2. 1. Define the terms job analysis, job description, and job
specification.
2. Examine how job analysis is used to inform an
organization's HRM practices.
3. Compare four methods used to collect job analysis
information.
4. Analyze occupational data available from the
Occupational Information Network.
5. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the
mechanistic and motivational approaches to job design.
6. Describe why competencies are becoming more popular
with some organizations.
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3. Organizations evolved because
• The mission and objectives of most institutions are
too large for any one person to accomplish
There must be a systematic way to
determine which employees should
perform which tasks
• The cornerstone of an organization is the set of
jobs performed by its employees
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4. Job analysis: a purposeful, systematic process for
collecting information on the important work-related
aspects of a job
Job description: the principal product of a job analysis.
It represents a written summary of the job as an identifiable
organizational unit
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5. Job specification: a written explanation of the
knowledge, skills, abilities, traits, and other
characteristics (KSAOs) necessary for effective
performance on a given job
Tasks: Coordinated and aggregated series of work
elements used to produce an output
Position: the responsibilities and duties performed by an
individual. There are as many positions in an
organization as there are employees
Job: group of positions that are similar in their duties,
such as computer programmer
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7. The data
collected is the
foundation for
other HRM
activities
Recruitment Job design/
redesign
Selection Compensation
Training Performance
evaluation
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Strategic
Planing
8. Job analysis uses
1. Recruitment and
selection
2. Training & career
development
3. Compensation
4. Strategic planning
To minimize
resistance…
1. Communicate
why job analysis
is important
2. Explain how the
information will
be used
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9. There may no longer be a choice about whether job
analysis should be conducted
Plays an important role in the Uniform Guidelines on Employee
Selection Procedures
A set of policies designed to minimize or prevent workplace
discrimination practices
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Yield a thorough, clear job description
Allow accurate assessment of the knowledge, skills,
abilities, and KSAOs required by the job
Assess the frequency & importance of job behaviors
Determine the KSAOs important for each job duty
10. Decided during the planning process
Use supervisors,
job incumbents,
or both
Hire a temporary
analyst from the
outside
Employ a full-time
job analyst
Strengths and weaknesses
Incumbents have
a hard time being
objective
Incumbents know
what work is
actually being
done
Involvement may
increase
acceptance of
work changes
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11. Affects choice of analyst Selected person should…
Location and
complexity of the jobs
How receptive
incumbents are to
an external analyst
The ultimate purpose
of the analysis
Thoroughly
understand people,
jobs, and the total
organization system
Understand how work
should flow within the
organization
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12. Number of functional departments
An overview of the organization
and its jobs is required
Before beginning job
analysis…
An organization chart
presents the
relationships among
departments and units
of the firm, as well as
Formal reporting relationships
Number of vertical organizational levels
Line and staff functions
Provides understanding of work flow
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13. Studied in terms of tasks completed
(job-oriented analysis)
Collected
Incumbent diaries or logs
Observation
Interview
Job data
collection
data
In each
method, job
information
is…
Questionnaires
Analyzed in terms of behaviors
(work-oriented)
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14. Provides a thorough picture
of the job, job duties, and
requirements
Collect information from a
variety of incumbents
The job analysis information format (JAIF)
provides core information for any job analysis
method
Incumbents and supervisors may not
view a job in the same way
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15. Interviews should not be the sole
data collection method
Certain methods may be better
for a given situation
There is no agreement
about which method of
job analysis yields the
best information
The purpose of the analysis
Time and budget constraints
Most organizations
base their choice on…
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16. Many organizations use multimethod job
analysis
• The analyst interviews incumbents and supervisors in
conjunction with on-site observation
• A task survey based on expert judgments is
constructed and administered
• A statistical analysis of the responses is conducted
A comprehensive process is relatively
expensive and time-consuming
• The quality of information derived from a compre-
hensive approach is strongly endorsed by courts
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17. The job description is one of the primary outputs of a
systematic job analysis
• It is a written description of what the job entails
• It is hard to over-emphasize how important thorough, accurate,
and current job descriptions are
Changes in recent years have increased the need for job
descriptions
• Massive organizational restructurings
• Need for new, creative ways to motivate and reward workers
• Accelerated rate at which technology is changing work
environments
• New, more stringent regulation of employment practices
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19. Each skill
identified
must be
linked to a
job task
Job tasks must be
identified and rated in
terms of importance, using
sound analysis techniques
Experts, incumbents, or
supervisors should specify
the skills needed to
perform job tasks
The
importance
of each skill
must be
rated
Any other characteristics
necessary for performing the job
should be identified
(physical requirements,
professional certification)
R. J. Harvey’s guidelines for choosing the characteristics
included on a job specification
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20. Functional areas are not as important as
they once were for defining a job
The fundamental nature of work may be changing
Reengineering is likely in most organizations
Job analysts create descriptions of jobs as they currently
exist; they must also describe future jobs
Organizations must continually adapt to changing
business environments
After reengineering of processes, new job
responsibilities may be poorly defined
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21. Job descriptions will no longer be snapshots of a static job
Strategic job analysis will have to capture
both the present and the future
Job specifications must accurately detail the knowledge and
skills that will complement future strategic initiatives
There is a growing need to match human resource
activities to an organization’s strategic planning
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22. Compounding the problems of
reengineering, many companies
offer employees:
• Compressed work schedules
• Telecommuting
• Job sharing
• Flexible hours
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23. Competencies are general attributes
employees need across multiple jobs
or within the organization
• Includes anything from “teamwork” to
“leadership potential”
• Many organizations identify, communicate, and
reward competencies they believe employees
should have
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24. Competency modeling reflects an organization’s
desire to…
Communicate job
requirements in
ways that extend
beyond the job
itself
Describe and
measure the
organization’s
workforce in
general,
competency-
based terms
Design and
implement staffing
programs around
competencies,
rather than jobs,
to increase
staffing flexibility
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25. Job descriptions and specifications can be
used for designing or redesigning jobs
There is no one best way to design a job
The choice of job design involves trade-offs based on the
critical needs of the organization
Different situations call for different arrangements
of job characteristics
Different emphasis may be placed on performance
and satisfaction as desired outcomes
A single approach is unlikely to satisfy
all a manager’s goals
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27. The work of every workman is fully planned out by management
at least one day in advance
Each man receives complete written instructions
Job design was a central issue in F. W. Taylor’s
model of scientific management
The instructions specify what is to be done, how it is to be done,
and the time allowed for doing it
The goal was to break jobs into simple, repetitive tasks
that could be done quickly and efficiently
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28. Recommendations
from scientific
management
Work should be studied scientifically
It should be arranged so workers
can be efficient
Employees should be matched
to the demands of the job
They should be trained to
perform the job
Monetary compensation should be
tied directly to performance
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29. Managers like scientific management
because the goal is improving performance
• Repetitive, highly specialized work can lead to
employee dissatisfaction
• Efficiency gains may be offset by lower job
satisfaction, higher absenteeism, and turnover
Job enlargement tries to increase
satisfaction by giving employees a greater
variety of things to do
• They are not additional authority or responsibility
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30. Job enrichment tries to design jobs in ways
that help incumbents satisfy their need for:
• Growth
• Recognition
• Responsibility
The job is expanded vertically
• Employees are given responsibility that might previously have
been part of a supervisor’s job
According to Herzberg, employees are
motivated by jobs that enhance their feelings
of self-worth
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33. Work-family tension is
driven by changing
workforce
demographics
1. Women and single
parents entering the
workforce
2. Dual-career couples
3. The aging population
Some organizations
meet employees’
needs through flexible
work arrangements
1. Job sharing
2. Flextime
3. Telecommuting
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34. Benefits of family-
friendly arrangements:
• Higher recruitment
and retention rates
• Improved morale
• Lower absenteeism
and tardiness
• Higher employee
productivity
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35. The success of job sharing depends on:
• Identifying jobs that can be shared
• Understanding employees’ individual sharing style
• Matching “partners” who have complementary
scheduling needs and skills
With flextime, employees can choose
when to be at the office
• 5 days/8 hours
• 4 days/10 hours
• Arrive later on Monday, leave earlier on Friday
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36. Telecommuting allows
employees to work
at home part- or full-time
• Communication is through
phone, fax, computer
• Often resisted by managers who
fear loss of control and
subordinate accessibility
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37. Issues to consider when developing and
implementing flexible work options
Open the program to all employees
Train/reward managers for encouraging
subordinates to use flextime
Be mindful of laws that impact flexible
work arrangement policies
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38. U.S. firms are
using self-directed
work teams and
reengineering
work processes to
regain a
competitive
advantage
Self-directed
teams have
become important
in the success of
manufacturers
worldwide
Reengineering
cannot succeed
unless attention is
paid to how
employees’ skills
are affected
In the 1980s and 1990s, European and Asian
firms embraced the quality management
movement
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39. 1. Define the terms job analysis, job description, and job
specification.
2. Examine how job analysis is used to inform an
organization's HRM practices.
3. Compare four methods used to collect job analysis
information.
4. Analyze occupational data available from the
Occupational Information Network.
5. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the
mechanistic and motivational approaches to job design.
6. Describe why competencies are becoming more popular
with some organizations.
6-39
