JOB ANALYSIS

Practical importance of Job Analysis

Every job has certain unique requirement and every individual’s personality consists of certain
specific traits and characteristics. Thus, each and every worker is not suitable for eas and every job,
and conversely, each and every work cannot be successfully performed by any and every employee.
The individual who fulfil the employee Specific requirements of Job is the best and and fittest person
for that Job. Job analysis has tremendous practical importance in modern industries and
organisations.

USES OF JOB ANALYSIS

Lawshe and Satten (1944) have pointed out four primary uses of Job analysis.

1. The derivation of training content.

2. The setting up of Personnel specifications.

3. The improvement of job efficiency.

4. The establishment of wage structures.

On the basis of a survey of 401 articles on the Literature of Job analysis Zerga (1943) holds that
there are mostly 20 specific uses of Job analysis,

1. Job grading and classification.

2. wage setting and Standardisation.

3. Provision for hiring specifications.

4. clarification of job duties and responsibilities.

5. Transfer and promotions.

6. Adjustment of grievances.

7. Establishment of a common understanding between various levels of workers and

management.

8. Defining and outlining Promotional steps

9. Investigating accidents.

10. Indicating faulty work Procedures or duplication of effort.

11. Maintaining, Operating and machinery. adjusting

[Link] and motion studies.

13. Defining limits of authority,

14. Indicating Cases of individual merit.

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17. Facilitating Job placement,

18. Studies of health and fatigue

19. Scientific guidance.

20. Determining Jobs suitable for Occupational therapy,

JOB ANALYSIS PROCEDURES

Mc Cormick (1971) and Tiffin described different Job analysis procedures.

Among them, usually there & are aspects of Job analysis procedures used to obtain data for a Job
analysis-

1. Method of Obtaining job information.

2. Nature of Job information.

Method of. Obtaining Job information.

a. Observation

Here the analyst observes the workers while they are performing their job in the plant. Using normal
observation procedure, the observer collects data on job description right on the job. This method is
more effectively applicable to short cycle than long cycle jobs, or to those jobs that differ
considerably from time to time. Observation is a slow and costly. method and the bias of the
Observer may influence the analysis of the job.

b. Interview:

The analyst, usually outside the actual gob situation, interviews the representatives. of the workers
or the individual workers and asks questions to get the necessary information about the Job. At
times, he might interview foremen, supervisors and experts who are experienced in the job in
question.

Though this technique is very time consuming and costly it gives a definite and full picture of the
jobs in question.

C. Questionnaire This method is applied to obtain information about the job through a well-
prepared questionnaire. The questionnaires are either delivered to the workers personally or by
Post. The employee is instructed to provide data about the job and about himself by answering the
questions and filling up the, questionnaire. Workers, Supervisors, and executives who are familiar
with the job supply information about the job in view.
It is a suitable method for those who can write and easily express themselves clearly. But low level
employees who are not sufficiently educated and lack ability for self-expression usually cannot
provide correct information about the job by this method.

d. Work Diaries

It is otherwise known as the self-recording method. By this technique the Job incumbents are
normally required to record their daily activities in a diary. In this diary the job activities are recorded
over a period of time, may be for several months or years, and it gives a comprehensive and
integrated picture of the Jobs. The chief advantage of this method is that systematic and orderly
information about the job can be obtained without much labour and expenditure. But a lot of time
of the Job Incumbent is consumed in daily recording. However, it is especially useful for high level
jobs such as executives, management on scientific positions. Dubin and Spray (1964); Hinsich (1964)
and Horne and Lupton (1965) have used this procedure recently for job analysis.

But if recording forms are not systematic it may consume a lot of time of the workers to record the
information and the analyst to find out the job characteristics.

e. Moving Picture films.

This method of Job analysis records the work in progress. It is different from the work observation
method in that here permanent record of the performance of the job is made. Furthermore, there is
less chance for bias and subjectivism of the observer to influence the information. This trend may
may be found to a considerable extend in the observation method.

f. Use of source material. Under some special situations. valuable information can be obtained
directly from various sources. For example maintenance records of the plant may be used as a
source of information about the frequency of repair activities. This information gives an idea about
the quality and manufacturing defects of the machines.

Nature of Job information.

a) Essay description technique:

Tiffin and McCormick (1971) hold the view that certain types of job information can be obtained by
the essay description technique.

This technique provides information about the job. in the form of an essay description. It also
supplies other information such as the listing of equipment’s and materials used, description of
working conditions etc. It also gives indications of the personal characteristics which are considered
necessary in the selection of individuals for the job.

b. Job check List and Questionnaires.

Job check lists and questionnaires consist of listing of job activities and other Job characteristics such
as working conditions, Job activities of different categories of employs etc. With the analysis of job,
information is given about each item.

In the case of the check list, the individual must mention whether or not the items apply to the job.

C. Activity analysis.
Otherwise referred to as task analysis, it makes a list of job activities. This technique of Job
Information has two distinct characteristics.

i. It makes an orderly and systematic. list of job activities in the same order as found in the job.

ii. It include job activities in details

With the variation of need or purpose, different procedures are used in active analysis.

D. motion and time study.

An analysis of job activities. made by the motion and time study developed by Gilbreth. Essential and
elemental motions of a particular job are identified in the motion study and unnecessary motions
are eliminated for developing Scientific and economic methods of performing a job.

Essential and elemental motions. of a particular job are identified in the motion Study and
unnecessary motions are eliminated for developing scientific and economic methods of performing a
Job. After the motion analysis, the time spent for completing each element of the Job is fixed and
the standard time for the total Operation is determined.

e. Critical Incidents Technique.

Flanagan (1954) has developed the critical incidents technique, which he holds, integrates the
problem of Job definition, Selection, classification, and the development of criteria measures. It
Provides for the listing or checking of Job behaviours that are critical to job performance. These job
behaviours may be positive or negative depending upon their desirability Or undesirability.

F. Check List method.

In this method, from a detailed list of possible task Statements, the workers check the tasks he
performs. Dunnette and knichnen (1959), Dunnette and England (1957) and the United States.
Department of Labour have developed various check lists of Job activities.

Check lists are quite easy for the Job incumbent to give his reply. The collection of Information
through check lists is less time consuming and less expensive. The data can be also collected from
large groups and it is quite economical.

G. Group interview method

By this method several employees working in a particular job are interviewed simultaneously. After
discussions with the interviewer the interviewer integrates and coordinates the view and opinions of
different employees into a single job description.

One advantage of this method is that it saves a great deal of time in comparison to the individual
interview method.

H. Technical conference method.

Technical personal and experts are engaged in gathering information about the job. These experts
hold discussions with the Job analysts and accordingly try to list the characteristics of the job.

One limitation of this method is that since experts do not perform the task themselves they usually
do not have enough Practical experience on the Job in question to give adequate job information.
Their judgement and views on the job may be a reflection of their background experience only.
Work Participation method:- In this method the job analyst; instead of depending upon the job
incumbents or experts for Job analysis information, depends upon his own estimates and judgement
by engaging himself actively on the Jobs. He performs the jobs himself and gets direct information
about the characteristics of the job in question.

Blum and Neylon (1968) opine that this is not only a time consuming and costly method, but also
requires the analyst to have sufficient training specially in complex jobs. However, for Simple jobs it
has proved to be useful and beneficial.

Forced Choice Techniques. Ghiselli (1954) has found that the forced Choice techniques can give
satisfactory predictions. of supervisory ability. This view confirms the report given by Radom (1950)
who found this technique to be useful in picking better foremen at standard oil of New Jersey.

Rating System. The rating system has also its advantages which should not be overlooked. Of course
the reliability and validity of the rating system should be checked and it must qualify itself to
measure what it intends to measure.(validity)

Conclusion:- It has been noticed that the job evaluation system, critical incidents and forced choice
have been the favourite means of Psychologists to obtain objectivity. In spite of the objectivity and
advantages of these methods the rating system should also be taken into consideration for the
purpose of Job analysis.

According to Habbe (1957), Job evaluation is also necessary for promotion, increase of Salary and for
the solution of other personal problems. It 18 observed that currently forced choice and Critical
incidents techniques are being introduced in industries though the importance of conventional
rating methods cannot be ruled out.

Job Psychograph: It consist of a Complete Statement of the Personnel requirement for a Job. A Job
psychograph involves an analysis and specifications of special abilities necessary for success, in a
particular job. It is an analysis in terms of the abilities required to do the job.

In job psychograph a list of traits from different areas is presented and each trait is rated on a five
point scale in accordance with its degree of importance for a particular job in question by a person
familiar with the job. The rater, by putting a cross mark in space 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, indicates that is he
regards a specific trait as negligible, barely significant, Significant, of great importance or of utmost
importance.
FIGURE; - Example of a JOB PSYCHOGRAPH

LIMITATIONS:-