A Brief On Job Design

1. Nature of Job Analysis
 Job analysis is the process of gathering and analyzing information about the
content and the human requirements of jobs, as well as, the context in which jobs
are performed. This process is used to determine placement of jobs.
 Job Analysis is the process of determining the duties of various positions at an
organization level and also the specific KSA(Knowledge,Skills&Abilities) required
to perform these duties and the characteristics of the employee that is to be hired
for this position.

2. Approaches to Job Analysis
 Observation: Job analyst observes and documents activities performed while
employee works
 Diary: employee keeps log of tasks and activities
 Interview: Job analyst conducts structured interviews of jobholder and supervisor
(time-consuming and may be inaccurate)
 Questionnaire: standard questionnaire administered to large number of
employees performing the job (requires considerable time up-front, doesn’t offer
opportunity for follow-up)
 Identifying tasks, duties and responsibilities expected to be performed in a job as
well as competencies to be successful. This Involves several steps which are
Collecting Job Information and Analyzing Job Information.

3. •“Job Design” is the process of deciding on the contents of a job in terms of its Duties and
Responsibilities, on the Methods to be used in carrying out the job, in terms of techniques,
systems and procedures, and on the relationships that should exist between the job holder
and his superior subordinates and colleagues.
•Job design is the next step after job analysis that aims at outlining, and organizing tasks and
responsibilities associated with a certain job. It integrates job responsibilities and
qualifications or skills that are required to perform the same.
•Job design essentially involves integrating job responsibilities or content and certain
qualifications that are required to perform the same. It outlines the job responsibilities very
clearly and also helps in attracting the right candidates to the right job. Further it also makes
the job look interesting and specialised.
•Job Design: Determining Job tasks and responsibilities employees are expected to perform.

4. Process of Job Design - Factors
 Deciding the contents of the job.
 Deciding methods & processes to carry out the job.
 Making optimum use of job/work-time so that job/work-time should not be
wasted as time is money and time cannot be earned, but can be saved by
making efficient use of it.
 Avoiding manual task if can be handled by machines or automated.
 Synchronization of work, and no conflict with other jobs
 Deciding the relationship which exists in the organization.
 Job design gives framework to job analysis as it tries to figure out what qualities,
skills and other requirements are needed to perform the given job by a job
holder.

5. Process of Job Design - Factors
There are various steps involved in job design that follow a logical
sequence, those that were mentioned earlier on. The sequence is as follows:
 What tasks are required to be done or what tasks is part of the job?
 How are the tasks performed?
 What amount are tasks are required to be done?
 What is the sequence of performing these tasks?
 How simple or complex are these tasks?
 How many tasks can employees perform?
 How much flexibility is given to employees?

6. Approaches to Job Design
 Human Approach: The “Human Approach” of job design lays emphasis
on designing a job around the people or employees and not around the
organizational processes.
 According to this approach, jobs should gratify an individuals need for
recognition, respect, growth and responsibility.
 Job enrichment as popularized by Herzberg’s research is one the ways in
human approach of job design. Herzberg classified these factors into two
categories - the “Hygiene factors” and the “Motivators”.
 “Motivators” include factors like achievement, work nature, responsibility,
learning and growth that can motivate an individual to perform better at the
work place.
 “Hygiene factor’ on the other hand include things like working conditions,
organizational policies, salary that may not motivate directly but the absence
of which can lead to dissatisfaction at the work place.

7. Approaches to Job Design
 Engineering Approach
 This approach is based on the application of scientific principles to job design.
Work, according to this approach should be scientifically analyzed and
fragmented into logical tasks.
 According to this approach, the work or task of each employee is planned by
the management a day in advance. The instructions for the same are sent to
each employee describing the tasks to be undertaken in detail. The details
include things like what, how and when of the task along with the time
deadlines.
 Due emphasis is then laid on organizing the tasks so that a certain logical
sequence is followed for efficient execution of the same. The approach also lays
due emphasis on compensating employees appropriately and training them
continuously for work efficiency.

8. Approaches to Job Design
The Job Characteristics Approach
 The Job characteristics approach was popularized by Hackman and Oldham.
 According to this approach, there is a direct relationship between job satisfaction
and rewards. They said that employees will be their productive best and
committed when they are rewarded appropriately for their work. They laid down
five core dimensions that can be used to describe any job - skill variety, task
identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback.
 Skill variety: The employees must be able to utilize all their skills and develop
new skills while dealing with a job.
 Task Identity: The extent to which an identifiable task or piece or work is
required to be done for completion of the job.
 Task Significance: How important is the job to the other people, what impact
does it create on their lives?
 Autonomy: Does the job offer freedom and independence to the individual
performing the same.
 Feedback: Feedback is necessary for improving performance.
 These are different approaches but all of them point to more or less the same
factors that need to be taken into consideration like interest, efficiency,
productivity, motivation etc. All these are crucial to effective job design.

9. Approaches to Job Design
The Efficiency Approach:
 Key goal is to maximize efficiency;
 Emphasizes standardization of production processes
 Time and motion studies
 Job specialization focused on breaking jobs down into core elements
 Repetition increased skill and speed
 Job simplification which involves removing decision-making authority from
employees and placing it with a supervisor
Motivational Approach:
 Maximizes employee’s drive to work as hard as possible
 Focuses on making jobs more interesting, challenging and complex

10. Job Analysis
 “Job Analysis” is a systematic exploration, study and recording of the
responsibilities, duties, skills, accountabilities, work environment and
ability requirements of a specific job. It also involves determining the
relative importance of the duties, responsibilities and physical and
emotional skills for a given job.
 “Job Analysis” is a systematic process of collecting the information on
nature of a job, qualities and qualifications required to a job, physical and
mental capabilities to required to a job, duties and responsibilities,
physical and mental effort required to perform a job, necessary skills
required to perform a job, working conditions and environment for a job,
in order to describe job description and job specification, for recruitment
and selection of employee, improve job satisfaction, employee safety and
to build up employee motivation etc.

11. Job Analysis Methods

12. Methods of Collecting Job Analysis
Information: The Interview
 Information sources
 Individual employees
 Groups of employees
 Supervisors with
knowledge of the job
 Advantages
 Quick, direct way to find
overlooked information.
 Disadvantages
 Distorted information
 Interview formats
 Structured (Checklist)
 Unstructured

13. Interview Guidelines
 The Job Analyst and supervisor should work together to
identify the workers who know the job best.
 Quickly establish rapport with the interviewee.
 Follow a structured guide or checklist, one that lists open-
ended questions and provides space for answers.
 Ask the worker to list his or her duties in order of
importance and frequency of occurrence.
 After completing the interview, review and verify the data.

14. Methods of Collecting Job Analysis
Information: Questionnaires
 Information source
 Have employees fill out
questionnaires to
describe their job-
related duties and
responsibilities.
 Questionnaire formats
 Structured checklists
 Opened-ended
questions
 Advantages
 Quick and efficient way
to gather information
from large numbers of
employees
 Disadvantages
 Expense and time
consumed in preparing
and testing the
questionnaire

15. Methods of Collecting Job Analysis
Information: Observation
 Information source
 Observing and noting
the physical activities of
employees as they go
about their jobs.
 Advantages
 Provides first-hand
information
 Reduces distortion of
information
 Disadvantages
 Time consuming
 Difficulty in capturing
entire job cycle
 Of little use if job
involves a high level of
mental activity.

16. Methods of Collecting Job Analysis
Information: Participant Diary/Logs
 Information source
 Workers keep a
chronological diary/ log
of what they do and the
time spent in each
activity.
 Advantages
 Produces a more
complete picture of the
job
 Employee participation
 Disadvantages
 Distortion of
information
 Depends upon
employees to accurately
recall their activities

17. Quantitative Job Analysis Techniques
 The Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)
 A questionnaire used to collect quantifiable data
concerning the duties and responsibilities of various
jobs.
 Functional job analysis
 Takes into account the extent to which instructions,
reasoning, judgment, and mathematical and verbal
ability are necessary for performing job tasks.

18. Sample Report
Based on
Department of
Labor Job Analysis
Technique
Figure 4–6

19. Writing Job Descriptions
 A job description
 A written statement of what the worker actually
does, how he or she does it, and what the job’s
working conditions are.
 Sections of a typical job description
 Job identification
 Job summary
 Responsibilities and duties
 Authority of incumbent
 Standards of performance
 Working conditions
 Job specifications

20. Sample Job
Description,
Pearson
Education
Figure 4–7a
Source: Courtesy of HR Department,
Pearson Education.

21. Sample Job
Description,
Pearson
Education
Figure 4–7b
Source: Courtesy of HR
Department, Pearson
Education.

22. “Marketing Manager” Description
from
Standard Occupational Classification
20. 11-2021 Marketing Managers
Abstract: 11-2021 Marketing Managers. Determine the demand for
products and services offered by a firm and Its competitors and
identify potential customers. Develop pricing strategies with the goal
of maximizing the firm’s profits or share of the market while
ensuring the firm’s customers are satisfied.

23. The Job Description
 Job identification
 Job title: name of job
 FLSA status section: Exempt or nonexempt
 Preparation date: when the description was written
 Prepared by: who wrote the description
 Job summary
 Describes the general nature of the job
 Lists the major functions or activities

24. The Job Description (cont’d)
 Relationships (chain of command)
 Reports to: employee’s immediate supervisor
 Supervises: employees that the job incumbent directly
supervises
 Works with: others with whom the job holder will be
expected to work and come into contact with internally.
 Outside the company: others with whom the job holder
is expected to work and come into contact with
externally.
4–24

25. The Job Description (cont’d)
 Responsibilities and duties
 A listing of the job’s major responsibilities and duties
(essential functions)
 Defines limits of jobholder’s decision-making authority,
direct supervision, and budgetary limitations.