Manpower Planning: it’s Definition, Process and Affected Factors!

According to Gorden MacBeath, manpower planning involves two stages.The first stage is
concerned with the detailed “planning of manpower requirements for all types and levels of
employees throughout the period of the plan,” and the second stage is concerned with
“planning of manpower supplies to provide the organisation with the right types of people
from all sources to meet the planned requirements.”
According to Vetter, the process by which management determines how the organisation
should move from its current manpower position to its desired manpower position. Through
planning, management strives to have the right number and the right kinds of people, at the
right places, at the right time, doing things which result in both the organisation and the
individual receiving maximum long-run benefit.
Coleman has defined human resource or manpower planning as “the process of determining
manpower requirements and the means for meeting those requirements in order to carry out
the integrated plan of the organisation.”
Stainer defines manpower planning as “Strategy for the acquisition, utilisation, improvement,
and preservation of an enterprise’s human resources. It relates to establishing job
specifications or the quantitative requirements of jobs determining the number of personnel
required and developing sources of manpower.”
According to Wickstrom, human resource planning consists of a series of activities, viz:
(a) Forecasting future manpower requirements, either in terms of mathematical projections
of trends in the economic environment and development in industry, or in terms of
judgmental estimates based upon the specific future plans of a company;
(b) Making an inventory of present manpower resources and assessing the extent to which
these resources are employed optimally;
(c) Anticipating manpower problems by projecting present resources into the future and
comparing them with the forecast of requirements to determine their adequacy, both
quantitatively and qualitatively; and
(d) Planning the necessary programmes of requirement, selection, training, development,
utilization, transfer, promotion, motivation and compensation to ensure that future manpower
requirements are properly met.
According to Geisler, manpower planning is the process—including forecasting, developing
and controlling—by which a firm ensures that it has the right number of people and the right
kind of people at the right places at the right time doing work for which they are
economically most useful.

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PROCESS OF MANPOWER PLANNING:
The planning process is one of the most crucial, complex and continuing managerial
functions which, according to the Tata Electrical Locomotive Company, “embraces
organisation development, managerial development, career planning and succession
planning.” The process has gained importance in India with the increase in the size of
business enterprises, complex production technology, and the adoption of professional
management technique.
It may be rightly regarded as a multi-step process, including various issues, such as:
(A) Deciding goals or objectives
(B) Auditing of the internal resources
(C) Formulation of the recruitment plan
(D) Estimating future organisational structure and manpower requirements
(E) Developing a human resource plan
A. Deciding Goals or Objectives:
The business objectives have been determined; planning of manpower resources has to be
fully integrated into the financial planning. It becomes necessary to determine how the human
resources can be organised to achieve these objectives.
For this purpose, a detailed organisation chart is drawn and the management of the company
tries to determine “how many people, at what level, at what positions and with what kind of
experience and training would be required to meet the business objectives during the
planning period.” The management of this company considers a time 5 pan of five years as an
optimum period for this purpose.
It stresses the specific and standard occupational nomenclature must be used without which
“it would not be possible to build a firm-cum-industry-wise manpower resources planning.”
It suggests the adoption for this purpose of the international coding of occupations. For a
sound manpower planning it considers as a prerequisite the preparation of a manual of job
classification and job description with specific reference to individual jobs to be performed.
B. Audit of the Internal Resources:
The next step consists of an audit of the internal resources. A systematic review of the
internal resources would indicate persons within the organisations who possesses different or
higher levels of responsibilities. Thus it becomes necessary to integrate into the manpower
planning process a sound system of performance appraisal as well as appraisal of potential of
existing employees.
C. Formulation of the Recruitment Plan:

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A detailed survey of the internal manpower resources can ultimately lead to as assessment of
the deficit or surplus of personnel for the different levels during the planned period. Whilst
arriving at the final figures, it is necessary to take into account the “actual retirements and
estimated loss due to death, ill health and turnover, based on past experience and future
outlook in relation to company’s expansion and future growth patterns.”
D. Estimating Future Organizational Structure and Manpower Requirements:
The management must estimate the structure of the organization at a given point of time. For
this estimate, the number and type of employees needed have to be determined. Many
environmental factors affect this determination. They include business forecast, expansion
and growth, design and structural changes, management philosophy, government policy,
product and human skills mix, and competition.
E. Developing of Human Resource Plan:
This step refers to the development and implementation of the human resource plan, which
consists in finding out the sources of labour supply with a view to making an effective use of
these sources. The first thing, therefore, is to decide on the policy— should the personnel be
hired from within through promotional channels or should it be obtained from an outside
source.
The best policy which is followed by most organisations is to fill up higher vacancies by
promotion and lower level positions by recruitment from the labour market. The market is a
geographical area from which employers recruit their work force and labour seeks
employment.
Job Description Meaning, Importance, Steps, Components & Example
Published by MBA Skool Team, Last Updated: February 21, 2021
What is Job Description?
Job description is an informative documentation of the scope, duties, tasks, responsibilities
and working conditions related to the job listing in the organization through the process of
job analysis. Job description also details the skills and qualifications that an individual
applying for the job needs to possess. It basically gives all the details which might be good
for both the company and the applicant so that both parties are on the same page regarding
the job posting. Basically, job analysis is bifurcated into two components namely job
description and job specification.
The job description is used in the recruitment process to inform the applicants of the job
profile and requirements, and used at the performance management process to evaluate the
employee’s performance against the description.

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Importance of Job Description
Job description is the most important thing which a candidate gets about a job listing. It gives
all the relevant and necessary details about a job. The details which can help one decide
whether the job is relevant or not. Qualifications, roles, responsibilities etc are included in the
job description document which paints a clear picture of what is expected from the particular
role. It gives an opportunity for a candidate to prepare well for a job interview. It also helps
companies identify all skills required by a right candidate.

Job Description Components

A Job description will include the following components:

- Roles and responsibilities of the job.
- Goals of the organization as well the goals to be achieved as a part of the profile are
mentioned in the job description.
- Qualifications in terms of education and work experience required have to be clearly
mentioned.
- Skill sets like leadership, team management, time management, communication
management etc required to fulfill the job
- Salary range of the job are mentioned in the job description

Job Description Example

A typical job description would have job title followed by summary. After these, there could
be a detailed description of the role.
Education qualifications required are also mostly included along with location.

Job Title Regional Sales Manager

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 Location NY,CA

The RSM would be responsible for the sales of territory assigned. The
territories would be in and around the job location.
The RSM should be motivated and willing to make decisions on
Job
his/her own. The sales quota and targets would be predefined.
Description
The RSM would be leading the local sales team of approx. 5-6 team
size.
(The job description should cover all the details of the job)

Education Graduate with Business Degree/Diploma

Experience 7-8 years of experience in FMCG Sales

The table above shows a sample job description. Formats for job description may vary from
company to company but the overall details would be similar.

Steps to Write a Job Description

Companies have to make sure that they write an accurate & comprehensive job description
giving all job-related details. The main steps to write a job description are:
1. Job Title
The first step is to write the job title decided internally for official purposes.
2. Role Summary
The second step is to write the summary about the job role.
3. Duties
The next step involves writing down all the job responsibilities as well as the job duties
which are required with this particular job.
4. Qualifications
The fourth step is to give the basic education qualifications, work experience or other criteria
required for this job role.
5. Role Expectations

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This step defines what is required by an employee to be successful.
6. Reporting
The sixth step is to highlight who the reporting manager would be and who would be the
subordinates.
7. Verification
The final step is to get the job description verified by the HR team for any changes, updates
or validations.

Advantages of Job Description

There are many advantages of having a comprehensive job description given by a company.
Some of the advantages are mentioned below:
1. Helps companies understand the type of candidate they should search for based on title,
position and location
2. Employees are well aware about their job roles & duties
3. Job description helps in understanding the workplace environment, benefits etc for a
prospective employee
4. Helps in better recruitment & selection
5. Job description clearly highlights all the requirements, objectives & goals that it wants an
employee to perform

Disadvantages of Job Description

Despite being a thorough documentation related to the job, there are certain limitation of job
description:
1. They are time bound and can change with organization structure, industry policies,
company requirements etc
2. It can only highlight the macro criteria of a job but cannot fully explain the obstacles,
emotional requirements etc related to the job
3. Incomplete job description lacking quality information can misguide both the HR manager
as well as the employee
Job Specification
Job specification is another aspect of job analysis. It describes the type of employee required
(in terms of skill, experience, and special attitude, and test scores of various types) and
outlines the particular working conditions that are encountered on the job.

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 It is essentially a set of specification about people required on the job. The job specification
(in the usual form) includes a brief job summary designed to give the recruiter a feel of the
job and to set the stage for greater detail.
According to Dale Yoder, “The job specification, as such a summary properly described is
thus, a specialized job description, emphasising personnel requirement and designed
especially to facilitate selection and placement.”
Job specifications are used when a company advertises in mass media for hunting talents,
recruitment, and selection. Job specifications are different from job description.
While a person focuses on job specifications, the organization is responsible for developing
and documenting job descriptions. The various elements of job specifications are physical
specifications, mental specifications, behavioural specifications, and personal specifications.
Learn about:-
1. What is Job Specification 2. Meaning of Job Specification 3. Definition 4. Purpose 5.
Characteristics 6. Contents
7. Elements 8. Significance 9. Guidelines 10. Difference between Job Specification and Job
Description 11. Advantages and Disadvantages 12. Example or Sample Specification of
Commercial Clerk and Commercial Sales Clerk.
Job Specification: Meaning, Definition, Purpose, Characteristics, Elements,
Significance, Examples and Guidelines
Contents:
1. What is Job Specification
2. Meaning of Job Specification
3. Definition of Job Specification
4. Purpose of Job Specification
5. Characteristics of Job Specification
6. Contents of Job Specification
7. Elements of Job Specification
8. Significance of Job Specification
9. Guidelines for Preparing Job Specification
10. Difference between Job Specification and Job Description
11. Advantages and Disadvantages of Job Specification
12. Example or Sample of Job Specification of Commercial Clerk and Commercial Sales Clerk
Job Specification – What is Job Specification?

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Job specification is another aspect of job analysis. It describes the type of employee required
(in terms of skill, experience, and special attitude, and test scores of various types) and
outlines the particular working conditions that are encountered on the job. It is essentially a
set of specification about people required on the job. The job specification (in the usual form)
includes a brief job summary designed to give the recruiter a feel of the job and to set the
stage for greater detail.
Job specifications translate the job description into terms of the human qualifications which
are required for the successful performance of the job. Job specifications serve as a guide in
hiring. They deal with such characteristics as are available in the application bank, with
testing, interviews and checking of references. Thus, it is the statement of the minimum
acceptable human qualities required for the proper performance of the job.
It is a standard for personnel and specifies the qualities required for acceptable performance.
Therefore, it is a written record of the requirements sought in an individual worker for a
given job. In other words, a job specification is a summary of the personal characteristics
required for a job.
Following this summary, job specification indicates in detail the definite qualities required of
the job holder. It may stipulate a specified period of experience in a particular job. It may
state physical requirements, such as height, weight, special strength, and others. It may
identify the tests to be taken and required scores. It may specify the general and special
educational requirements.
Thus the preparation of sound job specifications involves three distinct activities:
(a) Collecting relevant data about the job,
(b) Analysing the data and transferring it into a written job description, and
(c) Deriving from that description a job/person specification.
Keeping the Job Specification in Perspective:
Recruitment should not be ‘a hit-or-miss’ affair. Although there cannot be a guarantee of
success every time, the risk of error can be reduced significantly if the recruiter adopts a
systematic approach. Starting with a clear understanding of the job, the recruiter can
purposefully present it to prospective candidates through advertising, correspondence, and
interviews.
Armed with a precise specification, the recruiter can approach the assessment stage better,
equip with reliable selection techniques, and consequently recognize the candidates who are
most likely to perform the particular job successfully, in that particular context.

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Since development and change are features of most successful organizations, a job
specification must be in tune with time to be effective in the recruitment process; it must be
reviewed regularly to specify new targets and new areas of challenge.
A job specification may have to be adjusted to meet the realities of the labour market, the
relevant legal framework, and the company policies. If adequate numbers of quality
personnel are available, the organization may have to adjust the job to fit the best applicant.
Observation indicates that the scope and nature of a job can change over time, even day to
day. The priorities get re-assessed in the light of new organizational needs or because of
pressure from management or in relation to the wishes of the boss. A job specification needs
to be adjusted accordingly.
Relation of Job Specification to Procurement:
Job specification which emerges from the initial stage of analysing the job has practical
relevance at each stage of acquisition of human resource, for instance –
(1) To attract candidates, the job advertisements should be a distillation of the job
specification, written in a style which will attract suitable readers, and deter the unsuitable
ones (at recruiting stage).
(2) In assessing candidates, the job specification serves as the yardstick against which the
recruiter judges the relevance and adequacy of the candidates’ attributes (at the selection
stage), and
(3) In placement, the job description forms the basis of the candidates’ placements, serves as
a guide to his/her induction and training, and indicates the criteria against which his/her
subsequent performance will be assessed.
Thus the first practical step in the recruitment programme is to analyse the job and prepare
the job specification, and from this draw up the man specification.
Job Specification – Meaning
Job specification or employee specification is a statement of the minimum acceptable human
qualities in terms of educational qualifications, experience, skills, and aptitude required for a
job. It is a logical expansion of the job description as it is accompanied with every job
description.
It is known as employee specifications, a job specification is a written statement of
educational qualifications, specific qualities, level of experience, physical, emotional,
technical and communication skills required to perform a job, responsibilities involved in a
job and other unusual sensory demands. It also includes general health, mental health,

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intelligence, aptitude, memory, judgment, leadership skills, emotional ability, adaptability,
flexibility, values and ethics, manners and creativity, etc.
Or Job specification – A statement of employee characteristics and qualifications required for
satisfactory performance of defined duties and tasks comprising a specific job or function.
Job specification is derived from job analysis.
Or It can be defined as a statement of employee characteristics and qualifications required for
satisfactory performance of defined duties and tasks comprising a specific job or function.
Job specification is derived from job analysis.
Job Analysis is a primary tool to collect job-related data. The process results in collecting and
recording two data sets including job description and job specification. Any job vacancy
cannot be filled, unless HR manager has these two sets of data. It is necessary to define them
accurately in order to fit the right person at the right place and at the right time. This helps
both employer and employee understand what exactly needs to be delivered and how.
Job Specification – Definition Given by Various Authors: Edwin B. Flippo, Dale
Yoder, Gary Desslar, Bohlander and Snell
Job specification has been defined by various authors.
Some of the popular definitions are as follows:
According to Edwin B. Flippo, “A job specification is a statement of minimum acceptable
human qualities necessary to perform a job properly.”
According to Dale Yoder, “The job specification, as such a summary properly described is
thus, a specialized job description, emphasising personnel requirement and designed
especially to facilitate selection and placement.”
Gary Desslar has defined job specification as, “A list of job’s human requirements that is the
requisite education, skills, personality and so on.”
According to Bohlander and Snell (2004), “Job specification is a statement of the needed
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities (KSAs) of the person who is to perform the job”. Bateman and
Snell (2002) stated that, “Job specification describes the employee characteristics needed to
perform the job”.
Therefore, job specification can also be called ‘the standard of personnel for the selection’.
Job Specification – Purpose
Job specification has several advantages in many functions of HRM. For example, it
highlights the particular working conditions that help in selecting the appropriate candidate
for the job.
The job specifications are used for certain significant purposes, which are as follows:

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i. Searching deserving candidate – Assists the HR department to find the right candidate for
the defined profile. It also helps the HR executives, who are not technically aware of the
exact requirement, to get the appropriate candidate. In addition, it helps the interviewer in
preparing the questionnaire to short-list the candidates.
ii. Inducing the candidate to look into the offer – Requires that the job specification help the
candidate to decide his/her suitability for the stated job profile.
iii. Establishing organizational competency – Involves setting up the core competencies of
the organization that can provide an edge to the organization over its competitors. The
identification of the organizational competency demands implementation of the competency
programs specific to organizations.
iv. Recognizing candidates’ competency – Ensures the selection of the right candidate. Job
specification identifies the exact duties and competencies of various job positions, with which
skills and abilities of the employees are matched.
v. Providing direction to candidate – Requires that the job specification gives brief
description to candidates so that they can determine if their experience and qualifications suit
to the job position.
Job Specification – Characteristics: Physical Characteristics, Psychological
Characteristics, Personnel Characteristics, Responsibilities and Demographic
Characteristics
The characteristics of job specifications are:
1. Physical Characteristics – It includes health, strength, endurance, age range, body size,
height, weight, vision, voice, foot coordination, colour discrimination and motor
coordination.
2. Psychological Characteristics – It includes qualities like manual dexterity, mechanical
aptitude, judgement, analytical ability, resourcefulness, mental alertness and concentration.
3. Personnel Characteristics – It includes the qualities like personal appearance, good and
pleasing manners, emotional stability, aggressiveness and submissiveness, extroversion or
introversion, leadership, cooperativeness, skill in dealing with others, unusual sensory
qualities of sight, etc.
4. Responsibilities – It includes the qualities of supervision of others, responsibility for
production process and equipment, responsibility for the safety of others, responsibility for
preventing monetary loss.
5. Demographic Characteristics – It includes features like age, sex, education, experience,
and language ability.

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Job Specification – Contents
Job specifications, also known as man or employee specifications, is prepared on the basis of
job specification. It specifies the qualities required in a job incumbent for the effective
performance of the job.
Various contents of a job specification can be prescribed in three terms:
(i) Essential qualities which a person must possess;
(ii) Desirable qualities which a person may possess; and
(iii) Contra-indicators which are likely to become a handicap to successful job performance.
Based on job description and job specification, employing organizations insert
advertisements in newspaper, other publications, internet etc. in order to minimize the size of
the advertisements, most of the organizations prefer to include various contents of the job
description and job specification only briefly; the details of such contents may be mentioned
in the application forms to be filled-in by the prospective candidate or may be communicated
to the candidate at the time of interview.
In cases where candidates are selected not for specific jobs but for a pool of jobs like IAS,
PCS, etc. in government service; management trainees in business organizations;
probationary officers in commercial banks/financial institutions, etc., positions existing in
various ministries/departments, business functions (production, marketing, finance, human
resource, etc.) are notified.
The content of a job specification are various qualities that a job incumbent should possess
may be divided into two broad categories- technical qualities and behavioural qualities.
Technical qualities consist of knowledge and skills related to ‘how a job should be
performed’. Knowledge refers to the possession of information, facts, and techniques of a
particular job.
Skills refer to the proficiency required to use the knowledge to perform the job. Generally
technical qualities are job specific, that is, technical qualities which are relevant to a
particular job will not be relevant to another job if both jobs differ significantly. Behavioural
qualities are not job-specific but are of universal nature and are applicable in most of the jobs.
Job Specification – Top 5 Elements: Physical Specifications, Mental Specifications,
Emotional and Social Specifications, Behavioural Specifications & Personal
Specifications
A job specification goes beyond job description. It underlines the mental and physical
attributes required of the job holder to carry out the job effectively. A job specification is a
combination of statements of employee characteristics including qualifications required for

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successful accomplishments of the tasks, leading to satisfactory performance of defined
duties, comprising a specific job or functions.
It is basically derived from job analysis and is a conglomeration of knowledge, skills, and
abilities, and the requisite education, training, and experience required to perform a job
conforming to the quantitative target and qualitative requirements. These also constitute the
minimum recruiting criteria or minimum qualifications for the job.
Job specifications are used when a company advertises in mass media for hunting talents,
recruitment, and selection. Job specifications are different from job description. While a
person focuses on job specifications, the organization is responsible for developing and docu-
menting job descriptions. The various elements of job specifications are physical
specifications, mental specifications, behavioural specifications, and personal specifications.
Of course, some jobs need licenses or certifications. For example, an electrical mechanic
needs certification by the competent authority. An auditor of environmental management
system needs certification with regard to ISO 14000 EMS, and a quality auditor should
preferably have ‘lead assessor’ certification to his credit.
Element # 1. Physical Specifications:
Some specific physical features may be essential to perform a particular job. The physical
abilities and skills must be specified. The kind of physical effort required and the duration of
such exertion are the points discussed here. For example, continuous walking, standing, or
lifting of heavy objects is essential for certain jobs. The features include height, weight,
vision, finger dexterity, voice, hand and foot coordination, motor coordination, colour
discrimination, age, gender, etc.
Aircraft pilots essentially need eye-hand-foot coordination, which must be specified in
advertisements. While recruiting them, these physical attributes must be judged. Presently, in
most companies, computer monitors and a joystick are employed to test these attributes. The
coordination makes a pilot capable of multitasking.
Fulfilment of this criterion makes an aspirant capable of being selected, provided he
possesses the requisite aptitude. The ambitious person having flair for flying can only reach
his coveted desire if he possesses the unique skill of eye-hand-foot coordination.
Element # 2. Mental Specifications:
Intelligence, memory, judgement, ability to plan, ability to estimate, to read, to write, to
think, concentrate and conceptualize, and analytical ability come within the purview of
mental specifications. Intelligence test measures the over-all intelligence quotient (IQ) of a
candidate.

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Element # 3. Emotional and Social Specifications:
Individuals are required to discharge duties in work environment that demand particular
behavioural disposition. A person working in the reception of an organization or a public
relations department needs to interact with many unknown people throughout the day. His/
her personal appearance must be conducive to the work situation.
Visitors need realistic information with regard to various aspects of production, purchase,
cost, availability, presence of any dignitary, etc.
For instance, the person in the reception must have a high degree of emotional stability,
should be reasonably submissive, and be an extrovert. Their social adaptability, public
relation skills, cooperativeness, leadership, initiative and drive, manners, and most
importantly, helping attitude, etc., are the essential prerequisites for success in the profession.
Element # 4. Behavioural Specifications:
While executing and performing the duties and responsibilities, a person needs to execute a
set of manners, behavioural disposition, etiquette, and conform to norms. Accomplishing the
task is not an end in itself. It is the employee behaviour that constitutes the organizational
culture.
Juniors learn from the demonstrated behaviours of organizational superiors. When persons
are recruited, either through campus interviews or experience, they need to be acclimatized
with the organizational culture. Otherwise, cultural contrast may jeopardize the functioning
of the organization.
Seniors are expected to behave in a particular manner. There cannot be a written document in
this aspect. It is largely a matter of feeling. However, these are to be kept in mind during the
recruitment, selection and placement process.
Element # 5. Personal Specifications:
Personal specifications include attributes of the person essential to perform the job correctly
and adequately. The person’s characteristics must be relevant, independent, and assessable.
a. Relevant – Only those characteristics, connected demonstrably with the success or failure
of the job, should be specified. For example, a salesperson must have a high degree of
tolerance and be a good listener, be smiling and communicative, and have in possession full
knowledge of the product.
b. Independent – Overlapping elements should be avoided.
c. Assessable – Only those attributes that can be assessed with the selection tools that are
available (usually application form and interviews) should be included.

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Job Specification – Significance: Preparation of Employee Specification, Training and
Development & Recruitment and Selection
The various significance of job specification are as follows:
1. Preparation of Employee Specification:
Job specification provides information regarding the attributes like qualifications, skills,
experience, and knowledge and other personal attributes required of a worker to perform the
job duties. This helps in preparing employee specification containing detailed information
about the employees put to job.
2. Training and Development:
Job specification identifies the need for training and development programme. The human
qualifications and skill that a job demands can be acquired through training and development
of employees.
3. Recruitment and Selection:
Job specification helps the recruiter to get an idea of the personal, physical, mental, social and
psychological characteristics required of a job incumbent to perform the job effectively.
Accordingly the recruiters identify the person with requisite qualification and help to fill a job
by the best suitable candidate.
Job Specification – Guidelines for Preparing Job Specification
There are a number of guidelines that must be considered while preparing job specifications.
The following points mention these guidelines in brief:
i. Treating the qualification required for the job as the main component of the job
specification. It should include educational qualification; professional qualification;
experience; knowledge; and communication, leadership, decision-making, and writing skills
required for a specific job
ii. Citing the job location from where the work will be performed
iii. Disclosing the tools and technologies to be used in a job
iv. Mentioning clearly the additional roles and responsibilities associated with a specific job
v. Defining the Cost to Company (CTC) and the grade of the position clearly
vi. Mentioning all the relevant information clearly
vii. Using the simple and clear language
viii. Preventing the usage of certain words, such as frequently, some, occasionally, and
several.
Job Specification – Difference between Job Specification and Job Description

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In contrast to job description, job specification is a measuring rod of personnel and its
combines qualities required for acceptable performance of a particular job like formal
education, experience, psychological attitude, physical measurement, etc.
The qualities as assessed and recorded on job specification document involve an element of
subjectivity. The proper assessment of these qualities depends upon the value judgements of a
number of people such as job analysis, job holder and his supervisor.
If kept separate from job description document, job specification document includes two
sections—job identification and human requirements. The exact list of human requirements
will vary from company to company and according Id the uses to which job specification is to
be put. Such attributes as education and experience are always indicated.
As far as possible, the specifications written for each element of the job should be quantified.
Job Specification:
(i) Meaning – A written statement of the qualities required for performing a job.
(ii) Contents – Education, training, experience, aptitude etc. required for a particular job.
(iii) Purpose – To Facilitate recruitment, selection training etc. of people for the job.
(iv) Sequence – Prepared after job description.
Job Description:
(i) Meaning – A written statement of the contents of a job
(ii) Contents – Title, duties, working- Conditions supervision, relationships involved in a job.
(iii) Purpose – To Identify, define and describe a job
(iv) Sequence – Prepared before job specification
Job Specification – Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages of Job Specification:
1. It is helpful in preliminary screening in the selection procedure.
2. It helps in giving due justification to each job.
3. It also helps in designing training and development programmes.
4. It helps the supervisors for counselling and monitoring performance of employees.
5. It helps in job evaluation.
6. It helps the management to take decisions regarding promotion, transfers and giving extra
benefits to the employees.
7. A job specification is useful for recruiting as it helps to specify job postings and website
recruiting material.
8. The job specification is also useful for distribution in social media, for screening resumes,
and for interviewers.

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9. Job specification helps candidates analyze whether are eligible to apply for a particular job
vacancy or not.
10. It helps in recruiting a team of an organization that understands what level of
qualifications, qualities and set of characteristics should be present in a candidate to make
him or her eligible for the job opening.
Disadvantages of Job Specification:
Though it assists managers in decision making process but it has its own limitations.
1. The process may take very long and consume lots of human efforts. Since, it involves
collecting detailed information.
2. Personal biases of job analyst can cause severe problems.
3. The data collected may not be 100 percent genuine.
Job Specification – Examples and Sample of Job Specification
Job Specification of Commercial Clerk:
Sample specifications are as follows:
(a) Stimulate sales by assisting customers and offering suggestions
(b) Communication expertise while talking to customers in person and by phone
(c) Stock shelves, counters, and tables with merchandise
(d) Provide prompt and courteous service to all customers
(e) Possess and utilize product knowledge to promote sales
(f) Responsible for ensuring store appearance is clean and presentable at all times
(g) Enter transactions in the register accurately to ensure updated record
(h) Be conversant with store policies, procedures, and promotions.
Job Specification of Commercial Sales Clerk:
Sample specifications are as follows:
(a) Willingness and urge to approach customers and offer assistance
(b) Safely operate power equipment
(c) Assemble furniture
(d) Flexible schedule to accommodate day, night, and weekend shifts
(e) High school diploma or equivalent
(f) Exceptional customer service skills
(g) Excellent listening and oral communication skills

JOB DESIGN

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 Job design is the process of structuring work and designating the specific activities at
individual or group levels. Job deign determines the responsibility of an employee, the
authority he enjoys over his work, his scope of decision-making, end eventually, his level of
satisfaction and his productivity.
A Good Job Design
A. good job design facilitates involvement and development of employees' mental and
physical characteristics by paying attention to:
v Flexibility in work/ rest schedules or pace work
v Variety and challenge in tasks to enrich the job
Effective job -design is a complex process that must be viewed from several
standpoints. Organizational goals, employee aspirations, performance standards, and work
environment are some of the major factors that need to be taken into consideration in job
design: The role of the HR function is limited in job design; the line managers play a major
role in job design, as they understand the work processes better.
The major components of a job design are the job content or scope and the job depth,
The job content includes the various tasks or activities that have to be performed by the
jobholder, the responsibilities attached to the job and the relationships with other jobs in
the organizational set-up. Job depth is the autonomy or the authority that the jobholder
enjoys in planning and organizing the work attached to the job.
Approaches to Job Design
Different approaches to job design have been proposed over the years. While the earlier
approaches concentrated on just the 'technical' aspect and ignored the 'human' aspect, the
later approaches, tried to as a 'human touch'.
1. Engineering Approach
Scientific management, developed by Fredrick W. Taylor, gave rise to the
engineering approach to, job design. The key element of this approach was the 'task idea'
that led to job specialization.
2. Human Relations Approach
The human relations approach introduced a 'human -touch' to deal with the problem
of over-specialized jobs. Under this approach, over-specialized jobs needed to be redesigned
to become more satisfying and rewarding to the employees. It was felt that the workers have
social needs which necessitate casual interactions with supervisors and co-workers. So, scope
for flexibility had to be introduced in job design.

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 According to the theory of motivation proposed by Herzberg, there are two factors that
affect the job satisfaction — the Motivators and hygiene factors. The hygiene factors help in
tackling dissatisfaction among the workers and preventing a negative job environment.
Some of these factors are the working conditions, organizational policies, interpersonal relations,
pay and job security.
3. Job Characteristics Approach
The job characteristics theory of Hackman and Oldham states that employees work
hard when they are rewarded for the work they do, and when the work gives them satisfaction.
Therefore, motivation, satisfaction and productivity are the three factors that should be
integrated into job design.
The job characteristics model, which is based in this theory, identifies the specific job
characteristics that affect productivity, motivation and satisfaction and their
interrelationships.
The core dimensions or characteristics of any job have been defined as follows:
i. Skill Variety: It is degree to which a job necessitates the use of different skills for
various activities to be performed.
ii. Task Identity: It is the degree to which the job requires completion of work, from the
beginning to the end. The output should be complete and identifiable piece of work.
iii. Task significance: If is the importance of the task and the degree to which the job
makes an impact on the lives or work of other people."
iv. Autonomy: The degree to which the job provides freedom and discretion to the
employee or worker in scheduling work and in determining the pace and process.
v. Feedback: The degree to which objective, direct and timely information
regarding the progress and performance of work reaches the employee from the job
itself, from the superiors, or from an information system.
4. Socio-Technical Approach
The socio-technical approach to job design is another alternative to the scientific /
engineering approach which resulted in highly specialized jobs where the advantages of
specialization were gradually negated by its disadvantages, namely, dissatisfaction and
fatigue among the employees.
In the socio-technical approach, both the technical system and the social system are
emphasized. According to this approach, jobs should be designed taking a holistic view of
both physical and social environments. Ideally, this merges the technical needs of the
organization with the social needs of the employees.

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Techniques of Job Design
1) Work/Job Simplification: •
In this technique, the job is simplified or specialized. A given job is broken down into
small sub-parts (e.g., making a car) and each part is assigned to one individual. To be more
specific, work simplification involves:
i.Mechanical pacing of work,
ii.Repetitive work processes, such as those on an assembly line,
iii.Working on only part of a product,
iv.Predetermining tools and techniques ,
v.Restricted interaction among employees, and
vi.Few skill requirements.
A work simplification is done so that the less trained and the less paid employees can do
these jobs.
2) Job Enlargement
Job enlargement involves expanding the numbers 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 skill's and abilities are needed to perform it.
4) Job Rotation
Like job enlargement, job rotation increases task variety but generally it does so by
periodically shifting workers among jobs involving different tasks at similar skill levels. Job
rotation can be arranged around almost any time period, such as hourly, daily or weekly
schedules. For example, a nurse may be rotated on a monthly basis, looking after geriatric
patients one month, surgical patients the next and rehabilitation patients each third month.
5) Job Enrichment
An enriched job will have more responsibility and 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. In other
words, what the supervisor has been doing till now (planning, instructing, controlling and
supervising) will no be done by the worker.
6) Autonomous or Self-Directed Teams
Empowerment results in self-directed work teams. A self-directed work team is an
intact group of employees who are responsible for a `whole' work process or segment that
delivers a product or service to an internal or external customer. To varying degrees, team

20
member's work together to improve their operations, handle day-to-day problems and plan
and control their work. Weakness of empowered teams, however, should not be ignored.
Importance of Job Design
Job design is important due to following reasons:
i.Provides Job Feedback: A good job design provides feedback to the employees about
their expected performance. "
ii.Allows Adjustments: Employees have the option to vary tasks as per their personal
and social needs, habits and circumstances in the workplace.
iii.Motivates Employees: Job design can improve motivation levels of employees and
enhance their job satisfaction. It can also improve employee morale and work life
balance for employees.
iv. Improves Performance: Job design can improve overall organisational
performance and efficiency. It can facilitate in generating higher profits for the
company, thus improving the bottom line.
v.Emphasizes on Employee Training: Training is an integral part of job design. Contrary to
the philosophy of "leave them alone" job design lays due emphasis on training
people so that are well aware of what their job demands and how it is to be done.
vi.Offers Work and Rest Schedules: Job design offers good work and rest schedule
by clearly defining the number of hours an individual has to spend in his/her job.
4.9 JOB EVALUATION Meaning and Definition
Job evaluation is the process of analyzing and assessing the various jobs
systematically ascertain their relative worth in an organization. Jobs are evaluated on the
basis of their content and are placed in the order of their importance. In this way, a job
hierarchy is established in the organization, the purpose being fixation of satisfactory wage-
differentials among various jobs.
"Job evaluation represents an effort to determine the relative value of every job in a
plant and to determine what the fair basic wages for such a job should be."
— Kimball and Kimba
‘Job evaluation is a practice which seeks to provide a degree of objectivity in measuring the
comparative value of jobs within an organization and among similar organization. It is
essentially a job rating process, not unlike the rating of employers.”
~ Dale Yoder
“The systematic and orderly process of measuring the worth of job within an organization is
called job evaluation.”

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— EdwinB. Filippo
Objectives to Job Evaluation
The principle upon which all job evaluation schemes are based is that of describing and
assessing the value of all jobs in the firms in terms of a number of factors, the relative
importance of which varies from job to job.
a. To secure and maintain complete, accurate and impersonal descriptions of
each distinct job or occupation in the entire plant.
b. To provide a standard procedure for determining the relative worth of each
worth of each job in a plant.
c. To determine the rate of pay for each job which is fair and equitable with
relation to the job in the plant, community or industry.
d. To ensure that like wages are paid to all qualified employees for like work. -
e. To promote fair and accurate consideration of all employees for advancement
and transfer..
f. To provide a factual basis for the consideration of wage rates for similar jobs
in a community and in an industry.
g. To provide information for work organization, employees, selection,
placement, training and numerous other similar problems.
Procedure of Job Evaluation
Following steps are involved in job evaluation:
1) Analysis and prepare JOB description: JOB analysis provides information necessary
for appraising jobs like skills, knowledge, abilities, aptitude. Job description provides
information on duties and responsibilities. Job specification — provides information
relating to employees minimum acceptable qualities.
2)Select and prepare Job Evaluation Plan: Job should be divided into detailed
tasks and positions. It also includes selection of factors, elements needed for the
performance of jobs, determine the money value of each factor and element and writing
instructions for evaluation.
3)Classify the Jobs: Classify the jobs in a sequential order based on their significance
and contribution to the organization. This includes assigning money value to each class.
4)Install the program: Educate the employees and put the plan into operation.
5)Maintain the program: this step involves updating the job evaluation program,
bring modifications necessary based on the changes in the conditions and situations.
Job Evaluation Methods

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 The variation job evaluation methods are
I. Non Analytical Methods.
II. Analytical Methods
I. "Non Analytical Methods
a) Ranking Method: This is the simplest method most inexpensive method of evaluation. The
evaluation committees assess the worth of each job on the basis of tis title. This method
places jobs in order, ranging from highest to lowest in value to the organization. The entire
job is considered as one rather than the individual components. Ranking method though
simple is highly subjective and difficult to explain one job is ranked higher than another. This
method is normally used in small organizations having relatively few jobs.
b) Job Grinding Method : As in the ranking method, this method also does not call for a
detailed or quantitative analysis of job factors. It is based on the job as a whole. In this
method descriptions of each class of jobs are written and then each job in the organization is
put into a grade according to the class descriptions it best matches. Under this method jobs at
different levels in the organizational hierarchy are divided into various grades with clean cut
definition of each grade.. Grades are formulated on the basis of nature of tasks, requirements
of skill, knowledge, responsibilities and authority of various jobs. The steps involved are
a) Determine the shape and size of organizational structure (tall/Flat)
b) Prepare job descriptions
c) 'c) Prepare Grade descriptions
d) Establish number of grades and division of the organization into various grades like
grade I, II, III, etc.
e) Selection of keep jobs and grade then
f) Classifying the jobs of each grade.
g) Assign money value to the key grade first and then to all other grades.
Advantages
a) Simple and easy to understand.
b) Provides opportunity for a systematic organization structure.
c) More elaborate than ranking method,
Limitations
Sometimes seems to be arbitrary. Writing grade descriptions is difficult.
II. Quantitative / Analytical Methods
a)Points Rating Method: In this method jobs are broken into components for the
purpose of comparison. The method is quantitative as each component of the job is

23
 assigned a numerical value. The characteristics or factors considered to have a bearing on all
jobs in the program like skill, knowledge, responsibility, working conditions etc. are selected
under the method. Each factor is divided into degrees or levels and point value is assigned to
each level. The sum of the points gives an index of the relative significance of the job that
are rated.
The procedure involved in determining job points is as follows :
a) Determine the jobs to be evaluated. Jobs should cover all the major occupational
and levels of responsibility.
b) Decide on the factors to be used in analyzing and evaluate the jobs.
c) Define clearly the factors.
d) Determine degree of each factor and assign point value to each degree.
e) Point values are assigned to different degrees on the basis of Arithmetic Progression.
f) Finally money values are assigned to points.
Merits
a) Most comprehensive and accurate method.
b) Human bias is minimum.
c) Since method is systematic, employees accept this method. Scales developed can be
used for a long time.
Demerits
a) Time consuming and expensive.
b) Difficult to understand by workers
c) Lot of clinical work is involved
d) Not suitable for management jobs.
b) Factors Comparison Method: This method is a combination of both ranking and point
methods in the sense that it rates jobs by comparing them and makes analysis by breaking jobs
in to compensable factors. The procedure involves the following steps:
i.Developing job descriptions, job specifications, covering physical requirements,
mental requirements, skill requirements, training and experience, responsibility
and authority, working conditions etc.
ii.Selecting number of key jobs. The key job must be divided into sub factors and
components.
iii.Ranking the key jobs. The sub factors must be given relative ranks based on their individual
contribution to the total job.

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 iv.Valuing the sub factors of each of the key job. This is also known as job evaluation. Money
worth of each sub factor of the key jobs is ascertained in order to know the total money
value of each of the key job.
v.Interesting the monetary value of sub factors arrived through factor evaluation with
these of ranking of factors.
vi.Comparing all the jobs factor by factor, of the same grade or level with the related key job
and establishing monetary value to the sub factors of various jobs based on the
monetary value of sub factors.
Disadvantages
Costly and difficult to operate compared to non quantitative techniques.
Factor evaluation is not that much objective. Technique does not consider all the sub factors.
Advantages of Job Evaluation
a)Removing Inequalities: Job evaluation is a logical and, to some extent, an objective
method of ranking job relative to one another. It may help in removing inequalities in
existing wage structures and in maintaining sound and consistent wage differentials in
a plant or industry. In the case of new jobs the method often facilitates fitting them
into the existing wage structure.
b)Helps in Removing Grievances: The method helps in removing grievances
arising out of relative wages; and it improves labor-management relations and
workers' morale. In providing a yardstick; by which workers' complaints or claims can
be judged, the method simplifies discussion of wage demands and enables differences
in wages to be explained, and justified.
c)Establishing a Clear Basis for Negotiations: The method replaces the many
accidental factors occurring in less systematic procedures, of wage bargaining
by more impersonal and objects standards, thus establishing a clear basis for
negotiations.
d) Lead to Greater Uniformity in Wage Rates: The method may lead to greater
uniformity in wage rates, thus simplifying wage administration.
e)Useful for the Improvement of Selection, Transfer and Promotion: The
information collected in the process of job description and analysis may also be used
for the improvement of selection, transfer and promotion procedure on the basis of
comparative job requirements.

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 f)Efficient Use of the Plant's Labor: Such information also reveals that workers are
engaged in job requiring less skill and other qualities then they posses thereby, pointing to
the possibility of making more efficient use of the plant's labor.
Limitations of Job Evaluation
1)Not a Scientific Technique: Job evaluation is a systematic technique and not a
scientific technique of rewarding the job. Job evaluation backs scientific precision
because all factors cannot be measured accurately.
2)Problem of Adjustment: Through many ways of applying the job evaluation techniques
are available rapid changes in technology and in the supply and demand of particular
spills have given rise to problem of adjustment.
3)Unrealistic: Substantial differences exist between job factors and the factors emphasized
in the market. These differences are wider in cases in which the average pay offered
by a company is lower than that prevalent in other companies in the same industry or in
the same geographical area.
4)Organizational Limitations: A job evaluation scheme takes a long time to install. It
requires specialized personnel and it is costly.
5)Opposition by Workers: Job evaluation is regarded by the trade unions with suspicion
because it is made on certain principles and results are generally ignored. Some of the
methods of job evaluation are not easily understood by workers. Workers fear that job
evaluation will do away with collective bargaining.
6)Subjective: Too many factors are used in job evaluation and more over there is no
understanding list factors to be considered. Definitions of factors vary from organization to
organization. Many researches show that the factors used are not independently be
valued at all. It gives more reliance on internal standards and evaluation of fixing
wage rates.
7)Limitations of Evaluator: If evaluator is not well-versed in techniques and principles
of job-evaluation, job classification and job grading. The results of the job evaluation
will be quite inconsistent. Moreover, if evaluator is biased to a particular job, it will be
assigned more weight age.
8)Nature of Job: It is presumed that jobs of equal worth are equally attractive to all
workers but it is not so. If a job offers bright prospects it will 'attract more people. A
job having no prospect should be offered higher wages.

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