Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Human Resource Management Chapter 2: Job Analysis and Job Design

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain

Job Analysis JA is the determination of tasks which comprise the job and of the skills, knowledge, abilities, and responsibilities required of the holder for successful job performance JA is a process of determining through observation and study, the pertinent information relating to the nature of a specific job JA should “report the job as it exists at the time of the analysis, not as it should exist, not as it existed in the past, and not as it exists in similar establishments”.

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain

Job Analysis – basis for HR activities HR activitiesRelationship with Job Analysis 1Job Definition Results in a description of duties and responsibilities and helps current job holders and their supervisors as well as prospective employees 2Job Design Indicates when a job is to be redesigned 3Recruitment Identifies the job requirements and skills needed to perform the job 4Selection & Placement Determines the importance of different skills and abilities, and helps in comparing various candidates objectively 5Orientation Clearly defines duties and responsibilities to a new employee

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Analysis and other HR activities HR activitiesRelationship with Job Analysis 6Training Specific job requirements help analyze the training needs of current and potential employees. Establishment of training objectives depends on Job Analysis. Helps identify whether a problem is occurring due to a training need or some other reason. 7Career Counseling Managers and HR specialists can only provide career counseling when they understand the job. Employees can appreciate their career options when they have better understanding of various jobs 8Employee Safety Uncovers unsafe practices and/ or environmental conditions associated with a job.

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Analysis and other HR activities HR activitiesRelationship with Job Analysis 9Performance Appraisal, Career growth Prerequisite for performance appraisal in understanding exactly what the employee is supposed to do, aides in fair evaluation, helps develop career paths. 10Compensation Determines relative size/dimensions and worth of a job by identifying its difficulty level, duties and responsibilities, skills and abilities. The worth of a job helps determine its wage.

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain

Products of Job Analysis Job Description: 1. Concentrates on describing the job as it is currently being performed 2. It explains in written form, what the job is called, what is to be done, where it is to be done, and how it is to be done 3. Most job descriptions contain sections that include the following: the job name, a brief summary description of the job, a listing of jobs and duties and responsibilities, and explanation of organizational relationships pertinent to the job

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Products of Job Analysis Job Specification: 1. Concentrates on characteristics needed to perform the job 2. It describes the competency, education, and experience qualifications the incumbent must possess to perform the job

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain

Products of Job Analysis A potential problem with all job descriptions and job specifications is that they become outdated. Often the JD and JS are not updated to reflect any changes that have occurred in the job A good practice is to have the job holder and supervisor periodically review both JD and JS and determine whether they need updating

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Analysis Methods Four of the most frequently used methods for conducting a job analysis are: 1. Observation 2. Interviews 3. Questionnaires 4. Functional Job Analyses

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Analysis Methods 1. Observation This method is used to analyze jobs that are relatively simple and straight forward Individual/s performing the job are observed and notes describing the work are taken This information includes details about what was done, how it was done, how long it took, what the job environment was like, what equipment was used, etc.

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Analysis Methods 1. Observation Motion Study: determining the most efficient way to do a task identifies the motions or movements necessary for performing a task or job and then design the most efficient ways of putting those motions and movements together

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Analysis Methods 1. Observation Time Study: The objective - to determine how long should it take an average person to perform a particular job It is the analysis of a job or task to determine the elements of work required to perform it It also determines the order in which these elements occur, and the times required to perform them effectively

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Analysis Methods 1. Observation Work Sampling: Based on taking statistical samples of job actions throughout the workday, as opposed to continuous observation of all actions Inferences can be drawn about the requirements and demands of the job

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Analysis Methods 1. Observation Observer must be carefully trained to know what to look for and what to record Application is limited to jobs involving short and repetitive cycles

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Analysis Methods 2. Interviews The person conducting the job analysis meets and interviews the jobholder Interviews can be structured with pre-designed formats or unstructured Structured interviews ensure that all pertinent aspects of the job are covered They make it easier to compare information obtained from different people holding the same job Time consuming method

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Analysis Methods 3. Questionnaires Job analysis questionnaires contain both objective and open- ended questions For existing jobs, the jobholder completes the questionnaire with feedback from supervisor, and returns to the job analyst For new jobs, questionnaire is sent to the supervisor of the new job If the job being analyzed is vacant but duplicated in another department, questionnaire is completed by the incumbent in the duplicate job One questionnaire method is to have the incumbent write an actual description of the job, subject to the approval of the immediate supervisor. The incumbent is the most knowledgeable person about the job and this method also brings out any difference in perception between the incumbent and the supervisor

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Analysis Methods 3. Questionnaires This method can obtain information from a large number of people in a short time, is usually used when a large input is need in limited time and cost Possibility exists that either the respondent or job analyst will misinterpret the information

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Analysis Methods 3. Questionnaires Position Analysis Question ( PAQ) It is a highly specialized instrument for analyzing any job in terms of employee capabilities It uses six major categories of employee activities 194 descriptors, called job elements, describe the six categories in detail Using a 5-point scale, one can analyze each description for the degree to which it applies to the job It can be used to analyze almost any kind of job, and is relatively easy to use but very lengthy

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain

Job Analysis Methods 3. Questionnaires Management Position Description Questionnaire (MPDQ) It is a highly structured questionnaire designed for analyzing managerial jobs It contains 208 items grouped under 13 categories relating to managerial responsibilities, restrictions, demands, and other miscellaneous position characteristics

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain

Job Analysis Methods 4. Functional Job Analysis The primary premises of FJA includes the following: 1. A fundamental distinction must be made between what gets done and what employees do to get things done 2. Jobs are performed in relation to data, people, and things 3. In relation to things, employees draw on physical resources; in relation to data, employees draw on mental resources; and in relation to people, employees draw from interpersonal resources 4. All jobs require employees to related data, things and people to some degree 5. Although the behavior of employees and their tasks can be described in numerous ways, only a few distinctive features are involved 6. The levels of difficulty required in dealing with data, people and things are hierarchical and can be represented by a scale

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain

Problems with Job Analysis Some of the most frequently problems associated with job analyses are: 1. Top management support is missing 2. Only a single means and source are used for gathering data 3. The supervisor and the job holder do not participate in the design of the job analyses procedure 4. Employees are not allowed sufficient time to complete the analyses 5. Activities may be distorted 6. There is a failure to critique the job

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Design Job design is the process of structuring work and designing the specific work activities of an individual or group of individuals to achieve certain organizational objectives It address the basic question of how the job is to be performed, who is to perform it, and where it is to be performed The goal of job design is to develop work assignments that : 1. Meet the requirements of the organization and the technology 2. Satisfy the personal and individual requirements of the job holder

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain

Job Design Process The job design process can generally be divided into three phases: 1. The specification of individual tasks “What Tasks” 2. The specification of the method of performing each task “How” 3. The combination of individual tasks into specific jobs to be assigned to individuals

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Design The key to successful job design is to balance the requirements of the organization and the job holder

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Scope and Job Depth Job Scope: refers to the number and variety of different tasks performed by the jobholder In job with narrow scope, the job holder performs a few different and repetitive tasks Jobs with narrow scope can result in more error and less quality

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Scope and Job Depth Job Depth: refers to the freedom of jobholders to plan and organize their own work, work at their own pace, and move around and communicate. A lack of job depth can result in job dissatisfaction It can in turn lead to tardiness, absenteeism, and even sabotage

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Scope and Job Depth Automobile Assembly Line Secretarial Work Newspaper Delivery Advertising Job Scope Job Depth

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Six approaches to Job Design 1. Socio-technical approach 2. Work Simplification 3. Job Enlargement 4. Job Rotation 5. Job Enrichment 6. Team-Based Job Designs

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Socio-technical approach to Job Design As the name suggests, both the technical system, and the accompanying social system should be considered when designing jobs According to this approach, employers should design jobs by taking a holistic, or systems, view of the entire job situation This approach integrates the technical needs of the organization with the social needs of the employees involved in decision making

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Socio-technical approach to Job Design The following guidelines use the socio-technical approach to designing jobs 1. A job needs to be reasonably demanding for the individual in terms other than sheer endurance, yet provide some variety (not necessarily novelty) 2. Employees need to be able to learn on the job and continue learning 3. Employees need some minimum decision area that they call their own 4. Employees need some minimal degree of social support and recognition in the workplace 5. Employees need to be able to relate to what they do, and what they produce to their social lives 6. Employees need to believe that the job leads to some sort of desirable future

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Work Simplification This approach assumes that work can be broken down into simple, repetitive tasks that maximize efficiency Work simplification can utilize labor effectively to produce a large amount of a standardized product Example: The automobile industry

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Enlargement and Job Rotation Both of these approaches are used reduce fatigue and boredom among workers performing simplified and highly specialized work Job Enlargement is the process of expanding a job’s duties Example: Auto workers installing carpets on the car floor also install car seats and instrument panel Job Rotation is the process of rotating workers among narrowly defined tasks without disrupting the flow of work Example: Same auto workers rotated to install tires

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Enrichment Job enrichment is the process of putting specialized tasks back together so that one person is responsible for producing the whole unit or the entire service This expands both the horizontal and vertical dimensions of a job It gives employees more opportunities for autonomy and feedback It gives them responsibilities that require decision making, scheduling work, determining work methods, and judging quality

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Team-Based Job Designs This approach focuses on giving a team, rather than an individual, a whole and meaningful piece of work to do Team members are empowered to decide how to accomplish the work Team members are cross-trained in different skills, and then rotated to do different tasks within the team

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Design and the physical work environment The physical work environment; temperature, humidity, ventilation, noise, light, color can have an impact on the design of jobs. Adverse physical conditions have a negative effect on performance. The degree of effect varies from individual to individual If employees must be exposed to less than ideal conditions, the time of exposure should be minimized

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Job Design and Alternative work schedules Alternative work schedules are being used by many firms to increase productivity and decrease cost This does not alter the work to be done, but its allocation The most common work schedules are: 1. Flexitime: allows employees to choose, within certain limits, their work hours 2. Job Sharing: where two or more part-time individuals perform a job that would normally be performed by on full-time employee 3. Condensed workweek: where the no. of hours per day is increased and no. of days a week is decreased

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain Relationship between Job Analysis and Job Design Job Analysis and Job Design are directly linked to one another In practice, most Job Analyses are performed on existing jobs that have previously been designed Existing jobs are also redesigned as a result of Job Analyses. Example: A job analysis might reveal that the current method of performing a job (the job design) is inefficient or contains unnecessary tasks.

Human Resource Management by Shah M Saad Husain