Job Analysis

PART TWO                                                               RECRUITMENT AND PLACEMENT
CHAPTER		T Four
Job Analysis	4
Lecture Outline
Strategic Overview The Nature of Job Analysis Uses of Job Analysis Information Steps in Job Analysis Methods of Collecting Job Analysis Information The Interview Questionnaires Observation Participant Diary Quantitative Job Analysis Techniques Using Multiple Sources of Information Writing Job Descriptions Job Identification Job Summary Relationships Responsibilities and Duties Standards of Performance and Working Conditions Using the Internet for Writing Job Descriptions Writing Job Specifications Specifications for Trained Versus Untrained Personnel Job Specifications Based on Judgment Job Specifications Based on Statistical Analysis Job Analysis in a “Jobless” World From Specialized to Enlarged Jobs Why Managers are De-jobbing Their Companies Competency-Based Job Analysis BP’s Matrices	In Brief:  The uses of job analysis information and the methods of conducting a job analysis are discussed in this chapter. The tasks of writing job descriptions and job specifications are also outlined. Strategies to make the organization more responsive to competition, including enlarging and de-jobbing are discussed.  Interesting Issues:  Technology and the Internet can serve as a resource for companies to streamline their job analysis process. Some companies have shifted to HR systems that do not use job descriptions. Competency-based analysis can the support the flexibility needed by high performance organizations.

ANNOTATED OUTLINE

I.          The Nature of Job Analysis

Job analysis – The procedure for determining the duties and skill requirements of a job and the kind of person who should be hired for the job by collecting the following types of information:  work activities; human behaviors; machines, tools, equipment, and work aids; performance standards; job context; and human requirements. 

Job description – A list of a job’s duties, responsibilities, reporting relationships, working conditions, and supervisory responsibilities – one product of a job analysis. 

Job specification – A list of a job’s “human requirements”: the requisite education, skills, personality, and so on – another product of a job analysis.

            A.  Uses of Job Analysis Information

                 1.    Recruitment and Selection – Job descriptions and job specifications are formed from the information gathered from a job analysis, which help management decide what sort of people to recruit and hire.

                 2.    Compensation – The estimated value and the appropriate compensation for each job is determined from the information gathered from a job analysis.

                 3.    Performance Appraisal – Managers use job analysis to determine a job’s specific activities and performance standards.

                 4.    Training – Based on the job analysis, the job description should show the job’s required activities and skills.

            B.  Steps in Job Analysis

                 1.    Decide how the information will be used because that will determine what data will be collected and how it should be collected.

                 2.    Review relevant background information, such as organization charts, process charts, and job descriptions.

                 3.    Select representative positions to analyze because there may be too many similar jobs to analyze, and it may not be necessary to analyze them all.

                 4.    Analyze the job by collecting data on job activities, required employee behaviors, working conditions, and human traits and abilities needed to perform the job.

                 5.    Verify the job analysis information with job incumbents and supervisors to confirm that it is factually correct and complete.

                 6.    Develop a job description and job specification from the information.

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Educational Materials to Use

II.         Methods of Collecting Job Analysis Information

An HR specialist (an HR specialist, job analyst, or consultant), a worker, and the worker’s supervisor usually work together in conducting the job analysis.  Job analysis data is usually collected from several employees from different departments, using interviews and questionnaires.  The data is then averaged, taking into account the departmental context of the employees, to determine how much time a typical employee spends on each of several specific tasks. 

            A.   The Interview

The three types of interviews managers use to collect job analysis data are: individual (to get the employee’s perspective on the job’s duties and responsibilities, group (when large numbers of employees perform the same job), and supervisor (to get his/her perspective on the job’s duties and responsibilities).

                       

                  1.   The Pros & Cons – of using an interview are that it is: simple, quick, and more comprehensive because the interviewer can unearth activities that may never appear in written form.  The main problem is distortion.

                      

                  2.   Typical questions – “What is the job being performed?”  “In what activities do you participate?” “What are the health and safety conditions?” Figure 4-4 gives an example of a job analysis questionnaire.

                  3.   Interview guidelines – a) the job analyst and supervisor should identify the workers who know the job best and would be objective; b) establish a rapport with the interviewee; c) follow a structured guide or checklist; d) ask worker to list duties in order of importance and frequency of occurrence; and e) review and verify the data.

            B.  Questionnaires

              

Structured or unstructured questionnaires may be used to obtain job analysis information (see Figure 4.4). Questionnaires can be a quick, efficient way of gathering information from a large number of employees.  But, developing and testing a questionnaire can be expensive and time consuming.

            C.  Observation

Direct observations are useful when jobs consist of mainly observable physical activity as opposed to mental activity. Reactivity can be a problem with direct observation, which is where the workers change what they normally do because they are being watched. Managers often use direct observation and interviewing together.

            D.   Participant Diary

The employees record every activity they engage in, in a diary along with the amount of time to perform each activity to produce a complete picture of the job. Employees may try to exaggerate some activities and underplay others.

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Educational Materials to Use

III.        Writing Job Descriptions

            Figure 4-5 presents a sample form of job description.

            A.  Job Identification – contains the job title, status, date, and possible space to indicate who approved the description, the location of the job, the immediate supervisor’s title, salary and/or pay scale.

            B.  Job Summary – should describe the general nature of the job, and includes only its major functions or activities.

            C.  Relationships – occasionally a relationships statement is included.  It shows the jobholders’ relationships with others inside and outside the organization.

            D.  Responsibilities and Duties – Itemize the job’s duties and responsibilities and describe it in a few sentences.

            E.   Authority of job holder

F.    Standards of Performance and Working Conditions – states the standards the employee is expected to achieve under each of the job description’s main duties and responsibilities.

G.    Working Conditions

H.    Job specifications

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Educational Materials to Use

IV.        Writing Job Specifications

            A.  Specifications for Trained Versus Untrained Personnel

Writing job specifications for trained employees is relatively straightforward because they are likely to focus on traits like length of previous service, quality of relevant training, and previous job performance.  Writing job specifications for untrained employees is more complex because they are more likely to specify qualities such as physical traits, personality, interests, or sensory skills that imply some potential for performing or being trained to perform on the job.

            B.  Job Specifications Based on Judgment

                 1.    Job specifications may come from educated guesses or judgments from supervisors or HR managers.

            C.  Job Specifications Based on Statistical Analysis

                 1.    Basing job specifications on statistical analysis is more defensible, but a more difficult approach than the judgmental approach.

                 2.    The aim of the statistical approach is to determine statistically the relationship between 1) some predictor or human trait such as height, intelligence, or finger dexterity, and 2) some indicator or criterion of job effectiveness.

                 3.    The five steps in statistical analysis are: a) analyze the job and decide how to measure job performance; b) select personal traits like finger dexterity that you believe should predict successful performance; c) test candidates for these traits; d) measure these candidates’ subsequent job performance; and e) statistically analyze the relationship between the human trait and job performance.

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Educational Materials to Use

V.         Job Analysis in a "Jobless" World

            A.  From Specialized to Enlarged Jobs

                 1.    A “job” as we know it today is largely an outgrowth of the industrial revolution’s emphasis on efficiency.

                 2.    Job enlargement involves assigning workers additional same-level activities, thus increasing the number of activities they perform.

                 3.    Job rotation is systematically moving workers from one job to another.

                 4.    Job enrichment involves redesigning jobs in a way that increases the opportunities for the worker to experience feelings of responsibility, achievement, growth, and recognition.

            B.    Why Managers are De-jobbing Their Companies – De-jobbing refers to broadening the responsibilities of the company’s jobs, and encouraging employees not to limit themselves to what’s on their job descriptions.

                 1.    Flatter organizations with three or four levels of management are becoming more prevalent than the traditional pyramid-shaped organizations with seven or more layers of management.

                 2.    Work teams, where tasks are organized around teams and processes rather than around specialized functions, are being used increasingly more by managers.

                 3.    The boundary-less organizations are characterized by widespread use of teams and similar structural mechanisms to reduce and make more permeable the boundaries that typically separate departments and hierarchical levels.

                 4.    Reengineering refers to fundamentally rethinking and radically redesigning business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in performance measures.

C.   Competency-Based Job Analysis

Employers are shifting towards newer approaches for describing 
jobs, such as competency-based analysis to support the flexibility needed in high performance work environments where employers need workers to seamlessly move from job to job and exercise self-control,

1.   What are Competencies – Competencies are defined as demonstrable characteristics of the person that enable performance.  They are observable and measurable.

2.   Three reasons to Use Competency Analysis? – First, traditional job descriptions may actually backfire if a high performance work system is the goal.  Second, describing the job in terms of skills, knowledge and competencies needed is more strategic. Finally, measurable skills, knowledge, and competencies are the heart of any company’s performance management system.

3.   Examples of competencies – These can include general competencies (such as reading, writing, and mathematical reasoning), leadership competencies (leadership, strategic thinking, teaching others) and technical competencies (specific technical competencies required for specific types of jobs).

4.   Comparing traditional versus competency-based job analysis – competency based analysis is more measurable, where some of the job’s essential duties and responsibilities are expressed as competencies.

5.   How to write job competencies – the process is similar in most respects to traditional job analysis, interviewing incumbents and their supervisors, identifying job responsibilities and activities.

D.   BP’s Matrices

      There are a growing number of firms that are shifting to HR systems that don’t use job descriptions. So what replaces them? This discussion examines what British Petroleum’s Exploration Division has done.  They use a matrix of skills and skill levels.  The major purpose was to shift employees from thinking in terms of “it’s not my job” to thinking about what new skills they needed to accomplish their goals. This interesting shift should be one that could generate discussion in the class. Ask class members questions such as:

“So how do you know if you are doing your job?”

“How would performance appraisals be done?”

“How do you ensure fairness between employees?”

“How do you keep your employee doing what he or she should?”

The HR Scorecard:  Strategy and Results.  A description of the Hotel International’s job analysis and job descriptions provides insight into how these can help an organization achieve the results that their strategic goals target.

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NOTES

Educational Materials to Use

KEY TERMS

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.

job description                         A list of a job's duties, responsibilities, reporting relationships, working conditions, and supervisory responsibilities--one product of a job analysis.

job specifications                     A list of a job's "human requirements," that is, the requisite education, skills, personality, and so on--another product of a job analysis.

organization chart                    A chart that shows the organization wide distribution of work, with titles of each position and interconnecting lines that show who reports to and communicates with whom.

process chart                           A work flow chart that shows the flow of inputs to and outputs from a particular job.

diary                                        Daily listings made by workers of every activity in which they engage along with the time each activity takes.

position analysis                      A questionnaire used to collect quantifiable data concerning the

questionnaire (PAQ)                 duties and responsibilities of various jobs.

functional job analysis             A method for classifying jobs similar to the Department of Labor job analysis but additionally taking into account the extent to which instructions, reasoning, judgment, and verbal facility are necessary for performing the job tasks.

job enlargement                       Assigning workers additional same-level responsibilities, thus increasing the number of activities they perform.

job rotation                              Systematically moving workers from one job to another.

job enrichment                         Redesigning jobs in a way that increases the opportunities for the worker to experience feelings of responsibility, achievement, growth, and recognition.

de-jobbing                               Broadening the responsibilities of the company’s jobs and encouraging employees not to limit themselves to what’s on their job descriptions.

boundaryless organization       Organization marked by the widespread use of teams and similar structures that reduce and make more permeable the boundaries that typically separate departments.

reengineering                           The fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical contemporary measures of performance.

competencies                           Demonstrable characteristics of the person that enable performance, which are observable and measurable behaviors comprising part of a job.

competency-based                   Describing the job in terms of the measurable, observable,

job analysis                             behavioral competencies (knowledge, skills, and/or behaviors) that an employee doing that job must exhibit to do the job well.

performance management        Basing your employee’s training, appraisals, and rewards on fostering and rewarding the skills and competencies he or she needs to achieve his or her goals.

self-management team These are small groups of workers who have been given the authority to manage their own work