HRM 2213 – Human Resource Management

Lesson 03: Job Analysis

Department of Human Resource Management
Faculty of Management Studies
Rajarata University of Sri Lanka
Learning Outcomes
1. Define Job Analysis
2. Understand the importance of Job Analysis
3. Elaborate Job Analysis process
4. Identify various methods of data collection
about jobs
5. Define and identify the differences between
job description and job specification
6. Identify behavioral problems associate with
job analysis
Definition
• JA is a systematic investigation of jobs & job
holder characteristics in order to create a collection
of information that can be used to perform various
HRM functions.

• It involves collecting, organizing & recording

information with regard to jobs available within the
organization.

• JA focuses on the job as well as the job holder.

• Primary function of HRM
• Job analysis done about each job
but not about each position
• It produces a set of information
• Useful for performance of many
other HRM functions
Importance and Uses of Job Analysis
• HR Planning
• Recruitment
• Selection
• Induction
• T&D
• Performance Evaluation
• Reward Management
• Health & Safety Management
Process of Job Analysis
Acquire a general familiarity with the organization

Identify and select job/s to be analyzed

Develop JA checklist

Collect data

Apply Job Analysis data

Evaluate Job Analysis Effort

STEP 1: ACQUIRE A GENERAL FAMILIARITY WITH
THE ORGANIZATION
• Job analyst should acquire a general understanding
with respect to the organization.

• Job analyst studies;

Mission, objectives, strategies, structures, inputs,
outputs, strategic plans, annual reports, org: charts,
process charts etc.
STEP 2: TO IDENTIFY & SELECT JOB/S TO BE ANALYED
To identify jobs, the job analyst can use payroll records,
organization charts, previous job analysis records (if done before),
telephone directories, discussion with relevant individuals
(workers and managers) etc.
Example:
Clerk Lecturer
Grade 1 Class 1 Temporary
Grade I Class II Probationary
Grade I Class III Confirmed
Grade II Class I Lecturer Grade I
Grade I Class II Senior Lecturer Grade II
Professor
Senior Professor
STEP 3: DEVELOP JOB ANALYSIS CHECKLIST
 Special forms used to collect data about jobs and job holders.

 Develop deferent checklists on different jobs. Ex: managerial,

technical, professional, and clerical.

 Usually include questions are:

• Job identification data
• Duties and responsibilities
• Working conditions
• Health and safety conditions
• Performance standards
STEP 4: COLLECT DATA

• Observation
• Interview
• Jury of Experts
• Questionnaire
• Employee Log / Diary
• Participation
• Combination
 01. Observation

• Job analyst observes directly the incumbent

performing his/her job and takes notes to describe
tasks, duties and other related things.
• This method much more suitable for the jobs that
require manual operation prominently,
standardized activities, and short job cycle jobs.
• Ex: automobile assembly line worker
Advantages and Disadvantages of Observation
Advantages Disadvantages
• A deeper understanding of the • It may interfere with normal
job work operations
• It help to confirm data • It is not appropriate for jobs
obtained from other methods that do not have complete and
easily observable job cycles.
• Working conditions and • There is a possibility of
hazard can be better missing irregularly occurring
understood activates.
• Mental activities of jobs are
likely impossible to observe.
• It is slow & time consuming.
 02. Interview

• Job analyst holds interviews with job

incumbents, their supervisors, subordinates,
clients or other knowledgeable people.

• Interviews are probably the most widely used

job analysis data collection method.
 Advantages and Disadvantages of Interviews
Advantages Disadvantages
• It permits the job analyst to • It is very costly and time consuming
explain unclear questions and
probe into uncertain answers
• Opportunity to explain the • If interviewees are suspicious about
purpose of job analysis and its the purposes of the job analysis, they
uses may distort the data resulting in that
inaccurate data are collected
• Data about irregularly
performed activities and mental
activities can be gathered
• It can provide in-depth data
 03. Jury of Experts
• JA data are collected from a panel of experts such as
supervisor, long time employees, senior job incumbents etc.
Advantages;
1. It does bring together a large body of experience
relevant to a particular job in one place at one time
2. Most appropriate for jobs which are difficult to
define
3. It allows participants to clarify expected job duties
and responsibilities.
Disadvantages

1.The experts might not be able to come to an

agreement
2.It is expensive
3.Holding a conference is not always feasible due
to being busy experts
 04. Questionnaire
• It developed from the job analysis checklist

• Given to employees & their superiors to

complete

• Its usually includes close-ended & open-

ended questions

• No best format
Ivancevich (1992) gives following hints for
make the questionnaire

• Keep it as short as possible

• Keep it simple – simple language
• Explain what the questionnaire is being used
for
• Test the questionnaire before using it
 Advantages and Disadvantages of Questionnaire
Advantages Disadvantages
• Possible to collect large • Less accurate due to
number of data in a short misunderstood questions
period of time
• It is fast & less costly • Developing, cording &
analyzing the questionnaire are
time consuming
• Possible to collect the data • Incomplete responses
in a uniform way
 05. Employee Log/ Diary

• This method requires the job incumbent to

mention & describe duties, tasks & other
related things in a diary/log on a daily basis.

• Employees periodically record their tasks and

duties in the diary.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Employee Log/
Diary
Advantages Disadvantages
• Only feasible method when • Many employees are reluctant
analyzing complex jobs to record day-to day activates

• If entries are made over the • Initially may have a high

entire job cycle, can be motivation to record, but the
collected quite accurate job motivation may decline when
information the novelty wears off

• It is time consuming
 06. Participation
Job analyst actually does performance of the job himself of herself.
Advantages Disadvantages
• First hand information • Dangerous for hazardous jobs
Ex: fire fighters
• fairly good for simple jobs • Unethical or illegal for jobs requiring
licensing or extensive training
Ex: medical doctor, pharmacist

• Degree of rigor of job can • It is impossible to use for some

genuinely be understood complex jobs
Ex: scientist job
 Activity
Select the most appropriate data collection method for
following mentioned jobs,

1. School Teacher
2. Medical officer
3. Clerk
4. Machine operator
5. Scientists
6. Marketing executive
7. CEO
 STEP 5: APPLY JA DATA
Using the set of data two major documents can be prepared
1. Job Description (JD)
2. Job Specification (JS)
 Job Description (JD) – Is a document that describes duties
& responsibilities, working conditions & other aspects of
a particular job.
 Basically the JD indicates;
• What is done?
• Why it is done?
• Where it is done?
• How it is done?
• One Job Description is prepared for one job.
• It is a summary of the duties, responsibilities and
other characteristics of a job.
• No standard format for preparing JD
• In writing a job description basically there are 02
approaches.
1.Write a narrative description in a few paragraphs.
2.Break down the description into several subparts
or components such as job identification, job
summary including job purpose, job duties, and
working conditions.
 Job Specification (JS) – is a document that specifies
key qualifications an individual needs to perform a
particular job.

 It is the profile of the person who is ideally required for

job being considered

Alternatively a JS called PERSON SPECIFICATION or

JOB HOLDER SPECIFICATION
It is possible to classify qualifications and qualities an
employee must possess in the following way;

1. Knowledge and Skills

2. Education
3. Experience
4. Special mental requirements or qualities
5. Special physical requirements or qualities
 Comparison between Job Description and Job
Specification
Job Description Job Specification
Specifies tasks, duties, responsibilities, Specifies the key qualifications an
working conditions and other aspects of individual needs to perform the job
a specific job. efficiently and effectively.
Describes the job. Describes the person ideally needed to
perform the job.
Is a profile of the job characteristics Is a profile of human characteristics
needed for successful performance of
the job.
Contains * Purpose of the job * Duties * Contains * Education * Experience *
Working conditions etc. Special mental & physical abilities and
qualities.
STEP 6: EVALUATE

Assessing the degree of success of the above steps having

performed.

This feedback information can be used;

 Make the JA process more successful in the future.

 Update JD & JS after a certain period of time or when

significant changes occurred with regard to the jobs.
Following questions may be useful for the evaluation;

1. Are prepared JD sufficient to describe jobs?

2. Are prepared JS sufficient to describe ideal job holder?
3. Are the methods used to collect data adequate?
4. Can all concerned understand prepared JD & JS
adequately?
5. Are there JD & JS for all the jobs in an org:?
6. Are they( JD & JS) used for other HRM functions
adequately?
Possible Behavioral Problems at Job Analysis
1. Employee fear
• Creativity & flexibility may be limited due to JD & JS
• Fear of employees is about objectives of JA

2. Resistance to change
• Employees may be used to work within a framework. If
an attempt is made to change this framework employee
may resist due to fear & uncertainty.
3. Overemphasis on current incumbent
• If current incumbent who is unmatched person and person
of very high caliber, when the relevant job becomes vacant it
will be very difficult to fill.
4. Managerial fear / limit
• Employee may reject to perform duties which are not
mentioned in the job descriptions.
• Management flexibility gets limited.
5. Job Inflation
• Employees may tend to inflate the importance of their jobs
within an intention of getting higher pay or higher status or
better title/more prestigious title.
 Approaches to Job Analysis

Task-based Approach Competency Approach

• So far what has been presented is • Focuses on the competencies
job analysis is task-based. which individuals should have to
• Focuses on analyzing the jobs in perform jobs successfully.
terms of tasks, duties, • Analyzing the jobs in terms of
responsibilities and key competencies which are basically
qualifications needed to perform technical and other competencies.
those tasks, duties and • Possible to communicate valued
responsibilities. behaviors within Org;.
• This is the traditional Approach • Less priority to task, duties and
responsibilities.
 Irrespective of the approach, successful job analysis
should investigate jobs in terms of tasks, duties,
responsibilities, working conditions, and other
related aspects and ideal job holders in terms of
needed education, experience, competencies, and
special mental and physical qualities.

 This investigation needs to be accurate and thorough

as much as possible so as to develop a set of
information about jobs that is useful for successful
performance of many HRM functions.
Thank You…