skills.

Methods of Job Analysis: Previous studies

Information source: Past record of any employee. The analyst keeps the past record of the employees and keeps the previous experiences and issues related to the job analysis process of the organization.

Previous studies
Advantages Easy to use this method. Helps to find out that whether it is beneficial or not Disadvantages Wrong assessment of previous post Bad performance of previous employee

Methods of Job Analysis: Work Diaries

Information Source
Workers keep a chronological diary/ log of what they do and the time spent on each activity.

Work Diaries

Advantages
Produces a more complete picture of the job
Employee participation Maintained on daily basis.

Disadvantages
Distortion of information

Depends upon employees to accurately recall their activities

Methods of Job Analysis: Manager trying the job

This method is used to check the new post. In this method the manager start a new job to check that whether this job is beneficial or not. Its a risky step to take because it may cause many fundamental problems.

JOB ANALYSIS PROCESS

JOB ANALYSIS PROCESS

Collection of background information Identification of job analysis purpose Decide about the person who conduct job analysis How to conduct job analysis Training job analysts Preparation of job analysis table Collection of job related data Job description Job specification Setting performance standards

Steps in Job Analysis Process

Job descriptionsTask requirements
Statement that explains duties working conditions, etc. of a job

Job specificationsPerson requirements

Statement of what a job demands of the incumbent E.g., knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs) and other characteristics required to perform job

Performance standards
1. What is expected of workers 2. JA may provide performance standards for job where performance is readily quantified, measurable, etc. 3. May need to be augmented e.g., participative goal-setting

Advantages of Job Analysis

Provides with first hand information Helps in Right job-Employee fit Helps in establishing effective Hiring strategy Guides through performance evaluation and appraisal process Helps in analysing training and development needs Helps in deciding compensation and benefits

Disadvantages
Time consuming May involve personal biasness Source of data is extremely small Involves lot of human efforts Job analyst may not possess appropriate skills Mental abilities cannot be directly observed

Job Design
The logical sequence to job analysis is job design. Job analysis provides job-related data as well as the skills and knowledge expected of the incumbent to discharge the job. Job design, then, involves conscious efforts to organize tasks, duties, and responsibilities into a unit of work to achieve certain objectives.

Thus, job design involves three steps 1. The specification of individual tasks, 2. The specification of the method(s) of performing each task, and 3. The combination of tasks into specific jobs to be assigned to individuals.

Various Factors Affecting Job Design

1.Organizational Factors Characteristics of Task Work Flow Ergonomics Work Practices 2. Environmental Factors Employee Abilities and Availability Social and Cultural Expectations

3. Behavioural Factors
Feedback Autonomy Use of Abilities Variety

Characteristics of Task
Job design requires the assembly of a number of tasks into a job or a group of jobs. An individual may carry out one main task which consists of a number of interrelated elements or functions. On the other hand, task functions may be split between a team working closely together or strung a long an assembly line.

Work Flow
The flow of work in a firm is strongly influenced by the nature of the product or service. The product or service usually suggests the sequence and balance between jobs if the work is to be done efficiently. After the sequence of jobs is determined, the balance between jobs is established.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is concerned with designing and shaping jobs to fit the physical abilities and characteristics of individuals so that they can perform their jobs effectively

Ergonomics does not alter the nature of job tasks but the location of tools, switches and other facilities, keeping in view that the handling the job is the primary consideration

Work Practices
Work practices are set ways of performing works. These methods may arise from tradition or the collective wishes of employees. Either way, the HR departments flexibility to design jobs is limited, especially when such practices are part of a unionmanagement relationship. Failure to consider work practices can have undesirable outcomes

Environmental Factors

Employee Abilities and Availability

Efficiency consideration must be balanced against the abilities and availability of the people who are to do the work

Social and Cultural Expectations There were days when getting a job was the primary consideration. The worker was prepared to work on any job and under any working conditions. .Literacy, knowledge and awareness among workers have improved considerably, so also their expectations from jobs. Hence jobs must be designed to meet the expectations of workers.

Behavioural Factors
Feedback Individuals need to receive meaningful feedback about their performance, preferably by evaluating their own performance and defining the feedback. This implies that they need to ideally work on a complete product or on a significant part of it.

Autonomy
Autonomy is being responsible for what one does. It is the freedom to control ones responses to the environment. Jobs that give workers authority to make decisions will provide added responsibilities, which tend to increase the employees sense of recognition and self-esteem. The absence of autonomy, on the other hand, can cause employee apathy or poor performance.

Use of Abilities The job must be perceived by individuals as requiring them to use abilities they value in order to perform the job effectively

Variety Lack of variety may cause boredom. Boredom, in turn, leads to fatigue and fatigue causes mistakes. By injecting variety into jobs, personnel specialists can reduce errors caused by fatigue.

Approaches to Job Design

Engineering Approach
Job engineering focuses on the tasks to be performed, methods to be used, workflows among employees, layout of the workers, performance standards, and interdependence among people and machines. Experts often examine these job design factors by means of time-and-motion studies, determining the time required to do each task and the movements needed to perform it efficiently. Specialization of labor is the hallmark of job engineering

Engineering Approach:
The work of every workman is fully planned out by the management at least on day in advance and each man receives in most cases complete written instructions, describing in detail the task which he/she has to accomplish -FW TAYLOR.

High level of specialization is intended to (a) allow employees to team a task rapidly; ( b) permit short work cycles so that performance can be almost automatic and involve little or no mental effort; (c) make hiring easier because low-skilled people can be easily trained and paid relatively low wages; and (d) reduce the need for supervision, using simplified jobs and standardization.

Job engineering may be used with success, subject to the following golden rules of work design being ensured:
The end product/output of the work is clearly defined and fully understood by the employees. The steps/tasks to be performed to achieve the required end product/output are clearly defined in the appropriate sequence. The employees know and understand where their responsibility starts and finishes in the work process.

The tools, facilities and information needed to perform the work are readily available and fully understood by the employees. There is a process whereby the employees can suggest possible improvements in the work design and exercise initiative in implementing them. The employees are involved in the work design process.

Problems with engineering approach

Repetition Mechanical pacing Little social interaction

Human Approach:

The Human relations approach recognized the need to design jobs which are interesting and rewarding. Herzbergs research popularized the notion of enhancing need satisfaction through what is called job enrichment. Factors involved: Motivators like achievement, recognition, work itself, responsibility, advancement and growth and Hygienic factors. According to Herzberg. The Employee is dissatisfied with the job if required maintenance factors to the required degree are not introduced into the job.

Job Characteristics Approach

1. 2. 3.

Theory by Hackman and Oldham states that employees will work hard when they are rewarded for the work they do and when the work gives them satisfaction. Hence integration of motivation, satisfaction and performance with job design.

Skill Variety Task Identity Task significance 4. Autonomy 5. Feedback

According to this approach Job can be described in terms of five core job dimensions:

Sociotechnical Systems Approach

In order to create jobs, which have this supportive relationship, work teams not individual jobs, must be studied. Jobs in the traditional sense are nonexistent and instead, each worker plays an assigned role in accomplishing the group's objectives.

Redesigning work through sociotechnical systems methods requires the combined efforts of employees, supervisors and union representatives in analysing significant job operations. Jobs are not necessarily designed to be intrinsically motivating; rather, they are designed so that the work is accomplished. As in scientific management, a supervisor's goal is to ensure that the organization's objectives are met.

Using the sociotechnical approach, the following guidelines have been developed for designing jobs:

1. A job needs to be reasonably demanding for the individual in terms other than sheer endurance and yet provide some variety (not necessarily novelty). 2. Employees need to be able to learn on the job and to go on learning. 3.Employees need some minimum area of decision making that they can call their own. 4. Employees need some minimal degree of social support and recognition at the workplace. 5. Employees need to be able to relate what they do and what they produce to their social life.

Job Redesign
Restructuring the elements including task, duty and responsibility of a specific job in order to make it more encouraging, inspiring for the employees or workers is known as job Redesigning. The process includes revising, analysing, altering, reforming and reshuffling job related content and Dimension to increase the variety of assignment and functions to motivate employees.

Job Redesigning Process

Revising

the job content Analysing job related information Altering job element Reforming Job description and specification Reshuffling job related task and duties

Advantages
Enhances

the Quality of work life. Increases organisational productivity Increases Employees on job productivity Creates Right person Job Fit Brings sense of belongingness in Employees

Job Evaluation
Job Evaluation is the process of analysing and assessing the various Jobs Systematically to ascertain their relative worth in an organisation. Jobs are Evaluated on the basis of their content and are placed in the order of their importance.