Human Resource Management

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Questions and Answers

What is the purpose of job analysis?

The procedure for determining the duties and skill requirements of a job and the kind of person who should be hired for it.

What is a job description?

A list of a job's duties, responsibilities, reporting relationships, working conditions, and supervisory responsibilities.

What is a job specification?

A list of a job's human requirements, that is, the requisite education, skills, personality, and so on.

Which of the following is NOT a type of information collected during job analysis?

Financial statements Signup and view all the answers

What are some uses of job analysis information?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

A process chart is a type of organization chart.

False Signup and view all the answers

Which method of collecting job analysis information is considered the quickest and most direct way to find overlooked information?

Interviews Signup and view all the answers

Which method of collecting job analysis information is the most time-consuming?

Observation Signup and view all the answers

What is a key challenge associated with using participant diaries/logs for job analysis?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

Describe the purpose of a job summary.

Describes the general nature of the job and lists the major functions or activities. Signup and view all the answers

What does the 'reports to' section of a job description indicate?

The employee's immediate supervisor. Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of a job description defines the limits of a jobholder's decision-making authority, direct supervision, and budgetary limitations?

Responsibilities and duties. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of job specifications for trained personnel?

Traits like length of previous service, quality of relevant training, and previous job performance. Signup and view all the answers

What is the general definition of a 'job'?

A set of closely related activities carried out for pay. Signup and view all the answers

What is the core principle of job enlargement?

Assigning workers additional same level activities to increase the number of activities they perform. Signup and view all the answers

What two primary purposes does job rotation serve?

Broadening trainee experience and enhancing work team performance Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Human Resource Management - Job Analysis

Job analysis is a procedure for determining the duties and required skills for a job, and the type of person suitable for that role.
Job descriptions list duties, responsibilities, reporting relationships, working conditions, and supervisory responsibilities.
Job specifications list the "human requirements" for a job, encompassing education, skills, personality, etc.
Job analysis information is used for recruitment, selection, compensation, performance appraisal, training, identifying unassigned duties, and ensuring compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) regulations.
A job analysis involves stages: deciding how you'll use the information, reviewing prior background information, selecting representative positions, performing the job analysis, verifying information, and creating a job description and specifications.
Tools for charting an organization include organization charts (showing work distribution, reporting structure, and communication) and process charts (showing the flow of inputs and outputs in a job).
Methods for gathering job analysis information include interviews (structured or unstructured), questionnaires (structured checklists or open-ended questions), observation (of employee activities), and participant diaries/logs (tracking activities and time).
Interview guidelines include collaboration with supervisors, establishing rapport, utilizing structured guides, requesting duties in order of importance/frequency, and verifying collected data.

Job Analysis Information: Interview

Information sources: individual employees, groups of employees, supervisors with job knowledge
Advantages: a quick and direct approach for accessing information.
Disadvantages: potential distortion of information.
Formats: structured (checklist), unstructured.

Job Analysis Information: Questionnaires

Information source: employees completing questionnaires about job duties and responsibilities.
Formats: structured checklists, open-ended questions.
Advantages: efficient way to collect information from many employees.
Disadvantages: costly and time-consuming to create and test.

Job Analysis Information: Observation

Source: observing the physical activities of employees.
Advantages: provides first-hand information, reduces distortion.
Disadvantages: time-consuming, difficult to capture entire job cycle, ineffective for jobs with high levels of mental activity.

Job Analysis Information: Participant Diary/Logs

Source: employees keeping a chronological record of tasks and time spent on each activity.
Advantages: comprehensive picture of the job, promotes employee input.
Disadvantages: potential distortion of information, reliance on accurate recall.

Writing Job Descriptions

A job description is a written account of an employee's activities, how they execute their tasks, and the working conditions.
Sections of a typical job description: Job Identification (title, status, code, date, preparer), Job Summary (general nature & major functions), Responsibilities and Duties, Authority of Incumbent, Standards of Performance, Working Conditions, Job Specifications.

The Job Description (cont'd)

Job Identification: job title, status, job code, preparation date, preparer.
Job Summary: description of the job's general nature and major functions.
Relationships (chain of command): identifies reports-to, supervises, works-with (internal and external).
Responsibilities and Duties: a listing of major responsibilities and duties (essential functions).
Standards of Performance and Working Conditions: lists standards employees are expected to achieve.

Writing Job Specifications

Trained personnel: focus on previous service length, training quality, and past job performance.
Untrained personnel: focus on physical traits, personality, interests, and sensory skills.

Job Analysis in a "Jobless" World

Job is a set of closely related activities done for pay.

Job Design Options

Job enlargement - assigning workers more tasks at the same level.
Job enrichment - redesigning jobs to enhance worker responsibilities, fostering feelings of achievement and recognition.
Job rotation - moving trainees between departments to gain experience and identify strengths/weaknesses, preparation for enhanced roles, enhancing work team performance.

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Description

This quiz covers the essential aspects of job analysis within human resource management. Learn about job descriptions, specifications, and the importance of these documents in recruitment and compliance. Understand the stages and tools involved in effectively conducting a job analysis.