Job Design PDF

**JOB DESIGN** Job design means deciding the contents of a job. It fixes the duties and responsibilities of the job, the methods of doing the job, and the relationships between the job holder (manager) and his superiors, subordinates, and colleagues. According to Michael Armstrong, "Job Design is...

**JOB DESIGN** Job design means deciding the contents of a job. It fixes the duties and responsibilities of the job, the methods of doing the job, and the relationships between the job holder (manager) and his superiors, subordinates, and colleagues. According to Michael Armstrong, "Job Design is the process of deciding on the contents of a job in terms of its duties and responsibilities, on the methods to be used in carrying out the job, in terms of techniques, systems and procedures, and on the relationships that should exist between the job holder and his superior subordinates and colleagues." Job design refers to how a set of tasks, or an entire job, is organized. Job design helps to determine: - what tasks are done, - how the tasks are done, - how many tasks are done and - In what order the tasks are done. **Factors affecting Job design** Job Design is affected by three categories of factors: 1. **Organizational Factors:** The organizational factors that affect job design are characteristics of task, work flow, ergonomics and work practices. **Characteristic of task:** Each task consists of 3 elements, namely, planning, executing and controlling. Job design involves the assembly of a number of tasks into a job or a group of jobs. A job may require an employee to perform a variety of connected task. All these characteristics of jobs are taken into consideration for job design. **Workflow:** The flow of work in an organization is strongly influenced by the nature of the product. This product usually suggests the sequence and balance between jobs if the work is to be completed efficiently. **Ergonomics:** Ergonomics is concerned with the designing and shaping of jobs as per the physical abilities and characteristics of individuals so that they can perform their jobs effectively. **Work Practices:** Work practices are the set methods of performing work. This can affect the job design as there is little flexibility in designing the job especially if the work practices are approved by employee unions. 2. **Environmental Factors:** Environmental factors affect job design. Environmental factors include employee abilities & availability and Social & Cultural expectations. **Employee Abilities & Availability:** Abilities and availability of people plays an important role while designing jobs. Due attention needs to be given to the employee who will actually perform the job. **Social And Cultural Expectations**: Jobs should be designed keeping the employees in mind. Due to increase in literacy rate and knowledge, employees are now more aware and only perform jobs that are to their liking and match their profile. 3. **Behavioral Factors:** Behavioral factors are related to human needs and they need to be satisfied properly. Behavioral elements include the following: **Feedback:** Employee should be given proper feedback about his job performance. This will enable the employee to improve his performance and complete the job in a proper manner. **Autonomy**: Employee should be given proper autonomy required to perform the work. The absence of autonomy may lead to poor performance on the part of employees. **Use of Abilities**: The job should be designed in such a manner that an employee will be able to use his abilities fully and perform the job effectively. **Variety:** Absence of variety in the job assigned may lead to boredom. Adequate scope to variety factor should be given while designing a job. **Techniques of Job Design** 1. Job Simplification. 2. Job Rotation. 3. Job Enlargement. 4. Job Enrichment. 5. Job Reengineering. **1. Job Simplification** Job is simplified or specialized. The job is broken down into small parts, and each part is assigned to an individual. To be more specific, work simplification is mechanical pacing of work, repetitive work processes, working only on one part of a product, predetermining tools and techniques, restricting interaction amongst employees, few skills requirements. Work simplification is used when jobs are not specialized. **2. Job Rotation** Job rotation means systematically moving workers from one job to another. When incumbents become bored with routine jobs, job rotation is an answer to it. Here jobs remain unchanged, but the incumbents shift from one job to another. On the positive side, it increases the intrinsic reward potential of a job because of the different skills and abilities needed to perform it. Workers become more competent in several jobs, know various jobs, and improve the self-image and personal growth. Further, the worker becomes more valuable to the organization. On the negative side, it may not be much enthusiastic, or efficiency may not be more. Besides, jobs may not improve the relationships between tasks, while activities and objectives remain unchanged. Further training costs also rise, and it can also de-motivate intelligent and ambitious trainees who seek specific responsibilities in their chosen specialties. **Objectives of Job Rotation** The main objectives of the job rotation are listed below- 1. **Reduction in monotony:** Key objective of job rotation is to reduce the repetitiveness in the job profile of the employee. It provides opportunity to the employee to work on different position. It is a motivational tool to enhance job satisfaction. 2. **Succession Planning:** Job rotation develops a pool of employees who can replace the existing working employees of the organization. It provides an immediate replacement for the high profile employees working the organization through internal promotion. 3. **Right Job fit: **The objective of the job rotation is to place a right employee at right job in the organization. Fitting right employee in right vacancy is the aim of the job rotation program. 4. **Exposure to all the verticals:** Due to job rotation the employee get brief idea about how things work in the organization. It provides basic knowledge about the operations of the organization and makes the employee aware about their contribution in the outcome of the organization. 5. **Improve the employee skills and competencies:** Job rotation actually tests the different skills and competencies of the employees. Due to exposure to diverse work profiles the skills of the employees gets sharpened and it increases their productivity. 6. **Develop a Wider Range of Work Experience: **Job rotation enrich the work experience of the employees. It prepares them for the future challenges and helps them to adapt as per the changes in the market. **Types of Job Rotation Process Used** There are two types of job rotation based on the way the job profile of the employee is changed by the organization. 1. **Task rotation**- The employees who are working on mentally stressful job or physically demanding job are usually given a task rotation. In such cases the employees are shifted from stressful job to less demanding job to provide a break from routine work. 2. **Position rotation**- In the case of position rotation the designation, location or department of the employee is changed by the organization. This provides an opportunity to the employee to gain different skills, knowledge and new work perspectives. Further this has two types namely cross functional rotation and function rotation. During function rotation the responsibilities and area of operation of employee remains same. While under cross functional rotation the level and **[job responsibilities](https://www.hrhelpboard.com/performance-management/job-desciption.htm) **of the employee are changed. **3. Job Enlargement** Job enlargement means assigning workers additional same-level activities. Job enlargement changes the jobs to include more and/or different tasks. It means expanding the number of tasks or duties assigned to a given job. Job enlargement is naturally opposite to work simplification. Adding more tasks or duties to a job does not mean that new skills and abilities are needed. There is only horizontal expansion. It is with the same skills taking additional responsibilities like extending working hours etc. Job enlargement may involve breaking up the existing work system and redesigning a new work system. **Benefits of Job Enlargement** The following are the major benefits of Job enlargement 1. **Reduced Monotony:** Howsoever interesting the job may appear in the beginning, sooner or later people complain of boredom and monotony. Job enlargement if planned carefully can help reduce boredom and make it more satisfying and fulfilling for the employees. 2. **Increased Work Flexibility:** There is an addition to the number of tasks an individual performs. There is thus an increased scope of carrying out tasks that are versatile and yet very similar in certain aspects. 3. **No Skills Training Required:** Since the individual has already been performing the task in the past, there is no great requirement for imparting of new skills. However people and time management interventions may be required. The job thus gets more motivational for the one performing it. 4. **Creating a wider range of activities**. In essence, job enlargement is about adding responsibilities to existing roles. This makes the job more varied, creating a wider range of activities. 5. **Teaches a variety of skills and helping career growth**. Additional job responsibilities require training and help in building additional experience. This teaches employees additional skills and is helpful in terms of career growth. 6. **Earn a higher wage**. Adding responsibilities to a role often results in better compensation. Higher wages are a specific benefit for the employee. 7. **Gives more autonomy, accountability, and responsibility**. The additional responsibilities lead to a number of motivational factors. Because the person is now responsible for multiple related activities, the person has more freedom over how they do their work leading to more autonomy. In addition, they are more accountable for mistakes and product quality as they experience more ownership and responsibility as they have more interaction with a single product or service (compared to when they were specialized) **4. Job Enrichment** Job enrichment is the improvisation of both task efficiency and human satisfaction by building into people's jobs, specifically, greater scope for personal achievement and recognition, more challenging and responsible work, and more opportunity for individual advancement and growth. An enriched job will have more responsibility, more autonomy (vertical enrichment), more variety of tasks (horizontal enrichment), and more growth opportunities. The employee does more planning and controlling with less supervision but more self-evaluation. **Herzberg Focused on Eight Characteristics of Job Enrichment:** **(1) Direct Feedback**- An employee can easily get the feedback of what he has achieved? What is the result of his work done? **2) Client Relationship-** In an enriched job, an employee develops direct relationship with his client or customer. Such client may be either inside or outside the organization. **(3) New Learning-** An enriched job allows an employee to feel that he is growing mentally. Such employee always learns something new on the job. **(4) Scheduling Own Work-** Full freedom is given to the employee to schedule for his own work, contributes to enrichment of job. In case of employees who perform creative or some outstanding work, opportunity should be given to them to schedule their assignment then to the employees performing routine jobs. **(5) Unique Experience-** An enriched job has some unique qualities and features which ultimately results in unique in doing a job. **(6) Control over Resources-** Every employee have to control his resources and expenses, contributes to job enrichment. He is having authority to order whatever supplies he required for performing a job. **(7) Direct Communication Authority**- Job enrichment allows the worker to contact directly with the people or customers who are the user of his product. Therefore he is able to get the feedback of the users about his output / product. **Job Enrichment -- Purpose** 1\. Increasing the responsibility of the job by adding different tasks. 2\. Giving a natural unit of work to an employee. 3\. Allowing employees to set their own standards. 4\. Providing the freedom of work by minimizing control. 5\. Introducing new, innovative, tough and creative tasks to the employees. 6\. Encouraging employee participation in planning and decision making process. 7\. Making or holding an employee directly responsible for his performance in the organization. **Approaches to Job Design** **Human Approach** The human approach of job design laid emphasis on designing a job around the people or employees and not around the organizational processes. In other words it recognizes the need of designing jobs that are rewarding (financially and otherwise) and interesting at the same time. According to this approach jobs should gratify an individual's need for recognition, respect, growth and responsibility. Job enrichment as popularized by Herzberg's research is one the ways in human approach of job design. Herzberg classified these factors into two categories - the hygiene factors and the motivators. Motivators include factors like achievement, work nature, responsibility, learning and growth etc that can motivate an individual to perform better at the work place. Hygiene factor on the other hand include things like working conditions, organizational policies, salary etc that may not motivate directly but the absence of which can lead to dissatisfaction at the work place. **Engineering Approach** The engineering approach was devised by FW Taylors et al. They introduced the idea of the task that gained prominence in due course of time. According to this approach the work or task of each employee is planned by the management a day in advance. The instructions for the same are sent to each employee describing the tasks to e undertaken in detail. The details include things like what, how and when of the task along with the time deadlines. The approach is based on the application of scientific principles to job design. Work, according to this approach should be scientifically analyzed and fragmented into logical tasks. Due emphasis is then laid on organizing the tasks so that a certain logical sequence is followed for efficient execution of the same. The approach also lays due emphasis on compensating employees appropriately and training them continuously for work efficiency. **The Job Characteristics Approach** The job characteristics approach was popularized by Hackman and Oldham. According to this approach there is a direct relationship between job satisfaction and rewards. They said that employees will be their productive best and committed when they are rewarded appropriately for their work. They laid down five core dimensions that can be used to describe any job - skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback. - **Skill variety:** The employees must be able to utilize all their skills and develop new skills while dealing with a job. - **Task Identity:** The extent to which an identifiable task or piece or work is required to be done for completion of the job. - **Task Significance:** How important is the job to the other people, what impact does it create on their lives? - **Autonomy:** Does the job offer freedom and independence to the individual performing the same. - **Feedback:** Is feedback necessary for improving performance. **Job analysis** Job analysis is a process of collecting information relating to the operations and responsibilities of a specific job. According to S.P. Robbins & D.A. De Cenzo, "Job analysis is the systematic exploration of activities within a job. It is a basic technical procedure. One that is used to define the duties, responsibilities and accountabilities of a job." Thus what is seen is that the process of job analysis results in two types of data: (i) job description, and (ii) job specification. Job description is all about the tasks and responsibilities in a job, the duties, machines or tools, working conditions and associated hazards of a job. Job specification, on the other hand, gives the detailed capabilities of the job-holder for doing a job in terms of education, training, experience, judgement and skills  **Contents of Job Analysis** The data from job analysis would be used for variety of purpose. The Job analysis study attempts to provide information in seven basic areas. They are as follows : **1. Job Identification**: It includes the job title including the code number, if any. **2. Distinctive or Significant Character of the job:** It includes location of the job, supervision, hazards and discomfort etc. **3. Duties and responsibilities of the workers:** It includes the specific operation and tasks relating to timing and importance, responsibilities for others, for property, for funds etc. **4. Materials and equipments the worker uses:** It includes analysis of materials and equipments used by worker like metals, plastics, yarn, electronic machine, computer etc. **5. How the job is performed:** Here emphasis is given on the nature of operations and may specify such operations as handling, feeding, removing, drilling, drawing and many others. **6. Required Personal Qualities**: It includes experience, training, physical strength, mental capabilities, aptitude, social skills etc. **7. Job Relationship:** It includes analysis of the opportunities for advancement, pattern of promotion, essential co-operation etc. **[Purposes of Job Analysis:]**                          Job analysis obtains information about jobs, and it uses that information to develop job description and job specification and to conduct job evaluation. So the purposes of the job analysis are concluded below: **[1) Job Description:]** Job description is the written documents regarding the duties, responsibilities and accountabilities of a specific job. It provides the actual framework of what a jobholder does, how it is done and why it is done. It leads to the better understanding on a specific, regarding the job content, duties, job environment etc. Generally job description contains job identification( function and activities) Job summary, relationship, responsibilities and duties, Authority, Machine equipment and tools to accomplish the job and working condition and environment. Contents of Job Description Statement 1\. Job Title: It explains the title of the job. It means, what the particular job is all about is identified under this content 2\. Job Location: It refers to the name of the department where the job under consideration exists in the organization. Contents of Job Description Statement 1\. Job Title: It explains the title of the job. It means, what the particular job is all about is identified under this content 2\. Job Location: It refers to the name of the department where the job under consideration exists in the organization.  **[2) Job specification:]** A job specification is a statement disclosing the minimum acceptable human qualities necessary to perform a job. It simply analyzed the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to accomplished the job. It is a profile of human characteristics. Thus job specification is a written document of qualification, experience, training, mental abilities, special abilities, communication skills and emotional characteristics.  It describes what the job demand of employee. Generally the job specification contains qualification and experience, physical status, psychological characteristics of the employee. **[3) Job Evaluation:]** Job evaluation is the process of determining the value of each job in relation to all jobs within the organization. Job evaluation seeks to rank all the jobs in organization by comparing it with other jobs within the organization and with job market outside and place them in hierarchy that will reflect the relative worth of each job. It has many objectives towards the organization. It is completely concern with job rather than employee. **IMPORTANCE OF JOB ANALYSIS** The information gathered through Job Analysis is very essential for designing a sound human resource programme. The effectiveness of all HR activities can be well enhanced by the process of job analysis. The various benefits that job analysis serves can be understood from its following uses: **1. Organisational design**: The information gathered through job analysis enables the determination of different jobs and the hierarchical positions and relationships arising out of it. **2. Manpower planning:** Job analysis is an essential element of manpower planning because it facilitates the determination of the demands of a job in terms of responsibilities, duties, skills and other human attributes for better division of work. **3. Recruitment and selection:** The process of job analysis facilitates the knowing of requirements of jobs and the qualities needed to perform thereby making the process of recruitment and selection easier. **4. Placement and orientation:** Job analysis helps in the placement and orientation of employees by matching job requirements with abilities and also in understanding duties and responsibilities for effective execution of jobs. **5. Training and development:** The information collected through job analysis helps in identifying the training needs, designing training programmes and also in evaluating training effectiveness. **6. Performance appraisal:** Job analysis data facilitates clear standards of performance for every job resulting in objective appraisal of employees' performance. **7. Salary and wage:** Accurate salary and wage formulation becomes possible due to the information collected about the jobs through job analysis which further helps by providing a basis for finding the value of a job. **8. Safety and health:** The job analysis process uncovers the hazardous and unhealthy work environment factors like heat, noise, fumes, dust etc., thus enabling the management to take better decisions in regard to risks and accidents and safety of workers. **9. Job evaluation:** Job evaluation aims at determining the relative worth or value of the job which helps in determining the salaries and wages of the jobs, Jobs are evaluated in terms of money. Job description and job specification provides the factual basis for evaluating the worth of the job. **10. Job designing:** Industrial engineers may use the job analysis information in designing the job by making the study of the job elements. The physical, mental and psychological studies of human being are made with the help of job analysis information. **11. Discipline:** Job analysis provides the information regarding the characteristics of various jobs and the job holders. Corrective measures may be taken in time to avoid untoward situation. **METHODS OF JOB ANALYSIS** Job analysis methods can be categorized into three basic types: (1) Observation Methods; (2) Interview; and (3) Questionnaire 1. **Observation Method:** Observation of work activities and worker behaviors is a method of job analysis which can be used independently or in combination with other methods of job analysis. Three methods of job analysis based on observation are: \(i) Direct Observation; (ii) Work Methods Analysis; and (iii) Critical Incidents Technique. i. **Direct Observation:** Using direct observation, a person conducting the analysis simply observes employees in the performance of their duties. The observer either takes general notes or works from a form which has structured categories for comment. Everything is observed: what the worker accomplishes, what equipment is used etc. The limitation of this method is that it cannot capture the mental aspects of jobs, such as decision making or planning, since mental processes are not observable. ii. **Work Methods Analysis:** This method is used to describe manual and repetitive production jobs, such as factory or assembly-line jobs. This method is used by industrial engineers to determine standard rates of production. iii. **Critical Incidents Technique**: It involves observation and recording of examples of particularly effective or ineffective behaviors. Behaviours are judged to be "effective" or "ineffective" in terms of results produced by the behavior. In this method a person using the critical incidents must describe behaviour in retrospect, or after the fact, rather than as the activity unfolds. Accurate recording of past observations is more difficult than recording the behaviours as they occur. **2. Interview:** In this method, the Analyst interviews the employee, his supervisor and other concerned persons and record answers to relevant questions. The interviewer asks job related questions and a standard format is used to record the data. The limitation of this method is that it does not provide accurate information because the employee may not provide accurate information to protect his own interest. Success of this method depends upon the rapport between the analyst and the employee. **3. Questionnaire:** In this method properly drafted questionnaires are sent to jobholders. Structured questionnaires on different aspects of a job are developed. Each task is described in terms of characteristics such as frequency, significance, difficulty and relationship to overall performance. The jobholders give their rating of these dimensions. The ratings obtained are analyzed and a profile of actual job is developed. This method provides comprehensive information about a job. The limitation of this method is that it is time consuming and costly