Job Analysis

What are we going to cover

 Some important definitions
 Purpose and uses of job analysis

 Contents of job analysis

 Steps in job analysis

 Methods / Techniques of collecting job

analysis information
 Competency based Job Analysis
 Some important definitions
 Job:
It is defined as collection & aggregation of
tasks, duties and responsibilities which is
regarded as regular assignment to
individual employees.

Each job has a definite title based upon

standardised trade specifications within a
job.

A job may include many positions.

 Some important definitions
 Position:
It is a collection of tasks and responsibilities
regularly assigned to one person.

While, a job is a group of positions, which

involve essentially the same duties,
responsibilities, skill and knowledge.

A job is impersonal while a position is

personal.
 Some important definitions
 Job Description:
It is a statement describing the job in terms
of its title, location, duties, working
conditions and hazards.

It tells us ‘what is to be done’, ‘how it is to

be done’ and ‘why’.
 Some important definitions
 Job Specification:
It is a statement of the minimum acceptable
human qualities necessary for the proper
performance of the job.

It is a characteristic of the people involved.

 Some important definitions
 Job Design:
It is the division of the total tasks to be
performed into manageable and efficient
units – positions, departments, divisions,
and to provide for their proper integration.
 Some important definitions
 Job Analysis:
It is a detailed and systematic study of
information relating to the operations and
responsibilities of a specific job.

It is the determination of the tasks which

comprise the job and of the skills,
knowledge, abilities and responsibilities
required of the employee for a successful
performance and which differentiates one
job from all others.
 Some important definitions
Thus it is a complete study of the job
embodying every known and determinable
factor.

It also emphasizes the relation of one job to

others in the organisation.
 Some important definitions
Job evaluation:
A comparative Study of all of the jobs is
made to determine the value of each job
when compared with other jobs.

The idea regarding compensation payable

for each job can be gathered by job
evaluation.
 Some important definitions
 Merit Rating:
In job evaluation, only the job is talked
about, but in merit rating, attention is
given towards the employee performing
the job.

Here, the importance of the employee in the

business, his abilities, intelligence,
training, education, etc. are compared with
other employees and compensation
payable to him is determined.
Purpose and Uses of Job Analysis
A comprehensive job analysis is the major
input to forecasting future human
resource requirements, job
modifications, job evaluation, and the
writing of job descriptions.
 Purpose and Uses of Job Analysis
The information provided by job analysis is
used for:
1. Organization and manpower planning:

Job analysis defines the labour needs in

concrete terms.

2. Recruitment and selection :

Job analysis provides information about
what the job entails and what human
characteristics are required to perform
these activities.
 Purpose and Uses of Job Analysis
3. Compensation:
Useful for estimating the value of each job.
The job’s required skill, educational level
can be assessed through job analysis.

4.Performance Appraisal:
A performance appraisal compares each
employee’s actual performance with his
or her performance standards. Job
analysis is used to determine that job’s
specific activities and performance
standards.
 Purpose and Uses of Job Analysis
5. Training and development:
Since the activities and skills are known
from the job analysis, the training that
the job requires is also known.

6. Health and safety:

Hazardous conditions and unhealthy
environmental factors can be identified.
 Job Analysis: area of application
Primary
work Job Organising
Activities Description
Job Manpower
Analysis Job Planning
Jobs Specification
Methods
Techniques Job Recruiting
Job Relations Evaluation & selecting
Structures Responsibilities
Assessment
of Training
performance & developing
Job Rotation
Job Enrichment Compensating
Secondary
Work
activities
 Contents of Job Analysis
A job analysis provides the following
information:

1. Job Identification: Title, code number

2. Significant characteristics of a job:

Location, physical setting, supervision,
hazards.
 Contents of Job Analysis
3. What the employee does: Tasks, their
timing, importance, routine or
complexity, responsibility or safety of
others.

4. Materials & equipments used by the

employee.
 Contents of Job Analysis
5. Required personnel attributes:
Experience, training, physical strength,
co-ordination, physical demands, mental
capabilities.

6. Job relationship: Experience required,

opportunities for advancement, patterns
of promotions, leadership skills required.
 Steps in Job Analysis
1. To determine the objectives
2. Collection of background information
3. Selection of representative positions to
be analyzed
4. Analyzing the job and collection of job
analysis data
5. Verifying the job analysis information
6. Develop job description and job
specification
 Steps in Job Analysis
1. To determine the objectives:
First decide where the job analysis
information is to be put to use, since this
will determine the data you collect and
how you collect it.

2. Collection of background information:

Relevant background information such as
organisation charts and process starts
and job descriptions if available, must be
checked.
 Steps in Job Analysis
Organisation charts show the organisation
wide division of work, the relation of the
job in question with the other jobs, and
where the job fits in the overall
organisation.
That chart should show the title of each
position and the reporting relationship.

A Process chart provides more detailed big

picture of the work flow. It shows the flow
of inputs to and outputs from the job in
question.
 Steps in Job Analysis
3. Selection of representative positions to
be analyzed:
Since there would be too many similar jobs
to analyze and it would be time
consuming, it is important to select
representative positions for analyzing
jobs.
 Steps in Job Analysis
4. Analyzing the job and collection of job
analysis data:
The data on complete scope of the job
activities, required employee behaviours,
working conditions, human traits and
abilities needed to perform the job must
be analyzed.

For this step one or more of the job analysis

techniques, which are explained later can
be used.
 Steps in Job Analysis
5. Verifying the job analysis information:
Verification of the collected information can
be done with the employee performing
the job and with his or her immediate
supervisor.

This will confirm that the information is

factually correct and complete & will also
help to obtain the employee’s acceptance
of the data and give the employee a
chance to modify his job description.
 Steps in Job Analysis
6. Develop job description and job
specification:
The two tangible products of job analysis are
job description and job specification
which will be developed at the end of this
process.
Methods / Techniques of collecting
Job Analysis information

 Qualitative job analysis techniques:

– Personal observation
– Questionnaires
– Interview
– Participant Diary / Log records

 Quantitative job analysis techniques:

– Position analysis questionnaire
– Functional job analysis
Methods / Techniques of collecting
Job Analysis information

 Personal observation:
Direct observation is useful when jobs
consist mainly of observable physical
activities. Eg. assembly line worker and
accounting clerk.

This method is usually not appropriate when

the job entails, a lot of mental activity.
Reactivity – the worker changes what he or
she normally does because you’re
watching – can also be a problem.
Methods / Techniques of collecting
Job Analysis information

Questionnaires:
Employees are given questionnaires to
describe their job related duties and
responsibilities.

The questionnaire should include a

combination of structured checklists and
open ended questions.
 Methods / Techniques of collecting
Job Analysis information

 Interviews:
Most widely used technique. Usually three
types of interviews of conducted to
collect job analysis data:

a. Individual interviews: with each

employee
b. Group interviews: with groups of
employees who have the same job
c. Supervisor interviews: with one or more
supervisors who know the job
Methods / Techniques of collecting
Job Analysis information

Advantages:

1. Relatively simple and quick way to

collect information.
2. Information that might never appear on
a written form can also be collected. Eg.
informal contacts that do not appear on
organization charts.
Methods / Techniques of collecting
Job Analysis information

3. Interview provides an opportunity to

explain the need for and functions of job
analysis.
4. A skilled interviewer can gather
information about important activities
that occur occasionally.
5. Employee can vent out his frustrations
that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Methods / Techniques of collecting
Job Analysis information

Disadvantages:

1. Distortion of information can occur due

to falsification or misunderstanding by
the interviewer.
2. Employees may view this interview as
an efficiency evaluation that might affect
their pay.
Methods / Techniques of collecting
Job Analysis information

3. Employees might exaggerate certain

responsibilities while minimizing others.
4. Obtaining valid information can thus be a
slow process.
5. The interviewer conducting the job
analysis interview must be skilled.
Methods / Techniques of collecting
Job Analysis information

Some typical questions asked:

1. What is the job being performed?

2. What are the major duties of your
position? What exactly do you do?
3. What are the basic accountabilities or
performance standards that typify your
work?
4. What are the education, experience, skill
requirements for your job?
5. What are the physical locations in which
you work?
Methods / Techniques of collecting
Job Analysis information
Interview Guidelines:

1. Identify the workers who know the job

best and those who will be most
objective in describing their duties and
responsibilities.

2. Quickly establish a rapport with the

interviewee and briefly explain the
purpose of the interview and how the
person was chosen for the interview.
 Methods / Techniques of collecting
Job Analysis information
3. Follow a structured checklist to ensure
crucial questions are asked ahead of
time. Also ask open-ended questions at
the end of the interview such as “Was
there anything we did not cover with our
questions?”
 Methods / Techniques of collecting
Job Analysis information
4. To ensure the coverage of important but
infrequently performed activities, ask the
employee to list his or her duties in order
of importance and frequency of
occurrence.

5. Finally, after the interview, review and

verify the data with the employee & his or
her immediate supervisor.
Methods / Techniques of collecting
Job Analysis information

 Participant Diary / Log records:

Employees are asked to maintain a diary or
a log of the activities they do during the
day. For every activity, the employee
records the activity along with the time
in a log. This produces a complete
picture of the job.
Methods / Techniques of collecting
Job Analysis information

 Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ):

This is a very structured job analysis
questionnaire.
The PAQ contains 194 items each of which
represents a basic element of the job. The
job analyst decides if each item plays a
role & if so, to what extent.
 Methods / Techniques of collecting
Job Analysis information

Advantage of PAQ:

It lets you assign a quantitative score to each

job based on these 5 basic activities:
1. Having decision-making / communication /
social responsibilities
2. Performing skilled activities
3. Being physically active
4. Operating vehicles / equipment
5. Processing information
 Methods / Techniques of collecting
Job Analysis information

Hence the PAQ results can be used to

quantitatively compare jobs to each other
& then assign pay levels to each job.
Methods / Techniques of collecting
Job Analysis information

 Functional job analysis:

It is a standardized method by which
different jobs can be quantitatively rated,
classified & compared. This analysis
contains rating for each job based on 7
dimensions.
Methods / Techniques of collecting
Job Analysis information

7 dimensions are:
1. Data
2. People
3. Things
4. Extent to which specific instructions are
necessary to perform the task
5. Extent to which reasoning & judgement are
necessary to perform the task
6. Mathematical ability required to perform the
task
7. Verbal & language facilities required to
perform the task
Methods / Techniques of collecting
Job Analysis information

Functional Job Analysis also identifies

performance standards & training
requirements.
 Competency based Job Analysis
What are competencies?
Competencies can be defined as
demonstrable characteristics of the person
that enable performance.

Competencies are broadly defined as

knowledge, skills or abilities a person
needs to do the job.

While more narrowly, competencies are

defined in terms of measurable behaviours
needed to do the job.
 Competency based Job Analysis
Competency based job analysis means
describing the job in terms of measurable,
observable, behavioural competencies
(knowledge, skills and/or behaviours) that
an employee doing that job must exhibit
to do with the job well.

Traditional job analysis focuses on “what” is

accomplished - on duties and
responsibilities, while competency analysis
focuses more on “how” the worker meets
the job’s objectives.
 Competency based Job Analysis
Why use Competency analysis?

1. Traditional job analysis may backfire if high

performance work system is your goal – as
this system requires motivated team
members to move freely among jobs. We
don’t want a “that’s not my job attitude.”

2. Describing the job in terms of skills,

knowledge and competencies is more
strategic which is required in today’s
business.
 Competency based Job Analysis
3. Measurable skills, knowledge, and
competencies are the heart of any
company’s performance management
process. Competency based job analysis
facilitates this performance management
process.
 To sum up…..
Job Analysis is a comprehensive study
which includes detailed and systematic
information relating to the operations
and responsibilities of a specific job and
has every known and determinable
factor about the job.

The final step in Job Analysis is

developing job description and job
specification.