Job Analysis

Concepts:
Before we proceed to explain the concept of job analysis, let us first understand the
meaning of the term ‘job’ itself

Job:
In simple words, a job may be understood as a division of total work into
packages/positions. According to Dale Yoder ‘, “A job is a collection or
aggregation of tasks, duties and responsibilities which as a whole, is regarded as a
regular assignment to individual employees and which is different from other
assignments”. Thus, a job may be defined as a group of positions involving some
duties, responsibilities, knowledge and skills.

Each job has a definite title based on standard trade specialisations within a job.
Each job is different from other jobs like peon, clerk, supervisor, and accountant,
manager, etc. A job may include many positions. A position is a particular set of
duties and responsibilities regularly assigned to an individual.

Job Analysis:

Job Analysis in layman’s language means the procedure of gathering information

about a job. This process involves two sets of information:

1. Job Description
2. Job Specification

Job analysis refers to the process of collecting information about a job. In other
words, it refers to the anatomy of the job. Job analysis is performed upon ongoing
jobs only. It contains job contents. For example, what are the duties of a
supervisor, grade II, what minimal knowledge, skills and abilities are necessary to
be able to adequately perform this job? How do the requirements for a supervisor,
grade II, compare with those for a supervisor, grade I? These are the questions that
job analysis answers.

Let us consider a few important definitions of job analysis.

According to Jones and Decothis “Job analysis is the process of getting

information about jobs: specially, what the worker does; how he gets it done; why
he does it; skill, education and training required; relationship to other jobs,
physical demands; environmental conditions”.

Edwin B. Flippo has defined job analysis as the process of studying and collecting
information relating to the operations and responsibilities of a specific job. The
immediate products of this analysis are job descriptions and job specifications”.

In the opinion of Herbert G. Hereman III, et. al., “A job is a collection of tasks that
can be performed by a single employee to contribute to the production of some
product or service provided by the organisation. Each job has certain ability
requirements (as well as certain rewards) associated with it. Job analysis is the
process used to identify these requirements”. Now, job analysis can be defined as
an assessment that describes jobs and the behaviours necessary to perform them.

Before going into these two sets let us talk about a few definitions of Job
Analysis.

 Job Analysis is a method of collecting and studying about the information

related to a particular job. It includes the operations and tasks of a specific job.
 Another meaning of Job analysis is a complete examination of activities in a
job. It can be considered a technical procedure that can be used to classify the
duties and responsibilities of a job.
 It can also be defined as a group of tasks which can be performed by a lone
employee towards the production of some services or products of an
organization.
Methods of Job Analysis
The most general Job Analysis methods are discussed below:

1. Observation Method: In this method the job analyst observes the employees
work and records all the tasks that are performed and also those that are not
performed. This may seem to be an easy method of job analysis, but it is the most
difficult one. The main reason being that every person has a different way of
observing things, which might involve personal bias, likes and dislikes which will
not give the desired results.

2. Interview Method: In this method the manpower is interviewed. The employee

under this method comes up with different ideas towards their working style,
problems faced by them and uncertainties or insecurities faced by them. It helps
the organization in knowing exactly what the employees are thinking about their
jobs. This helps in minimizing errors as not only one employee is interviewed, but
everyone in the organization is interviewed.

3. Questionnaire Method: This is another common method of Job Analysis,

which uses a questionnaire to be filled by the employees. Care should be taken
while framing questions for this, because this method also suffers from bias by the
superiors. It is always better if the staff is communicated in a better way to make
them understand that the data collected is for their own good. Here different types
of questionnaires are prepared for different grades which is also time consuming.

If we take it in a specific manner, Job Analysis involves the below steps:

→ Recording and collecting the information related to a job.

→ To check the accuracy of the job information.

→ Note down the Job Description as per the data gathered.

→ Use the data to determine the skills and knowledge that is required for a
particular job.

→ Updating the gathered information from time to time.

Process of job analysis:

Job analysis is as useful is not so easy to make. In fact, it involves a process.
Though there is no fool-proof process of making job analysis, following are
the main steps involved in job analysis:

1. Organisational Job Analysis:

Job analysis begins with obtaining pertinent information about a job’. This,
according to Terry is required to know the makeup of a job, its relation to other
jobs, and its contribution to performance of the organisation.

Such information can be had by dividing background information in various forms

such as organisation charts i.e., how the particular job is related to other jobs; class
specifications i.e., the general requirement of the job family; job description i.e.,
starting point to build the revised job description, and flow charts i.e., flow of
activities involved in a particular job.

2. Selecting Representative Jobs for Analysis:

Analysing all jobs of an organisation is both costly and time consuming. Therefore,
only a representative sample of jobs is selected for the purpose of detailed analysis.

3. Collection of Data for Job Analysis:

In this step, job data features of the job and required qualifications of the employee
are collected. Data can be collected either through questionnaire, observation or
interviews. However, due care should be taken to select and use the method of data
collection that is the most reliable in the given situation of the job.

4. Preparing Job Description:

The job information collected in the above ways is now used to prepare a job
description. Job description is a written statement that describes the tasks, duties
and responsibilities that need to be discharged for effective job performance.
5. Preparing Job Specification:
The last step involved in job analysis is to prepare job specification on the basis of
collected information. This is a written statement that specifies the personal
qualities, traits, skills, qualification, aptitude etc. required to effectively perform a
job.

As mentioned earlier Job Analysis is classified into two parts, Let us now discuss
these two important parts:

(a). Job Description: This is a very vital document which is usually explanatory in
nature. It consists of both organizational as well as functional information. It
provides information as to the scope of activities, position of the job and the
responsibilities. It gives the employees a very clear picture of what is required of
him to meet the goals of his job.

Job description is prepared on the basis of data collected through job analysis. Job
description is a functional description of the contents what the job entails. It is a
narration of the contents of a job. It is a description of the activities and duties to
be performed in a job, the relationship of the job with other jobs, the equipment
and tools involved, the nature of supervision, working conditions and hazards of
the job and so on.

All major categories of jobs need to be spelled out in clear and comprehensive
manner to determine the qualifications and skills required to perform a job. Thus,
job description differentiates one job from the other. In sum, job description is a
written statement of what a job holder does, how it is done, and why it is done.

A good Job Description must consist of the following:

(i). It should include the nature and scope of the job along with accountability.

(ii). A good Job Description should be lucid about the position, responsibilities and
duties.

(iii). The complexity of the job.

(iv). The amount of skills required for that particular job.

(v). How far are the problems consistent?

(vi). The level of responsibility the worker has for each stage of work.

Contents of Job Description

Usually the Job Description consists of the following:

→ Job classification: This includes title of the job, alternate title if any, job code,
division or department etc. The title of the job designates the job properly and
division or department indicates which department and location does the employee
work.
→ Job Summary: It serves two purposes here; one is that when the Job Title is
not sufficient it gives additional information on the job. Secondly it gives more
descriptive information about the particular job.
→ Duties and Responsibilities: This lists out the entire duties and responsibilities
of a particular job. Sometimes duties and responsibilities are also listed for
particular skills and their incidence of occurrence.
→ Relation to other jobs: This gives the employees a fair amount of picture as to
the hierarchy of the position. Like to whom they are reporting: senior, junior, etc.

Purposes of Job Description:

Job description is done for fulfilling the following purposes:
1. Grading and classification of jobs

2. Placement and Orientation of new employees

3. Promotions and transfers

4. Outlining for career path

5. Developing work standards

6. Counselling of employees

7. Delimitation of authority
(b). Job Specification: Job Specification converts the job description to
qualifications that are required for, in performing the job. This is usually a
statement which consists of qualification, characteristics, traits etc, for an
employee to possess to perform his duties. The first thing here is to prepare a
directory of all jobs and then the next step is to make a write up of each and every
job.

While job description focuses on the job, job specification focuses on the person
i.e, the job holder. Job specification is a statement of the minimum levels of
qualifications, skills, physical and other abilities, experience, judgment and
attributes required for performing job effectively. In other words, it is a statement
of the minimum acceptable qualifications that an incumbent must possess to
perform a given job. It sets forth the knowledge, skills and abilities required to do
the job effectively.

Job specification specifies the physical, psychological, personal, social and

behavioural characteristics of the job holders.

Contents of Job Specification

The following are the contents of Job Specification:

→ Physical Qualifications: These qualifications or specifications vary from job to

job. Physical Qualifications are nothing but the capabilities of employees. These
include height, weight, hearing, vision, capacity to handle machines etc.
→ Mental Qualifications: This includes the ability to interpret data, calculations,
planning, general knowledge, judgement, memory etc.
→ Social and Emotional specifications: This is vital for the role of Managers and
Supervisors. It includes emotional constancy and elasticity. It also includes the way
they dress, personality and relationship.
→ Behavioral Qualifications: This qualification is very important in selecting
employees for higher levels of management. This specification asks to depict the
acts of the managers rather than traits which cause those acts. This includes
creativity, research, maturity level, dominance etc.
Usages of Job Specification: The usages of job specification include:
1. Personnel planning

2. Performance appraisal
3. Hiring

4. Training and development

5. Job evaluation and compensation

6. Health and safety

7. Employee discipline

8. Work scheduling

9. Career planning

Contents of Job Description and Job Specification:

The contents of job description and job specification are presented in the following
Table 5.1.
Why job analysis? (Uses):
Job analysis is useful for overall management of all personnel activities.

The same is specified as follows:

1. Human Resource Planning:
The estimates the quantity and quality of people will be required in future. How
many and what type of people will be required depends on the jobs to be staffed.
Job-related information available through job analysis is, therefore, necessary for
human resource planning.

2. Recruitment and Selection:

Recruitment succeeds job analysis. Basically, the goal of the human resource
planning is to match the right people with the right job. This is possible only after
having adequate information about the jobs that need to be staffed. It is job
analysis that provides job information. Thus, job analysis serves as basis for
recruitment and selection of employees in the organisation.

3. Training and Development:

Job analysis by providing information about what a job entails i.e., knowledge and
skills required to perform a job, enables the management to design the training and
development programmes to acquire these job requirements. Employee
development programmes like job enlargement, job enrichment, job rotation, etc.

4. Placement and Orientation:

As job analysis provides information about what skills and qualities are required to
do a job, the management can gear orientation programmes towards helping the
employees learn the required skills and qualities. It, thus, helps management place
an employee on the job best suited to him/her.

5. Job Evaluation:
The job evaluation refers to determination of relative worth of different jobs. It,
thus, helps in developing appropriate wage and salary structures. Relative worth is
determined mainly on the basis of information provided by job analysis.

6. Performance Appraisal:
Performance appraisal involves comparing the actual performance of an employee
with the standard one, i.e., what is expected of him/her. Such appraisal or
assessment serves as basis for awarding promotions, effecting transfers, or
assessing training needs. Job analysis helps in establishing job standards which
may be compared with the actual performance/contribution of each employee.

7. Personnel Information:
Increasing number of organisations maintain computerised information about their
employees. This is popularly known as Human Resource Information System
(HRIS). HRIS is useful as it helps improve administrative efficiency and provides
decision support^ Information relating to human resources working in the
organisation is provided by job analysis only.

8. Health and Safety:

Job analysis helps in identifying and uncovering hazardous conditions and
unhealthy environmental factors such as heat, noise, fumes, dust, etc. and, thus,
facilitates management to take corrective measures to minimise and avoid the
possibility of accidents causing human injury