Module: II

JOB ANALYSIS
What Is a Job?
A group of homogeneous tasks related by similarity of functions.
When performed by an employee in an exchange for pay, a job consists of duties, responsibilities, and tasks
(performance elements) that are (1) defined and specific, and (2) can be accomplished, quantified, measured,
and rated. From a wider perspective, a job is synonymous with a role and includes the physical and social
aspects of a work environment. Often, individuals identify themselves with their job or role (foreman,
supervisor, engineer, etc.) and derive motivation from its uniqueness or usefulness.

Job Analysis
Job analysis contains a simple term called "analysis", which means detailed study or examination of something
(job) in order to understand more about it (job). therefore job analysis is to understand more about a specific job
in order to optimize it. Job analysis is a systematic process of collecting complete information pertaining to a
job. Job analysis is done by job analyst who is an officer have been trained for it.
Job analysis is a procedure through which you determine the duties and responsibilities, nature of the jobs and
finally to decide
qualifications, skills and
knowledge to be
required for an
employee to perform
particular job. Job
analysis helps to
understand what tasks
are important and how
they are carried on. Job
analysis forms basis for
later HR activities such
as developing effective
training program, selection of employees, setting up of performance standards and assessment of employees (
performance appraisal)and employee remuneration system or compensation plan.

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It refers to a systematic process of collecting all information about a specific job, including skill requirements,
roles, responsibilities and processes in order to create a valid job description. Job analysis also gives an
overview of the physical, emotional & related human qualities required to execute the job successfully.
It is an important step in ensuring that the right candidate is selected. Job analysis helps the employer in
recruitment and selection, performance management, choosing compensation and benefits, etc. It helps the
employees to have a clear picture of what is actually required of them.

Its objectives include

(a) to determine most effective methods for performing a job.
(b) to increase employee job satisfaction.
(c) to identify core areas for giving training to employees and to find out best methods of training.
(d) development of performance measurement systems, and
(e) to match job-specifications with employee specifications while selection of an employee.

Advantages of Job Analysis

1. Job analysis helps the personnel manager at the time of recruitment and selection of right man on right
job.
2. It helps him to understand extent and scope of training required in that field.
3. It helps in evaluating the job in which the worth of the job has to be evaluated.
4. In those instances where smooth work force is required in concern.
5. When he has to avoid overlapping of authority- responsibility relationship so that distortion in chain of
command doesn’t exist.
6. It also helps to chalk out the compensation plans for the employees.
7. It also helps the personnel manager to undertake performance appraisal effectively in a concern.

Uses of Job Analysis

The various uses of job analysis are:
a) Human resource planning
b) Recruitment
c) Selection
d) Placement and orientation
e) Training

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 f) Counseling
g) Employee safety
h) Performance appraisal
i) Job design and redesign
j) Job evaluation

1. Human Resource Planning: -

Job analysis is useful in human resource planning in terms of demand forecasting. It finds out the
requisite knowledge and skills required to perform a job.
2. Recruitment: -
Job analysis helps in recruitment in terms of finding how and when people should be hired for new job
openings. It makes the recruitment process easier by highlighting the skills, knowledge and abilities
required to perform a job.
3. Selection: -
Job analysis helps in selecting the right person by making the employer understand what is to be done on
a job.
4. Placement and Orientation: -
Job analysis is useful in putting the newly selected person at the right place in the organization.
5. Training: -
Job analysis eases the training process by identifying the duties and responsibilities associated with a
job. If the candidate doesn’t have enough knowledge, then training is provided to make him effective.
6. Counseling: -
Proper counseling of the employee is possible only after knowing the details about the employee’s job.
This helps in grooming the career of the employees.
7. Employee Safety: -
Through a proper job analysis the analyst can know the health hazards and accidents associated with a
job. By knowing, proper steps can be undertaken to eradicate those situations.
8. Performance Appraisal: -
In case of performance appraisal the appraiser compares the performance of the employee with the
standard performance based on job analysis. It makes the process of performance appraisal easy and
simple.
9. Job Design and Redesign: -

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 Through job analysis the details of job are identified. From this the weak areas in a job are identified. It
helps in reducing unnecessary movements, simplify certain steps and improve the existing ones through
continuous monitoring.
10. Job Evaluation: -
It is finding the relative worth of a job in relation to other jobs in the organization. This is done with the
help of the job analysis. Job evaluation helps in fixing the pay package of employees with internal and
external pay equity.

PROCESS of Job Analysis

1. Defining the objectives: The foremost step in the
process of job analysis is defining the objective of the
job analysis. The objective could be either of the
following:
 Redesign the job description

 Revise the compensation program

 Change the organization structure

 Redesign the job in a particular department.

Once the objective is selected, it should be well communicated to the top management because with its
support only, the changes can be made in the organization.
2. Preparing the job Analysis: After setting an objective, the kind of jobs that are to be analyzed are selected,
whether the clerical jobs, managerial jobs, division specific job, etc. Also, the members who are included in
the analysis and the methods to be used are identified. At this stage, the complete review of the existing job
description is done to have a fair insight of the duties, responsibilities, organization chart, working
conditions, hazards, etc. that exist in a particular set of jobs.
3. Performing the Job Analysis: The next stage in the process of job analysis is to perform or begin with the
job analysis. Here, the sufficient time should be allotted for collecting the job details from the employees.
The information from the employees can be collected through questionnaires, interviews, or through an
observation method. Once the information gets collected it needs to be sorted on the basis of its nature,
division, and department.

4. Designing Job Descriptions and Job Specifications: At this stage, the job analyst prepares a draft of the
job description and the specifications. After sorting of the information, the changes that need to be made in

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 the jobs is identified and is written on paper. Once the draft gets prepared, it is circulated to the managers,
supervisors, and the employees.

5. Control Job Descriptions and Job Specifications: This is the last step in the process of job analysis
wherein the job descriptions and the specifications are timely checked and modified according to the
changing needs of the organization.
The job analysis results in the job description and the job specification. The Job description comprises of

job duties, the level of responsibilities, working conditions, etc. and whereas the job specification tells about
the skills, education, background, qualification, training, communication skills required to perform a
specific job.

Methods of Collecting Job Data

The methods of collecting job-related data are
 observational method,
 interviews,
 questionnaire,
 checklists,
 technical conferences, and
 diary
A combination of these approaches may be used depending upon the situation and the organization. A brief
description of each method is in order.

Observation
In this method, the job analyst carefully observes the job holder at work and records what he or she does, how
he or she does, and how much time is needed for completion of a given task. This method has both positive as
well as negative sides. On the positive side, the method is simple, and the data collected are accurate because of
direct observation. On the flip side, it may be told that the method is time consuming and inapplicable to jobs
which involve high proportions of unobservable mental activities and those which do not have complete and
easily observable job cycles.
The analyst needs to be trained to carefully observe and record the competence of a job incumbent. And training
means additional cost. Considering all these, the observation method may be used for analyzing repetitive,

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short-cycle, unskilled and semi-skilled jobs. Better results will be available when the observation method is
used along with other method(s) of job analysis.

Interview
In this, the analyst interviews the job holder and his/her supervisor to elicit information about the job. Usually, a
structured interview form is used to record the information. During the interview, the analyst must make
judgements about the information to be included and its degree of importance.
The interview method is time consuming. The time problem will be compounded if the interviewer talks with
two or more employees doing the same job. Furthermore, professional and managerial jobs are more
complicated to analyze and usually require a longer interview. Then, there ts the problem of bias. Bias on the
part of the analyst and the job holder may cloud the accuracy and objectivity of the data obtained. The interview
method has one positive feature, that is, it involves talking to the job holders who are in a good position to
describe what they do, as well as the qualifications needed to perform their duties in a competent manner.
The effectiveness of the interview method depends on the interviewer and on the ability of the job holder to
make meaningful responses.

Questionnaire
Job holders fill in the given structured questionnaires, which are then approved by their supervisors. The filled-
in questionnaires offer enough data on jobs. Standard questionnaires are available or they may be prepared for
the purpose by the analysts. Standard or prepared, questionnaires should contain the following basic
information:
 The job title of the job holder;
 The job title of the job holder’s manager or supervisor;
 The job titles and numbers of the staff reporting to the job holder (best recorded by means of an
organization chart);
 A brief description (one or two sentences) of the overall role or purpose of the job; and
 A list of the main tasks or duties that the job holder has to carry out; as appropriate, these should specify
the resources controlled, the equipment used, the contracts made and the frequency with which the tasks
are carried out.

Checklists
A checklist is similar to a questionnaire, but the response sheet contains fewer subjective judgements and tends
to be either-yes-or-no variety. Checklists can cover as many as 100 activities and job holders tick only those

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tasks that are included in their jobs. Preparation of a checklist is a challenging job. The specialists who prepare
the list must collect all relevant information about the job concerned. Such information can be obtained by
asking supervisors, industrial engineers, and others familiar with the work.
When a checklist has been prepared for a job, it is sent to the job holder. The job holder is asked to check all
listed tasks that he/she performs and indicate the amount of time spent on each task as well as the training and
experience required to be proficient in each task. He/she may also be asked to write any additional tasks he/she
performs which is not stated in the checklist.
One advantage of the checklist method is that it is useful in large firms that have a large number of people
assigned to one particular job. Also, this technique is amenable to tabulation and recording on electronic data-
processing equipment. The technique, however, is costly and, hence, not suitable for small firms.

Technical Conference Method

In this method, services of supervisors who possess extensive knowledge about a job are used. It is from these
experts that details about the job are obtained. Here, a conference of supervisors is used. The analyst initiates
discussion which provides details about jobs. Though a good method of data collection, this method lacks
accuracy because the actual job holders are not involved in collecting information.

Diary Method
This method requires the job holders to record in detail their activities each day. If done faithfully, this
technique is accurate and eliminates errors caused by memory lapses the job holder makes while answering
questionnaires and checklists. This method, however, is time consuming because the recording of tasks may
have to be spread over a number of days. It also engages considerable time of a production worker. No wonder,
the diary method is not used much in practice.

Job Description
A job description is a document intended to provide
job applicants with an outline of the main duties and
responsibilities of the role for which they are
applying.
The description is usually drawn up by the individual
in the organisation responsible for overseeing the
selection process for the role, often with the help of
the company’s HR department and/or an external

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recruiter.
Job description includes basic job-related data that is useful to advertise a specific job and attract a pool of
talent. It includes information such as job title, job location, reporting to and of employees, job summary, nature
and objectives of a job, tasks and duties to be performed, working conditions, machines, tools and equipments
to be used by a prospective worker and hazards involved in it.
This type of document is descriptive in nature and it constitutes all those facts which are related to a job such as:
1. Title/ Designation of job and location in the concern.
2. The nature of duties and operations to be performed in that job.
3. The nature of authority- responsibility relationships.
4. Necessary qualifications those are required for job.
5. Relationship of that job with other jobs in a concern.
6. The provision of physical and working condition or the work environment required in performance of
that job.

Purpose of Job Description

 The main purpose of job description is to collect job-related data in order to advertise for a particular
job. It helps in attracting, targeting, recruiting and selecting the right candidate for the right job.
 It is done to determine what needs to be delivered in a particular job. It clarifies what employees are
supposed to do if selected for that particular job opening.
 It gives recruiting staff a clear view what kind of candidate is required by a particular department or
division to perform a specific task or job.
 It also clarifies who will report to whom.

Advantages of Job Description

1. It helps the supervisors in assigning work to the subordinates so that he can guide and monitor their
performances.
2. It helps in recruitment and selection procedures.
3. It assists in manpower planning.
4. It is also helpful in performance appraisal.
5. It is helpful in job evaluation in order to decide about rate of remuneration for a specific job.
6. It also helps in chalking out training and development programmes.

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Job Specification
Also 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, intelligence, aptitude, memory, judgment, leadership skills, emotional ability,
adaptability, flexibility, values and ethics, manners and creativity, etc.
The contents are:
1. Job title and designation
2. Educational qualifications for that title
3. Physical and other related attributes
4. Physique and mental health
5. Special attributes and abilities
6. Maturity and dependability
7. Relationship of that job with other jobs in a concern.

Purpose of Job Specification

 Described on the basis of job description, job specification helps candidates analyze whether are eligible
to apply for a particular job vacancy or not.
 It helps recruiting team of an organization understand 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.
 Job Specification gives detailed information about any job including job responsibilities, desired
technical and physical skills, conversational ability and much more.
 It helps in selecting the most appropriate candidate for a particular job.

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 counseling 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.

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Job description and job specification are two integral parts of job analysis. They define a job fully and guide
both employer and employee on how to go about the whole process of recruitment and selection. Both data sets
are extremely relevant for creating a right fit between job and talent, evaluate performance and analyze training
needs and measuring the worth of a particular job.

Job Design
As we know, organizations are human association for achieving goals. In an organization, different types of
activities are to be performed to achieve organizational goal. Activities may be of different types and nature
requiring different skills to perform it. So, to perform the activities smoothly, it should be organized or
managed. The process of organizing and managing activities can be known as job design.
Job design is defined as a process of describing a job in terms of its duties and responsibilities; the methods to
be used in carrying out the job in terms of techniques, systems, and procedures; and the relationship that should
exist between the job holders and their superiors, subordinates, and colleagues.
Job design refers to how a set of tasks, or an entire job, is organized. Job design helps to determine:
 what tasks are done,
 how the tasks are done,
 how many tasks are done and
 In what order the tasks are done.

Factors affecting Job Design

1. Organizational Factors: - Organizational factors that
affect job design can be work nature or characteristics,
workflow, organizational practices, and ergonomics.
 Work Nature: There are various job elements,
and job design is required to classify various
tasks into a job or a coherent set of jobs. The
various tasks may be planning, executing,
monitoring, controlling, etc., and all these are to
be considered while designing a job.
 Ergonomics: Ergonomics aims to design jobs so that the physical abilities and individual traits of
employees are taken into consideration to ensure efficiency and productivity.
 Workflow: Product and service type often determines the sequence of a workflow. A balance is
required between the various product or service processes, and a job design ensures this.

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  Culture: Organizational culture determines the way tasks are carried out at the workplace. Practices are
methods or standards laid out for carrying out a certain task. These practices often affect the job design,
especially when the practices are not aligned to the interests of the unions.

2. Environmental Factors: - Environmental factors affect job design to a considerable extent. These factors
include both internal as well as external factors. They include factors like employee skills and abilities, their
availability, and their socio-economic and cultural prospects.
 Employee availability and abilities: Employee skills, abilities, and availability play a crucial role in
designing jobs. The above-mentioned factors of employees who will perform the job are taken into
consideration. Designing a more demanding job and above their skill set will lead to decreased
productivity and employee satisfaction.
 Socio-economic and cultural expectations: Jobs are nowadays becoming more employee-centered
rather than process-centered. They are, therefore, designed to keep the employees into consideration. In
addition, the literacy level among the employees is also on the rise. They now demand jobs that are to
their liking and competency and which they can perform the best.

3. Behavioral Factors: - Behavioral factors or human factors pertain to human needs and need to be satisfied to
ensure productivity at the workplace. They include elements like autonomy, diversity, feedback, etc. A brief
explanation of them is given below:
 Autonomy: Employees should work in an open environment rather than one that contains fear. It
promotes creativity, independence and leads to increased efficiency.
 Feedback: Feedback should be an integral part of the work. Each employee should receive proper
feedback about his work performance.
 Diversity: Repetitive jobs often make work monotonous, which leads to boredom. A job should carry
sufficient diversity and variety so that it remains as interesting with every passing day. Job
variety/diversity should be given due importance while designing a job.
 Use of Skills and abilities: Jobs should be an employee rather than process-centered. Though due
emphasis needs to be given to the latter, jobs should be designed so that an employee can make full use
of his abilities and perform the job effectively.

Benefits of Job Design

The following are the benefits of good job design:

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 1. Employee Input
A good job design enables good job feedback. Employees have the option for various tasks as per their
personal and social needs, habits, and circumstances in the workplace.
2. Employee Training
Training is an integral part of job design. Contrary to the philosophy of “leave them alone,” job design
emphasizes training people to be well aware of their job demands and how it is to be done.
3. Work/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. Adjustments
A good job design allows for physically demanding jobs by minimizing the energy spent doing the job
and aligning the human resources requirements for the same.
5. Job design is a continuous and ever-evolving process aimed at helping employees makes adjustments to
the changes in the workplace. The end goal is reducing dissatisfaction, enhancing motivation, and
employee engagement at the workplace.

Techniques of Job Design

Job enlargement, job enrichment, job rotation, and job
simplification are the various techniques used in job
design exercises. A well-designed job will encourage a
variety of’ good’ body positions, have reasonable
strength requirements, require a reasonable amount of
mental activity, and help foster feelings of
achievement and self-esteem.
Achieving good job design involves administrative
practices that determine what the employee does, for
how long, where, and when and giving the employees
a choice where ever possible.

1. Job Simplification
Job is simplified or specialized. The job is broken down into small parts, and each part is assigned to an
individual.

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To be more specific, work simplification is mechanical pacing of work, repetitive work processes, working only
on one part of a product, predetermining tools and techniques, restricting interaction amongst employees, few
skills requirements. Work simplification is used when jobs are not specialized.

2. Job Rotation
Job rotation means systematically moving workers from one job to another.
When incumbents become bored with routine jobs, job rotation is an answer to it. Here jobs remain unchanged,
but the incumbents shift from one job to another.
On the positive side, it increases the intrinsic reward potential of a job because of the different skills and
abilities needed to perform it. Workers become more competent in several jobs, know various jobs, and improve
the self-image and personal growth.
Further, the worker becomes more valuable to the organization. On the negative side, it may not be much
enthusiastic, or efficiency may not be more.
Besides, jobs may not improve the relationships between tasks, while activities and objectives remain
unchanged. Further training costs also rise, and it can also de-motivate intelligent and ambitious trainees who
seek specific responsibilities in their chosen specialties.

3. Job Enlargement
Job enlargement means assigning workers additional same-level activities. Job enlargement changes the jobs to
include more and/or different tasks. It means expanding the number 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 skills and abilities are needed. There is only
horizontal expansion.
It is with the same skills taking additional responsibilities like extending working hours etc. Job enlargement
may involve breaking up the existing work system and redesigning a new work system.

4. Job Enrichment
Job enrichment is the improvisation of both task efficiency and human satisfaction by building into people’s
jobs, specifically, greater scope for personal achievement and recognition, more challenging and responsible
work, and more opportunity for individual advancement and growth.
An enriched job will have more responsibility, more 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.

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5. Job Reengineering
Reengineering means redesigning a business process so that small multidisciplinary self-managing teams get
the task done together, all at once. Reengineering identifies the desired outcome of a system or subsystem and
restructures jobs and even departments to increase performance radically.

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