Human Resource Management - Job Analysis

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.