Job analysis

Prakash Krishnamoorthy (krishthili@gmail.com)

THE DEFINITION OF JOB ANALYSIS
Edwin.B.Flippo (1984)
Job analysis is the process of studying and collecting information relating to the operations and
responsibilities of specific job.
Hebert G. Henemann III
Each job has certain rewards associated with it. Job analysis is the process used to identify these
requirements.
Richard Henderson (1994)
The identification and precisely identifying the required tasks, the knowledge, and the skills necessary
for performing them and the conditions under which they must be performed.
Job Analysis is a process of collecting or gathering information about a job.

Lesson – 5
Terminology of Job
Process of Job Analysis
Job Analysis Information
Uses of Job Analysis
Lesson - 6
Methods of Collection Job Analysis Data
Impact of Behavioural Factors on Job Analysis
Job Description & Job Specification
Job Analysis in a “JOBLESS” world & Potential Problem with job

Job Terminology
Task an identifiable work activity carried out for a specific purpose.
For example, typing a letter.
Duty Several tasks which are related by some sequence of events.
For example, pick up, sort out and deliver incoming mail.
Position A collection of tasks and duties which are performed by one person.
For example, the P.A. to Chairman receives visitors, takes dictation,
operates computer, answers queries, attends to complaints and helps students.
Job A group of positions similar in their significant duties.
For example the job of salesmen, technical assistants, computer programmers
Job Code A job code uses numbers, letters or both to provide a quick summary
of a job and its content.
Job Classification The grouping of jobs on some basis such as the nature of work done or the level
of pay.
For example, skilled, semiskilled and unskilled; Grade II and III officers in a Bank.

Job Families: Groups of different jobs that need similar skills.
Job Analysis: The process of gathering information about a job.
Job Description: A written summary of tasks, duties and responsibilities of a job.
Job Specification: The minimum skills, education and experience necessary for an individual to do a job.
Job Evaluation: A systematic procedure for finding the relative worth of a job.
Job Sharing: It is a scheduling innovation that allows two or more workers to share a job.
Job Design: A conscious effort to organize tasks, duties and responsibilities into a unit of work to achieve a certain objective.
Job Rotation: Moving employees horizontally or vertically to expand their skills, knowledge or activities.
Job Enrichment: Adding more responsibilities, autonomy and control to a job.

Process of Job Analysis
Organizational analysis
Selection of Representative Positions
InformationGathering
Preparation of JD
Preparation of JS
Steps
What kind of data to collect and how to collect it
It will be time consuming and costly to analyse all jobs in an organization.
So, it is essential to select a representative sample of jobs for detail
job analysis.
1. Who should collect the data?
May be trained job analysts or supervisors
If job analysis take “trained job analysts”, it will lend objectivity and
standardization to the data collected, but they implicitly and mean outflow of money.
Otherwise, “supervisors” provide information with no extra cost, but the
data may not be objective and standardized.
2. What type of data is to be collected?
1. Work Activities
2. Machines, tools, Equipment used
3. Job context like work schedule, physical working conditions, organizational
context
4. personal requirements like specific skill, education, work experience
3. What methods are to be followed for data collection?
Observation, interview, questionnaires, checklists, technical conference and
diary methods.
In terms of tasks, duties, responsibilities and accountabilities.
In terms of Skill required, Qualifications, Physical requirements, Experience required, Physical attributes

a. The extent of employee involvement in job analysis
More involvement employee – likely to inflate the duties and responsibilities of his
jobs, just to make it appear more important than it actually is.
Not involved or minimum involved - they tend to become suspicious about the motives
behind the job analysis. Besides, lack of involvement from employees will result in inaccurate and
incomplete information. The extent to which employees are involved depends upon the needs of both
the organisation and the employees.
b. when and how often?
i) an organisation is newly established and the job analysis is initiated for the first time
ii) a new job is created in an established company
iii) a job is changed significantly due to change in technology, methods, procedures or
systems
iv) the organisation is contemplating of new remuneration plan
v) the employees or managers feel that there exist inequities between job demands and
the remuneration it carries.
c. The level of Detail
The level of analysis may vary from details, as in time and motion studies, to broad as
in analysing jobs based on general duties.
Extra Step

JOB ANALYSIS INFORMATION
(a) Job Identification: Its title, including its code number.
(b) Important Characteristics: Its location of a job, Physical setting, supervision, union jurisdiction, hazards and discomforts.
(c) What the typical worker does? This includes collection of information on specific operations and tasks to be performed by the typical worker
including that relating to timing and importance, their simplicity, routine or complexity, the responsibility for others etc.
(d) Job Duties: A detailed list of duties along with the probable frequency of occurrence of each duty.
(e) What materials and Equipment's the worker uses? Metals, plastics, grains, yarn or leathers, milling machine, testers, punch process and
micrometers.
(f) How a job is done? The focus here is on the nature of operations like lifting, handling, cleaning, washing, removing, drilling, driving, setting up and
the like.
(g) Required Personal Attributes: These include experience, training undertaken apprenticeship, physical strength, coordination or dexterity, physical
demands, mental capabilities, aptitudes, social skills etc.
(h) Job Relationship: This includes opportunities for advancement, patterns of promotions, essential cooperation etc.
Job analysis also provides the information relating to mental skills, working conditions hazards, education, vocational preparation etc.

USES OF JOB ANALYSIS
HRM important both the employee and the employer to have a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities to be performed on a job.
Job Analysis
Job
Description
(JD)
Job
Specification
Recruitment Job Design
and Redesign
Personal
Information
Job
Evaluation
Human Resource
Planning
Performance
Appraisal
Employee
Safety
CounsellingTraining
Placement and
Orientation
Selection
Job analysis helps in that understanding by drawing attention to a unit of work and its linkage with other units of work.

Human Resource Planning
Job analysis is useful in human resource planning in terms of demand forecasting. It finds out the requisite knowledge and skills required to perform a job.
Recruitment
Job analysis helps in recruitment in terms of finding how and when people should be hired for new job openings. It makes the recruitment process easier
by highlighting the skills, knowledge and abilities required to perform a job.
Selection
Job analysis helps in selecting the right person by making the employer understand what is to be done on a job.
Placement and Orientation
Job analysis is useful in putting the newly selected person at the right place in the organization.
Training
Job analysis eases the training process by identifying the duties and responsibilities associated with a job. If the candidate doesn’t have enough knowledge, then training is provided to make him
effective.
Counselling
Proper counselling of the employee is possible only after knowing the details about the employee’s job. This helps in grooming the career of the employees.
Employee Safety
Through a proper job analysis the analyst can know the health hazards and accidents associated with a job. By knowing, proper steps can be undertaken to eradicate those situations.
Performance Appraisal
In case of performance appraisal the appraiser compares the performance of the employee with the standard performance based on job analysis. It makes
the process of performance appraisal easy and simple.
Job Design and Redesign
Through job analysis the details of job are identified. From this the weak areas in a job are identified. It helps in reducing unnecessary movements, simplify certain steps and improve
the existing ones through continuous monitoring.
Job Evaluation
It is finding the relative worth of a job in relation to other jobs in the organization. This is done with the help of the job analysis. Job evaluation helps in
fixing the pay package of employees with internal and external pay equity.
Personal Information
Organisations generally maintain computerized personnel information systems. Such information system is useful as it helps:
1. Improve administrative efficiency by speeding up the provision of data, by reducing the resources required to carry out routine administration and by freeing the resources for higher-
value activities which are fundamental to the success of the management.
2. Provide decision support-information which gives a factual basis for decisions, concerning the planning, acquisition, development, utilization and remuneration of human resources.

METHODS OF COLLECTING JOB ANALYSIS DATA
Terminology : Job holder, Supervisor and Job analyst
Observation
o The job analyst carefully observes the job holder at work
o records what he or she does and how he or she does
o how much time is needed for completion of a given task
o The analyst observes certain pre-requisites
• average workers during average conditions
• to observe without getting directly involved in the job
• should make note of the job needs
• must also make sure that he obtains a proper sample for generation
o This method has both positive as well as negative sides.
• +ve :- the method is simple and the data collected tend to be accurate because of direct observation.
• -ve :- it may be said that the method is time – consuming and unapplicable to jobs that involve high
proportions of unobservable mental activities and those which do not have complete and easily
observable job cycles.
o The analyst needs to be trained to carefully observe and record the competence of a job incumbent. Better results
will accrue when the observation method is employed along with other methods of job analysis.
o Three methods of Job Analysis are based on observation.
• Direct Observation- Work Method Analysis, including time and motion studies
• micro-motion analysis;
• critical incident method.

Interview
✓ The jobholder and supervisor to elicit information about the job.
✓ A structured interview form is used to record the information.
✓ Workers know the specific duties of the job and the supervisors are aware of the job`s relationship to the rest of
the organisation.
✓ It is advisable to use a standard format so as to focus the interview to purpose of the analyst.
✓ Interview method is time consuming.
✓ The effectiveness of the interview method depends on the interview and on the ability of the jobholder to make
meaningful response.
Critical Incidents
a. This method comes under observation method and Its qualitative approach to job
analysis.
b. Job holders are asked to describe several incidents based on their experience.
c. The incidents so collected are analysed and classified according to job areas they
describe.
d. The job requirements will become clear once the analyst draws the line between
effective and ineffective behaviours of workers on the job.

Questionnaire
• Position Analysis Questionnaire
o Developed at Purdue University
o Contains 194 items divided into six major (Information Input, Mental Processes,
Work Output, Relationship with others, Job context, Job Characteristic) divisions
o Advantage of PAQ is that it can be employed to analyse almost every job.
• Management Position Description Questionnaire (MPDQ)
o MPDQ is a standardized instrument designed specifically for use in analysing
managerial jobs.
o Contains 274 items with 15 sections.
o 2 hours to complete the questionnaire
o The respondents are asked to state how important each item is to the position.
o The 208 items are grouped under the 13 categories
▪ product, marketing and financial strategy planning
▪ coordination of other organizational units and personnel
▪ internal business control
▪ products and service responsibilities
▪ public and customer relations
▪ advanced consulting
▪ autonomy of actions
▪ approval of financial commitment
▪ staff service
▪ supervisor
▪ complexity and stress
▪ advanced financial responsibilities
▪ broad personnel responsibilities Prakash Krishnamoorthy (krishthili@gmail.com)

• Functional Job Analysis (FJA)
o Worker-oriented job analysis
o Fundamental components of “data, people and things”
o There are five steps
▪ The identification of the organisation`s goal
• This analysis describes what should be as well as what is.
▪ The identification and description of tasks
• Tasks are defined as actions
• The task actions may be physical (operators of computer),mental (analyzing data) or
interpersonal (consulting another person).
• The task statements must conform to a specific written format.
▪ Deals with analysis of tasks
• Each task is analysed using 7 scales
o three worker function scales (data, people, things),
o worker instruction scale (degree of supervision imposed)
o three scales of reasoning,
o mathematics
o language.
▪ the analyst develops performance standards to access the results of a worker’s tasks.
▪ the development of training content needed by the job holder

Checklist(like Survey)
o Yes or no question
o Checklist can cover as many as 100 activities and jobholders tick only those tasks that are included in their jobs
o Preparation of a checklist is a difficult job.
o The specialist who prepares the list must collect all relevant information about the job concerned.
o Such information can be obtained by asking supervisors, industrial engineers and others familiar with the work.
o Advantage –
▪ Large organizations that have a large number of people assigned to one particular job.
▪ This technique is amenable to tabulation and recording on electronic data processing equipment.
Technical Conference Method
a. services of supervisors who have extensive knowledge about a job are used
b. This method lacks accuracy, though a good method of data collection, because the actual jobholders are not
involved in collecting information.
Diary Method
o Jobholders in this method, have to record in detail their activities each day.
o If done sincerely, this technique is accurate and eliminates errors caused by memory lapses the jobholder
makes while answering questionnaires and checklists.

IMPACT OF BEHAVIOURAL FACTORS ON JOB ANALYSIS
o Mangers should take note of certain strong behavioural responses from the employees, while carrying out the job
analysis.
o Employees will not always like the idea of someone taking a hard look at their jobs.
o The reasons behind such negative responses are examined here.
▪ Employee Fears
• A searching examination of jobs may uncover employee faults, which might have escaped the
employer’s attention so far.
▪ Resistance to change
• impact on the safe and secure job worlds that employees used to live in comfortably
• To ward off such threats, managers have to involve employees in the revision process, stating the
reasons for incorporating latest changes clearly.
▪ Overemphasis on current employees
• Job analysis efforts must not place heavy emphasis on what employees are currently doing.
• Some employees may be gifted with unique capacities and given a change they may expand the scope of
the job and assume more responsibilities.
• The organisation may have difficulty in finding someone like that person if he or she were to leave the
company.

JOB DESCRIPTION
✓ It describes what the job is all about, throwing light on job content, environment and conditions of employment.
✓ It is descriptive in nature and defines the purpose and scope of a job.
o Contents
o Guidance for Writing Job Description
o Indicate the nature and scope of the job including all important relationships
o Be brief, factual and precise.
o Give a clear picture of the job.
o Explain all the duties and responsibilities of the job in greater detail
o State the extent on supervision available
o Indicate the reporting relationships clearly (e.g., who reports to whom, frequency etc).
Job title Job title code number, department where it is done
Job Summary Brief write up about what the job is all about
Job Activities Description of the tasks done, facilities used.
Working
Conditions
The physical environment of job in terms of heat, light, noise
and other hazards.
Social
Environment
Size of worker group and interpersonal interactions required
to do the jobs.
JOB SPECIFICATION
✓ A job specification can be developed by talking with the current jobholders about the attributes required to do the job
satisfactorily.
✓ Opinions of supervisors could also be used as additional inputs.
✓ Checking the job needs of other organisations with similar jobs will also help in developing job specifications.
✓ This is useful in the selection process. It offers a clear set of qualifications for an individual to be hired for a specific job.

JOB ANALYSIS IN A ‘JOBLESS’ WORLD
Flatter Organisation
✓ Most progressive companies have now gone in favour of cutting down the “fat” at the top level, reducing the traditional pyramidical structures to barely
three or four levels.
✓ As the remaining managers are left with more people reporting to them, they can supervise them less, so the jobs of subordinates end up bigger and in
terms of both breadth and depth of responsibilities.
Work Teams
✓ Cross functional self-directed teams handle different jobs at different periods of time.
✓ Workers will perform their duties as members of project teams, not necessarily as members of a particular department within the organisation.
Boundaryless Organisation
✓ In a boundaryless organisation, the boundedness that typically separate organizational functions (production, marketing, finance etc) and hierarchical
levels are reduced and made more permeable cross-functional teams are created and used widely.
✓ Employees are encouraged to get rid of “It is not my job” kind of attitudes.
✓ The focus, instead, is on defining the job in a flexible way, keeping the best interests of the organisation in the background.
Reengineering
✓ Specialized jobs are combined and enlarged.
✓ Each person’s job is made more interesting and challenging. Supervisory checks are reduced. Employees are allowed to oversee their
own work.
✓ Workers are made collectively responsible for overall results rather than individually responsible for just their own tasks.
✓ Workers are more empowered to use decision making authority while carrying out work in small teams.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH JOB ANALYSIS
i) Support from Top Management
In most cases, top management support is missing. It should make it clear to all employees that their full and honest
cooperation and participation are extremely important for the process.
Often, this message is not communicated.
ii) Single Means and Source
This relates to the defect in the process of job analysis.
Many proven methods and sources of collecting data are available.
Too often, analysts rely on only one of the methods when a combination of two methods might provide a better data.
iii) Activities may be Distorted
Where training, preparedness, motivation do not exist, jobholders tend to submit distorted data either intentionally
or inadvertently.
For example, employees are likely to speed up, if they know they are being watched.

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Job analysis

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