Job Analysis

Process of determining and reporting pertinent information

relating to the nature of specific job and identifying the kind of
person who should be hired according to the nature of job. It
includes Job Requirements (what is done in the positions) and
Employee requirements (what skills are needed by the person
who holds the position).
Duties:
One or more task performed in carrying out a job responsibilities.
Micromotion

Elements

Tasks

Duties Responsibilities

Position

Jobs

Occupation
 Basic Terminology
Micromotion
It involves a very elementary movement, such as reaching,
grasping, positioning or realizing an object.
Element
An aggregation of two or more micromotion s forms an
element. An element is complete entity, such as picking up,
transporting and positioning an item.
Task:
Consists of one or more elements ,one of the distinct activities
that constitute logical an necessary steps in the performance
by an employee. A task is performed whenever human
effort ,physical or mental is exerted for a specific purpose. It is
sometimes helpful to view task as subset of duties. For
example, suppose one duty of a receptionist is to handle all
incoming correspondence. One task, as a part of this study,
would be to respond to all routine inquiries.
Responsibilities:
Obligation to perform certain task and assume certain duties.
Position
Duties when combined responsibilities (obligation to be performed)
define a position. Collection of tasks and responsibilities constituting
the total work assignment of a single employee.
Job
A group of position that are identical with respect to their major or
significant tasks and responsibilities and sufficiently alike to justify
their being covered by a single analysis. One or many person may be
employed in the same job.

For example, an organization may have two receptionist performing

the same job, however, they occupy two separate position.
Profession:
A group of similar job s forms an occupation. Because the job of
receptionist require similar skill, effort and responsibility in different
organization. being a receptionist may be viewed as an occupation.
 The process of Job Analysis
(1) Strategic choice
(a) Employee involvement
--The focus is on the job but not on the individual holding the
job. However individuals are consulted.
--To much employee involvement may result in bias in favor or
job.
--If less involvement ,they tend to become suspicious about the
motives behind job analysis.
(b) The level of details
For example, analyzing the number of movement and employee
make for a crane operator's job than HR manager’s position. To
analyze HR manager’s job by describing the various duties and
responsibilities the job requires is appropriate.
If the purpose is for mass input for intensive training programme or
an input for assessing how much the job is worth, the level of
details may be great. If goal is to add clarification to the rules
and responsibilities of job holder ,a less detailed job analysis
may be needed.
(c) When and how often
--An organization is newly established and job analysis is
initiated for the first time
--A new job is created in and established company
--A job is changed significantly due to change in technology,
methods, procedures and system
--Organization is contemplating a new remuneration plan
--The employee or manager feel that there exist certain
inequalities between job demands and the remuneration it
carries.

(d) Past oriented vs future orientated

For example, personal computers began to replace electronic
typewriters, thus changing the character of many typist jobs.
Many companies anticipated these change and began retaining
their typist before changing over a personal computer
 (e) Sources of job data
Non-human resource Human Resource
Existing job description and specification Job analyst
Equipment maintenance record Job incumbent
Equipment design blueprint Supervisors
Architectural blueprint of work area Job experts
Firms of employee working
Training manual and other job training materials
Popular literature such as magazine and -- newspaper
For non-human soruce,use such source which are most recent
--Use several sources for information whenever possible.
--Taken individual who perform the job or observe the job.
--Interview both male and female
--Information from both high and low performer
--Group of individual with varying levels of experience
De-jobbing is the result of several change take place in business today such
as accelerating product and technological change, globalised competition,
deregulation, political instability, demographic change, trend toward a
service-oriented society, the arrival of information age.
 (2) Information Gathering
Types of job information
Work activities
Description of work activities (task)
How is a task performed?
Why is a task performed?
When is task performed?
Interface with other job and equipment
Procedures used
Behavior required on the job
Physical movement and demands of the jobs
Machine, tool, equipment and Work aids used
List of machine, tools etc used
Material processed with item in listed in II-A
Products made with items listed in II-A
Service rendered with item listed in II-A
Job context Personal requirement
Physical working conditions Specific skill, training
Expose to heat, Dust, toxic substances Specific education a
Indoor versus outdoor environment Work experience
Organizational context Physical characteristics
Social context Aptitude
Work schedule
 (3) Information processing
(4) Job Requirements/Job Description
It is a description of the activities and duties to be performed in
a job, the relationship of the job with other job, the equipment
and tools involved, nature of supervision, working condition.
--Date written,
--Job status ( full time or part-time, salary or wage),
--Position title,
--Job summary (a synopsis of job responsibilities),
--Detailed list of duties and responsibilities
--Supervision received (To whom the jobholder reports),
--Supervision exercised, if any (who reports to this employer),
--Principal contract (in and outside the organization),
--Related meeting to be attended and reports to be filled,
--Career mobility for which job holder may qualify,
--Machines, Tools And Equipments
--Working Environment
--Job Hazards

(2) Employee Requirements/Job specification

The job Specification statement contains the following
contents:
--Required Education and experience
--Health And Physical Fitness
--Appearance
--Mental And Other Abilities
--Training
--Judgment
--Communication skill
--Emotional characteristics
--Unusual sensory demands such as sight smell, hearing
Example Overview
The example below is for a sales person who is selling
financial service products. About 75% of his/her time is spent
in the office and the other 25% is out on the road making
presentations to customers. The job requires a Certified
Financial Planners designation and requires heavy duty lead
generation.

Job Title:              Financial Planning Sales

Classification:       Full Time Employee
Department/Division:  Financial Product Department
Location:            Orange County California
Pay Grade:     Level IV (Base + Commission)
 Job Requirements
A. Job Duties
    1) Create targeted new client lists within Orange County California
territory
    2) Makes initial contact with potential clients
    3) Performs routine and regular follow up with potential clients
    4) Performs routine and regular follow up with former clients
    5) Visits potential clients and makes sales presentations
    6) Closes sales
    7) Maintains regular record reporting sales activity
B. Computer Skills and Software Used
    1) Windows operating system
    2) MS Office including Word, Excel and PowerPoint
    3) Constant Contact or other Customer Relations Management
Software   
C. Reporting Structure
    1) Reports to regional sales manager
    2) Has nobody directly reporting to this position
    3) Required to participate in Annual Sales Meeting
 Employee Requirements
A. Education and Training
    1) Bachelor Degree in business, finance or accounting or 5 Years
experience and High School Diploma. Bachelors Degree
Preferred
    2) ABC Financial Planning - Level 3 or higher (Fictional) 
B. Skills and Aptitudes
    1) Fearless cold caller, 250+ Outbound calls per week
    2) Ability to close a sale
    3. Adapt to changing financial conditions and meet customer
expectations   
C. Environment and Physical
    1) Work in high volume sales office
    2) Be able to sit for prolonged periods of time
    3) Be able to travel to client locations 25% of time
D. Licenses/Certifications
    1) CFP - Certified Financial Planner
    2) California Drivers License
 Working condition
Travel to hospital clients in country from one to another days
per month. Travel around each work site collecting job
information .Works mostly in an office settings

Translating of Working Condition from Job Description to

Job Specification

Job description statement Job specification interpretation

On working condition On working condition

1.Work in psychically 1.Must be willing to work inside.

comfortable surrounding. .
2.Deals with physically ill 2.Exposed to unpleasant situation
and diseased patients. and
communicable diseases.
3.Deals with mentally ill 3.Exposed to verbal
patients and physical abuse
 Job Analysis Method
(1) Observation:
Under this method, data is collected through observing an
employee while at work. The job analyst on the basis of
observation carefully records what the worker does, how he/she
does, and how much time is needed for completion of a given
task.
--Motion Study
--Time study
--Work sampling
(2) Interview:
In this method, the job analyst directly interviews the job
holder through a structured interview form to elicit information
about the job. This method is found suitable particularly for
jobs wherein direct observation is not feasible. By way of
directly talking to the job holder, the interviewer job analyst
may extract meaningful information from the job holder about
his/her job.
(3) Checklists:
The checklist method of job data collection differs from the questionnaire
method in the sense that it contains a few subjective questions in the form of
yes or no. The job holder is asked to tick the questions that are related to
his/her job. Checklist can be prepared on the basis of job informa­tion obtained
from various sources such as supervisors, industrial engineers, and other
people who are familiar with the particular job.
(4) Critical Incidents:
This method is based on the job holder’s past experiences on the job. They are
asked to recapitu­late and describe the past incidents related to their jobs. The
incidents so reported by the job holders are, then, classified into various
categories and analyzed in detail.
(5) Diaries or Log Records:
In this method, the job holder is asked to maintain a diary recording in detail
the job-related activities each day. If done judiciously, this method provides
accurate and comprehensive information about the job. This overcomes
memory lapses on the part of the job holder.
(6) Technical Conference Method:
In this method, a conference is organized for the supervisors who possess
extensive knowledge about job. They deliberate on various aspects of the job.
The job analyst obtains job information from the discussion held among these
experts/supervisors. The method consumes less amount of time.
(7) Questionnaires:
For exiting jobs, the incumbents complete the questionnaire,
has it checked by the immediate manager, and return it to the
job analyst. If the job analyzed is new, the questionnaire is
normally sent to the manager who will supervise the employee
in the new job.

Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ):The PAQ contains

194 job elements on which a job is created depending on the
degree to which an element is present. These elements are
grouped into six general categories.

Management Position Description Questionnaire (MPDQ):

It is a highly structured questionnaire containing 208 items
relating to managerial responsibilities, restrictions, demands
and other miscellaneous position characteristics. These 208
items are grouped under the 13 categories.
 Job design
“Job design involves systematic and conscious attempt to organize tasks,
duties and responsibilities into a unit of work to achieve certain objectives”
It can now be described as a deliberate attempt made to structure both
technical and social aspect of the job to attain a fit between the individual
(job holder ) and the job.
Factors affecting Job design
(1) Organizational factors
(a) Characteristics of task
A job design involves a number of tasks performed by a group of workers.
Further, each task consists of three internal features, namely, (i) planning,
(ii) executing, and (iii) con­trolling. An ideal job design needs to integrate all
these three features of tasks to be performed.
(b) Work flow
Consider the car as a product. The frame of a car needs to be built before the
fenders, and similarly the doors will be built later. Thus, once the sequences
of tasks are determined, and then the balance between tasks is established.
(c) Ergonomics
Jobs are designed in such a way to match job requirements with worker’s
physical abilities to perform a job effectively.
 (d) Work practices
Practice means a set way of doing work based on tradition or
collective wishes of workers. While designing jobs, these work
practices need to be taken into consideration. Evi­dences are available
to state that ignoring work practices can result in undesirable
consequences F.W. Taylor determined work practices by time and
motion study.
(2) Environmental factors
(a) Social and cultural expectation
Days are gone when workers were ready to do any job under any
working conditions. But, with increase in their literacy, education,
knowledge, awareness, etc. have raised their expectations from the
jobs. In view of this, jobs for them need to be designed accordingly.
It is due to this reason that the job design now is characterized by the
features like work hours, rest breaks, vacations, religious beliefs, etc.
Disregarding these social expectations can create dissatisfaction, low
motivation, high turnover and low quality of working life”.
(b) Employee abilities and availability
The various task elements should be included in accordance with the employee
abilities and capabilities. Incorporating job elements beyond the employee
ability will be causing mismatch between the job &the job holder.
(3) Behavioral factors
(a) Feedback
Job design should be determined in such a way that workers receive meaningful
feedback about what they did. Feedback helps workers improve their
performance.
(b) Autonomy
Research studies report that jobs that give autonomy to workers also increase
sense of responsibility and self esteem. On the contrary, absence or lack of
autonomy can cause workers apathy to jobs and, in turn, low and poor
performance.
(c) Use of abilities
Workers perform jobs effectively that offer them opportunity to make use of
their abilities. Workers find such jobs as interesting and challenging.
(d) Variety
Lack of variety, or say doing the same work, causes boredom which, in turn,
leads to fatigue. Fatigue causes mistakes and accidents. But, by incorporating
elements of variety in the job, boredom, fatigue and mistakes can be avoided and
the job can be done in more effective and efficient manner
Method/technique of job design
 2. Job Rotation:
Job rotation is a practice of moving employees between jobs in an organization.
This increases the skill variety, helps employees orientate in potential new roles,
and learn through different experiences. 
Job rotation programs can lead to increased motivation and create flexibility in
deployment resulting in easy replacement in case of absence.

(13) Job enlargement

Job enlargement is the horizontal expansion of a job. Job Enlargement involves
quantitatively extending the scope of activities carried out by the job. It involves
the addition of tasks at the same level of skill and responsibility. It is done to
keep workers from getting bored. For example small companies may not have as
many opportunities for promotion, so they try to motivate employees through
job enlargement.
A person hired to handle the reception work is responsible for handling customer
enquiries, queries and calls on the front desk. She kept on doing the same work
for two years and got bored. She discussed the problem with the HR manager,
who planned to implement job enlargement for making her job profile
interesting. Few more task were added to her job profile like interacting with the
clients and making outbound calls to create new customers for the company.
These added tasks reduced her monotony.
 (14) Job enrichment
Job Enlargement involves qualitatively horizontal increasing the range of activities
performed by a single job to make it better than before. Job Enlargement reduces
boredom and monotony while performing a single task, on and on. Conversely, Job
Enrichment makes the job more challenging, exciting as well as creative.

A human resource executive was initially responsible for maintaining the employees’
record and calling the candidates for interviews as directed by the HR manager. To
add more value to the HR executive’s job profile, the manager gave him some
authority related to the work already assigned to him. The new responsibilities
included providing the employees’ provident fund details to the accounts
department, keeping contact with the provident fund office and initial scrutinizing of
the candidates for the interviews. These additional responsibilities hold authority and
accountability, making the employee more efficient, confident and satisfied with the
job

(15) Job simplification

It’s an opposite of job enlargement. Job simplification is the process of removing
tasks from existing roles to make them more focused.  Job simplification is about
stripping skill variety to create a more focused task. This can be used in case of job
creep when a job has been enlarged over time and has become unmanageable.