Job analysis

1.

Definition, Purpose, Process

Job Description
Job Specification
Job Design

2.
3.
4.

Job
Job
Job
Job

Enrichment
Enlargement
Rotation
Simplification

4-2

INTRODUCTION
Job analysis is the process of gathering information about a job. It is,
to be more specific, a systematic investigation of the tasks, duties
and responsibilities necessary to do a job.

4-3

Nature of job analysis

Job Tasks

Job Analysis

Job Duties

Job Responsibilities

45

Work
activities

Human
requirements

Job
context

Information
Collected Via
Job Analysis

Performance
standards

Human
behaviors

Machines, tools,
equipment, and
work aids

46

Recruitment and
Selection

Legal
Compliance

Discovering
Unassigned
Duties

Compensation

Information
Collected Via
Job Analysis

Training

Performance
Appraisal

49

Information Sources

Interview Formats

Individual employees

Structured (Checklist)

Groups of employees

Unstructured

Supervisors with
knowledge of the job

Advantages

Quick, direct way to

find overlooked
information

Disadvantages

Distorted information

410

Information Source

Have employees fill out

questionnaires to
describe their jobrelated duties and
responsibilities

Questionnaire
Formats

Structured checklists
Open-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

411

FIGURE 43
JOB ANALYSIS
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR
DEVELOPING JOB
DESCRIPTIONS

Note: Use a questionnaire

like this to interview job
incumbents, or have them
fill it out.

Source: www.hr.blr.com. Reprinted with

permission of the publisher, Business and Legal
Reports, Inc., Old Saybrook, CT

412

FIGURE 43
JOB ANALYSIS
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR
DEVELOPING JOB
DESCRIPTIONS
(CONTINUED)
Note: Use a questionnaire

like this to interview job

incumbents, or have them
fill it out.

Source: www.hr.blr.com. Reprinted with

permission of the publisher, Business and Legal
Reports, Inc., Old Saybrook, CT

413

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

414

Information Source

Workers keep a
chronological diary/ log
of what they do and
the time spent on 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

A relatively small set of behavior is

common to all jobs
All jobs can be described in terms of
how much they involve each of this
behavior.

Developed by Dr. Ernest J. McCormick*and

associates at Purdue University, the position
analysis questionnaire is a structured job
analysis questionnaire containing 194 items
called job elements.

The items are organized into six divisions:

(1) information input
(2) mental processes
(3) work output (physical activities and
tools)
(4) relationships with others
(5) job context (the physical and social
environment)
(6) other job characteristics (such as pace
and structure)

417

FIGURE 45
PORTION OF A
COMPLETED PAGE
FROM THE POSITION
ANALYSIS
The
194 PAQ
QUESTIONNAIRE

elements are grouped

into six dimensions.
This exhibits 11 of the
information input
questions or elements.
Other PAQ pages
contain questions
regarding mental
processes, work
output, relationships
with others, job
context, and other job
characteristics.

Source: www.ncf.edu/humanresources/documents/
A&P%20Final.doc. Accessed May 10, 2007.

Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) prepared by US Department of Labor.

Critical Incident Technique (CIT)

CIT is an interview technique used to investigate actual incidences of on-thejob behaviour.
Management Position Description Questionnaire
It is a standardized questionnaire designed to analyse managerial and
executive jobs.
Work Profiling System
It contains a structured questionnaire which measures ability and personality
attributes in areas such as hearing skills, sight, taste, smell, touch, body
coordination, verbal skills, number skills, complex management skills,
personality and team role.

420

FIGURE 4
7
SELECTED
O*NET
GENERAL
WORK
ACTIVITIE
S

4-20

Job Description And Job Specification

The end products of job analysis are:
Job description: this is a written statement of what the job holder
does, how it is done, under what conditions it is done and why it is
done.

422

Job
Identification

Job
Summary

Job
Specifications

Sections of a
Typical Job
Description

Working
Conditions

Standards of
Performance

Responsibilities
and Duties

Authority of the
Incumbent

423

Job Identification

Job title
Preparation date
Preparer

General nature of the job

Major functions/activities

Relationships
Reports to:
Supervises:
Works with:
Outside the company:

Responsibilities and
Duties

Job Summary

Major responsibilities and

duties (essential
functions)
Decision-making authority
Direct supervision
Budgetary limitations

Standards of
Performance and
Working Conditions

What it takes to do the job

successfully

424

FIGURE 4
8 SAMPLE
JOB
DESCRIPT
ION,
PEARSON
EDUCATIO
N

425

FIGURE 4
8 SAMPLE
JOB
DESCRIPT
ION,
PEARSON
EDUCATIO
N
(CONTINU
ED)

4-21

Title

Compensation manager

Code

HR/2310

Department

Human Resource Department

Summary
Responsible for the design and administration of employee
compensation programmes.
Duties

Conduct job analysis.

Prepare job descriptions for current and projected

positions.

Evaluate job descriptions and act as Chairman of Job

Evaluation Committee.

Insure that companys compensation rates are in tune with

the companys philosophy.
Cont

4-22

Relate salary to the performance of each employee.

Conduct periodic salary surveys.
Develop and administer performance appraisal
programme.
Develop and oversee bonus and other employee
benefit plans.
Develop an integrated HR information system.
Working conditions

Normal. Eight hours per day. Five days a week.

Report to

Director, Human Resource Department.

428

Source: O*Net is a trademark of

the U.S. Department of Labor,
Employment and Training
Administration. Reprinted by
permission of O*Net.

O*NET Online

429

TABLE 42

SOC MAJOR GROUPS OF JOBS

11-0000

Management Occupations

13-0000

Business and Financial Operations Occupations

15-0000

Computer and Mathematical Occupations

17-0000

Architecture and Engineering Occupations

19-0000

Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

21-0000

Community and Social Services Occupations

23-0000

Legal Occupations

25-0000

Education, Training, and Library Occupations

27-0000

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

29-0000

Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

31-0000

Healthcare Support Occupations

33-0000

Protective Service Occupations

35-0000

Food Preparation and Serving-Related Occupations

37-0000

Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations

39-0000

Personal Care and Service Occupations

41-0000

Sales and Related Occupations

43-0000

Office and Administrative Support Occupations

45-0000

Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations

47-0000

Construction and Extraction Occupations

49-0000

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations

51-0000

Production Occupations

53-0000

Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

55-0000

Military Specific Occupations

Note: Within these major

groups are 96 minor groups,
449 broad occupations, and
821 detailed occupations.

430

FIGURE 410
PRELIMINAR
Y JOB
DESCRIPTIO
N
QUESTIONN
AIRE

Source: Reprinted from

www.hr.blr.com with the
permission of the publisher,
Business and Legal Reports, Inc.,
Old Saybrook, CT 2004.

431

What traits and

experience are required
to do this job well?

Specifications for
Trained Versus
Untrained
Personnel

Specifications
Based on
Judgment

Specifications
Based on
Statistical
Analysis

432

Steps in the Statistical Approach

Analyze the job and decide how to measure job

performance.

Select personal traits that you believe should

predict successful performance.

Test candidates for these traits.

Measure the candidates subsequent job

performance.

Statistically analyze the relationship between the

human traits and job performance.

4-23

Specimen of job specification

Education

MBA with specialisation in HRM/MA in social work/PG

Diploma in HRM/MA in industrial psychology.
A degree or diploma in Labour Laws is desirable.

Experience

At least 3 years experience in a similar position in a large

manufacturing company.

Skill, Knowledge, Abilities

Knowledge of compensation practices in competing

industries, of job analysis procedures, of compensation
survey techniques, of performance appraisal systems.
Skill in writing job descriptions, in conducting job analysis
interviews, in making group presentations, in performing
statistical computations
Ability to conduct meetings, to plan and prioritise work.

Work Orientation Factors

The position may require upto 15 per cent travel.

Age

Preferably below 30 years.

Job design is the process of Work

arrangement (or rearrangement) aimed
at
reducing
or
overcoming
job
dissatisfaction and employee alienation
arising from repetitive and mechanistic
tasks.

To meet the organizational

requirements such as higher
productivity, operational efficiency,
quality of product/service etc. and
To satisfy the needs of the individual
employees like interests,
challenges, achievement or
accomplishment, etc.

Boredom
Increased turnover
Reduced motivation
Low levels of job satisfaction
Less than optimal productivity
Increase in organizational costs
Accidents

Work Simplification
Job Rotation
Job Enlargement
Job Enrichment

This requires that jobs be broken down into their smallest

units and then analyzed. Each resulting subunit typically
consists of relatively few operations. These subunits are then
assigned to workers as their total job. This is done so that
employees can do these jobs without much specialized
training. Many
small jobs can also be performed
simultaneously, so that the complete operation can be done
more quickly. Time and motion studies are often used for
work simplification

Requires less training

Less costly unskilled labour
Increase in speed

It involves the addition to or expansion of tasks

in the job and job becomes a meaningful
operation.( opposite of simplification)
It is the strategy adopted by many organizations
to combat the ill-effects of division of labour.
Its focus is on enlarging the contents of jobs by
adding tasks and responsibilities.

It is a direct outgrowth of Herzbergs

Two Factor Theory of Motivation.
It is therefore based on the assumption
that in order to motivate personnel,
the job itself must provide
opportunities for achievement,
recognition, responsibility,
advancement and growth.

It involves the vertical expansion of jobs by

increasing the amount of worker responsibilities
associated with the positions.
E.g. a worker who previously only loaded boxes
for delivery into a trailer may be given the
responsibility of verifying that the customer
order is correct.

It motivates employees to perform better

Improves qulaity of work
Increases employee morale
Employee satisfaction
Reduces boredom, monotony and dissatisfaction
Time management
More commitment

This refers to the movement of an

employee from one job to the another over
a designated period of time.
Jobs themselves are not actually changed,
only the employees are rotated among
various jobs.
An employee who works on another job for
some days or months and returns back to
the first job.

This would relieve the employee from

boredom and monotony, improves
the employees skills regarding
various jobs and prepares the
employee to meet the contingencies.
This is also intended to improve
workers self-image and provides
personal growth.

4-26

A close look at the jobs inside

Indias best work places
Sasken Communication Technologies: Employees enjoy considerable freedom
to think and innovate and work in their own style. There is absolutely no
monitoring of anybody. There are no attendance registers and there is no limit on sick
leaves. Every employee is trusted and management is transparent. There is
no
perk that CEO Rajiv Mody enjoys that a junior employee does not.

Hughes Software Systems: HSS makes sure that all its employees get
interesting breaks - these may take the shape of personality development
programmes, cricket matches, literature clubs, or adventure activities. One of the
employees even commented "If I don't like my boss, I can change my section."

Monsanto India: Monsanto India is a flat organisation (three to four levels). Even
these levels are often cut short through an open culture. Everyone sits in an open
office. The workstations are the some size. The travel allowances are the same so
are the refreshments of course it sets stiff targets for employees, but trains them
with a rare rigour so that they get a fair shot at those. People identified as future
leaders are rolled over challenging positions.
Cont

4-27

A close look at the jobs inside

Indias best work places

Cadbury India: Fun is serious business at Cadbury India. The HR manager's

statement sums up the company's philosophy: We believe that the day you stop
enjoying work is the day you stop contributing. We make people stretch: but we
make them stretch with a smile." The company firmly believes that a smile a day
keeps the market blues away.

Philips Software Centre: The company's office in Bangalore, employees could

have all the comforts in the world: a variety of cuisines, a creche, a gymnasium,
bunker beds for naps, gym instructor, doctor, psychological counsellor, a dietician.
It is a whole new world of work, play, study and rest. Not surprisingly, senior
executives remain glued to their seats even after office hours. The company had to
come out with an order recently stating that nobody should stay in the office after 9 p.m.
without sufficient reason!