ASSIGNMENT

Q1. What is job description? Describe its content and utility.

It is a list of job duties, responsibilities, reporting, relationships, working conditions and supervisory responsibilities - one
product of the job analysis --- Gary Dessler. Job description is a broad, general, and 7 written statement of a specific job, based
on the findings of a job analysis. It generally includes duties, purpose, responsibilities, scope, and working conditions of a job
along with the job's title, and the name or designation of the person to whom the employee reports. Job description usually
forms the basis of job specification. The following things are mentioned in a job description:

1. Job identification – It may include the job title, alternative titles, department, division, plant, the unit where it exists,
code number of the job and so on.

2. Job summary – It is a condensed statement of the primary functions of the job. It may also include a short definition
which may be useful as additional identification information if the job title is not sufficient for identification of the job.

3. Duties performed – It is a brief description of the functions performed by the employee, that is, what is being done,
how it is done, why it is done and how much percentage of time is to be devoted to each major duty. Job responsibilities
are also described, such as those for the custody of funds, for supervision of other workers, for training subordinates and
so on. This section of job description is perhaps most important and is relatively difficult to write.

4. Extent of supervision given and received – How many employees and holding what jobs are to be supervised? The
nature and extent of supervision that is, whether it will be general or closes supervision.

5. Machines, tools and equipment used – The trade names, types, models of machines, tools and equipment are also
mentioned, for example, working on lathe machine or drilling machine and so on. What raw materials are to be used and
the like are also mentioned.

6. Working conditions – The conditions in which the job holder is to work, for example, noise; temperature; postures,
that is, standing, sitting, stooping, walking, climbing, lifting and so on; illumination; working hours, that is, during day
time or night hours, overtime, hours of work, rest intervals, dirt; oil; location of the place of work, say office, factory,
inside, outside, underground, solitary, gang and so on.

7. Relation to other jobs – Whether it is at the horizontal level or otherwise and details about the flow of work and
procedures.

8. Organizational relationship – The position or status of the job in the organizational struc tures; its position in job
hierarchy and vertical relationship; the jobs which are immediately above or below this job; responsibility and
accountability to the extent of authority delegated and so on.

9. Hazards involved – Accident risk and health hazards such as nerve strain, eye strain, physical strain, acid, exposure to
weather and so on.

10. Pay – Method of payment—hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, piece rate—range of pay from minimum to maximum,
bonus and so on required doing the job well.

11. Training and promotion – Whether training or apprenticeship required; if yes, then of what type and duration, basis
and line of promotion.

12. Required qualifications of the worker – Skills, experience, education, mental and physical standards, aptitude, and
attitude and so on.

13. Comments – The job analyst can make his/her comment or additional remark concerning the job .

Almost all good organizations use standard printed forms for filling the job description .

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 Utility of a Job Description

Recruitment and Hiring: Job descriptions are essential for attracting suitable candidates during the recruitment
process. They help job seekers understand the role's responsibilities and qualifications.

Selection Criteria: Job descriptions serve as the basis for developing selection criteria and interview questions. They
ensure that the hiring process aligns with the job's requirements.

Employee Orientation: New employees use job descriptions as a reference during their on boarding and orientation
to understand their role's expectations and responsibilities

.Performance Management: Job descriptions provide a basis for performance evaluations and goal setting. They help
employees and supervisors align on performance expectations.

Training and Development: Job descriptions help identify training needs and development opportunities for
employees, ensuring that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their roles effectively.

Compensation and Benefits: Job descriptions are used to determine salary ranges and benefits packages, helping
employees understand the rewards and recognition associated with their roles.

Career Path and Advancement: Employees can refer to job descriptions to identify career advancement
opportunities and the qualifications required for higher-level positions.

Legal Compliance: Job descriptions can be used to demonstrate that an organization complies with labour laws and
regulations, as they outline the qualifications, responsibilities, and reporting relationships of a position

.Performance Improvement: Job descriptions help identify gaps in performance and areas for improvement. They
serve as a reference for addressing performance issues.

Organizational Clarity: Job descriptions contribute to organizational clarity by defining roles and responsibilities. They
help prevent role ambiguity and conflict. In summary, a well-structured job description is a valuable tool that
provides transparency, clarity, and consistency in the workplace. It supports various HR functions, from recruitment
to performance management, and helps employees understand their roles, responsibilities, and career paths within
the organization

Q2. Clearly define the relationship between job analysis, job description and job specification.
The relationship between job analysis, job specification and job description is that job analysis is the fundamental
basis upon which job description and job specification are formulated. The HR department has to formulate job
positions based on the analyses conducted to determine the purpose and usefulness of each position (Muchinsky
& Paul, 2012). It can therefore be deduced that job description and job specification are products of job analysis
because without job analysis, it would neither be possible nor necessary to compile job descriptions and job
specifications.

Apart from a job description, other outcomes of job analysis include recruiting plans, position postings and
advertisements, and performance development planning within your performance management system.
According to Franklin (2005), job analysis may include these activities: reviewing the job responsibilities of current
employees, researching and viewing sample job descriptions online and offline highlighting similar jobs, analyzing
the work duties, tasks, and responsibilities that need to be accomplished by the employee filling the position,
researching and sharing with other companies that have similar jobs, and articulation of the most important
outcomes or contributions needed from the position (Muchinsky & Paul, 2012)

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Q3. Why are employee specifications criticized?

Employee specifications, or job specifications, are often criticized for several reasons. One common criticism is
that they can contribute to a lack of diversity in hiring. When specifications are too rigid or narrowly defined, they
may inadvertently exclude qualified candidates who possess transferable skills or diverse backgrounds. This can
lead to a workforce that lacks diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity, and other dimensions.

Additionally, overly detailed specifications may discourage potential candidates from applying if they feel they
don't perfectly match every criterion. This can limit the pool of applicants and result in a missed opportunity to
bring in talented individuals with unique perspectives and experiences.

Critics also argue that employee specifications can be too focused on technical skills and qualifications, neglecting
important soft skills and attributes such as adaptability, creativity, and emotional intelligence. In today's rapidly
changing work environment, these soft skills are often considered crucial for success but may not be adequately
addressed in traditional job specifications.

Furthermore, rigid specifications may not account for the evolving nature of jobs and industries. In dynamic
fields, employees may need to adapt and learn new skills quickly, and a strict adherence to specific qualifications
may hinder the ability to identify individuals with the potential for growth and development.

In summary, employee specifications are criticized for potentially limiting diversity, discouraging qualified
candidates, overlooking essential soft skills, and failing to adapt to the changing demands of the workforce and
industries.

Q4. What do you understand by job analysis?

Job analysis is the process of gathering and analyzing information about the content and the human requirements of jobs, as well as,
the context in which jobs are performed. This process is used to determine placement of jobs. Under NU Values the decision-making
in this area is shared by units and Human Resources. Specific internal approval processes will be determined by the unit's
organizational leadership. Job analysis defines the organization of jobs within a job family. It allows units to identify paths of job
progression for employees interested in improving their opportunities for career advancement and increasing compensation.

Job analysis helps in the creation of good HR practice and policies. The importance and uses of Job Analysis are as below: HR
Planning: Job analysis provides useful information for human resource planning. It is the foundation for forecasting demand for and
supply of human resources in an organization. It is also necessary for preparing HR inventory and HR information system in the
organization.

Recruitment and Selection: Job analysis provides necessary information for conducting the recruitment and selection of employees
in the organization. Recruitment generates a pool of candidates who are willing to perform in the organization, whereas selection
selects the best suited candidate out of the available candidates who are supposed to perform well in the organization.

Training and Development: Up-to-date description and specification statements help to ensure the requirement of training and
development needs in the organization. By comparing knowledge and skill of current employees with the expected level of
performance, the need of training and development requirement can be assessed.

Compensation Management: Job analysis provides necessary information for managing compensation of employees. It helps to rank
the job in order to determine pay surveys. Hence, it helps in compensation decisions.

Performance Appraisal: Job analysis helps to appraise the performance of employees by providing clear cut standards of
performance for each job. It compares each employee's actual performance with the predetermined standards.

Information of Duties: Job analysis provides valuable information regarding the duties and responsibilities of an incumbent through
job description statement. It also provides the content and skill requirement of each job. Health and Safety: In course of job
analysis, certain unsafe environmental and operational conditions or personal habits are discovered and thus, that may lead to
safety improvements. 3
 Job Re-engineering: Job analysis provides valuable information data relating to the content and skill requirement of jobs
which help to bring about improvements in the engineering design of jobs. Employee Counselling: Vocational guidance
and rehabilitation counselling is possible through comprehensive job description and specification statements.

Q5. How would you collect information for Job Analysis?

Job analysis is based on job data. Hence the question: how to collect job related data? A variety of methods are available for collecting
job data. The method that was historically linked to the concept of job analysis was observation supplemented by the interview. In
recent years, questionnaires, check lists, critical incidents, diaries, personnel records and technical conference method have also been
experimented for collecting job-related data. A brief description of each method is in order.

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. This
is the most reliable method of seeking first hand information relating to a job. This method is suitable for jobs that consist primarily of
observable physical ability, short job cycle activities. The jobs of draftsman, mechanic, spinner or weaver are the examples of such jobs.
However, the flip side of this method is that this method is not suitable for jobs that involve unobservable mental activities reveal
overlaps and grey areas and have not complete job cycle. That it is time consuming is it’s yet another handicap. Given these, the job
analyst needs to be quite skilful in collecting data about jobs with a high degree of discretion or decision content. Training can make the
job analyst skilful. 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.
However the interview method is both time consuming and costly. Particularly, the professional and managerial jobs due to their
complicated nature of job, require a longer interview’ This may also be a possibility that bias on the part of the analyst and the job holder
i.e., the respondent may cloud the accuracy and objectivity of the information gathered through interview. Nonetheless, the
effectiveness of the interview method will depend on the ability of both interviewer and respondent in asking questions and responding
them respectively.

Questionnaire: Questionnaire method of job data collection is desirable especially in the following two situations. First, where the
number of people doing the same job is large and to personally interview them is difficult and impracticable. Second, where giving
enough time to employees is desirable to enable them to divulge and explore the special aspects of the jobs. In this method, the
employee is given structured questionnaire to fill in, which are then returned to the supervisors. The supervisor, after making the
required and necessary corrections in the information contained in the questionnaire, submits the corrected information to the job
analyst. Questionnaire provides comprehensive information about the job. Information so obtained can be quantified and processed in
the computer. The greatest advantage of the questionnaire method is that it enables the analyst to cover a large number of job holders
in the shortest possible time. However, the method suffers from certain short-comings as well. In the absence of direct rapport between
the job analyst and the employee, both cooperation and motivation on the part of the employee tends to be at low level. Often
employee due to lack of training and skill, do not express the job related information in a meaningful and clear fashion. As such, job
related data tends to be inaccurate. Moreover, the method is time-consuming and costly.

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. Once the checklist is prepared, it is then sent, to the job holder to check all the tasks listed in the list
he/she performs. He/she is also asked to mention the amount of time spent on each task by him/her and the type of training and
experience required to do each task. Information contained in checklist is, then, tabulated to obtain the job-related data. Like
questionnaire method, the checklist method is suitable in the large organisations wherein a large number of workers are assigned one
particular job. Since the method is costly and, therefore, is not suitable for small organisations.

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 analysed
in detail. Yes, the job analyst requires a high degree of skill to analyse the incidents appropriately described by the job holders. However,
this method is also time-consuming one.

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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. As recording of activities may spread over several days, the
method, thus, becomes time-consuming one. The disadvantage associated with this method is that it remains
incomplete because it does not give desirable data on supervisor relationship, the equipment used and working
conditions prevalent at the work place.

Technical Conference Method: In this method, a conference is organised 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. However, the main
drawback of this method is that it lacks accuracy and authenticity as the actual job holders are not involved in collecting
job information. It is seen from the preceding description that no single method is complete and superior. In fact, none
of the method is to be considered as mutually exclusive. The best data related to a job can be obtained by a combination
of all methods described above.