Job Analysis in Human Resource Management

 

Job analysis is the process of analyzing a job in order to provide a basic description of each of its aspects. It is a thorough and organized examination and presentation of data pertaining to the performance of a certain job, including skills, knowledge, abilities, and responsibilities. This information distinguishes one job from another and determines whether a worker is successful in carrying out his or her tasks (Udoh, 2018). The job analysis might suggest a best practice work organization strategy. It enhances inefficient processes (redesigns work), arranges training for introducing new hires into current workforces or current employees into new workforces. On the other hand, it creates criteria for evaluating the employment effect, provides adequate and fair compensation, and plans forward for employees' future (Stoilkovska and Serafimovic, 2017). Job analysis is crucial because it offers the data required to decide what kinds of assessment techniques are most suitable for a specific job. A job-oriented or task-based job analysis refers to the section of a job analysis that focuses on what the job requires people to do and includes a detailed description of the work activities that people are expected to perform on the job (Pulakos, 2005).


According to Udoh (2018) a comprehensive job analysis will show,

 1). The job-oriented activities, which outline the precise tasks to be carried out, include mentoring, coaching, facilitating, and instructing. These descriptions may also include information about why, when, and how a worker performs a task.

2). To whom a worker should be reported. As well as the relationship of a worker with others which include superiors, colleagues, and subordinates.

3). Behaviors performed during the work.

 4.) Equipment, materials and instruments to be used in the workplace.

5) Job context like the physical working conditions, work schedule, organizational context, social context, incentives.

6). Personal data related to the job such as technical skills, special training, work experience.

7). Personal attributes like aptitudes, physical characteristics, personality, interests, passion, values.


Conducting a Job Analysis

Caldewell (2018) studied that job analysis includes eight important steps.

       1.     Determine the job to be analyzed and its mission.

       2.     Identify subject matter experts and participants to include in the process.

      3.     Systematically collect Information about the job.

      4.     Matching job content with competencies and requirements.

      5.     Identifying critical tasks and results.

      6.     Identify competencies matching tasks and results.

      7.     Formally confirm the overall job elements.

      8.     Document the final result and publish the jo analysis.

Below video explains some job analysis techniques which are classified under standardized and customized approaches. Functional job analysis and position analysis questionnaire are coming under standardized approaches. Critical incident approach, task inventory approach and job element approach are coming under customized approaches (Greggu, 2019).

Source : Greggu (2019)

References

·       Caldewell, C. (2018) Job analysis: the building block of human resource management. In:  Strategic Human Resource Management, pp.4-6.

           ·       Greggu (2019) Job Analysis Techniques [Online video] Available from https://youtu.be/CJU8PI-3MMo [Accessed 24 August 2022].

          ·       Pulakos, E.D. (2005) Selection assessment methods. SHRM Foundation, pp.3-5.

          ·       Stoilkovska, A. and Serafimovic, G. (2017) Job analysis as an important human resources management function. International Refereed Scientific Journal Vision, 2(1), p.115.

          ·       Udoh, U. (2018) Job analysis and design. ResearchGate, [online] Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327825560_Job_Analysis_and_Design [Accessed 24 August 2022].



Comments

  1. Hi Virosha, according to Dessler (2008) The building blocks of performance management are:
    • Direction sharing
    • Role clarification
    • Goal setting
    • Developmental goal setting
    • On-going performance monitoring
    • On-going feedback
    • Coaching and support
    • Performance appraisal
    • Rewards, recognition and compensation
    • Work flow, process control and return on investment management
    Many of these activities are based on job analysis.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for your valuble comment.
      Job analysis makes an important contribution to the enterprise as a whole,
      particularly in times of restructuring, organizational change or technological innovation. It is a detailed process in that it considers all tasks to be performed, sometimes dividing them between main tasks and secondary tasks. It is a systematic process in that it follows a step-by-step approach to collect, record, analyse and interpret the information collected (Heron, 2005).

      Delete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. Hi Virosha,
    If we check the history of Job Analysis, it was first described in 5th century B.C. by Socrates in his ideal state concept. Large scale job analysis and categorization was done by Diderot in 1747. He categorized the jobs according to the content and nature of the job. Job analysis as managerial principle was introduces by Frederick Taylor in 1916 in his four principles of scientific management (Singh, 2008).

    I'm working in a leading media services company in Sri Lanka. Each of the Job is analyzed annually and a ranking is assigned for each Job. If an employee needs a promoting, obviously he/she has to perform well. Further Job ranking should be in a higher level of his/her current position. For an example if the Job is ranked in a manager level, a manager will not get a promotion as a senior manager until the job scope is changed and job ranking is set to senior manager level.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for the feed back Dulshan.
      Organizations use information obtained by job analysis for recruitment, selection, and placement, organization planning and job design, training, grievance settlement as well as job evaluationand other compensation programs.Managers use job analysis to determine the job's specific activities and performance standards. Job analysis, as long as up-to-date, is important in getting the best staff because it still serves its primary functions of first, providing relevant information about people and work characteristics needed to get the best staff (Dixit,2014).

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  4. Great analysis . Job analysis is considered as a systematic way to gather and analyze information about the content and human requirements of jobs and the context in which jobs are performed (Mathis,R.L and John Harold Jackson,1999).

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    Replies
    1. Human resource management revolves around coordinating the efforts of human resources in order to achieve organizational goals. This includes finding the right people and placing them in the right jobs. A detailed job analysis, including job description and job specification, is required to attract and place the right people in the right jobs. A proper job analysis will inform management about who the best candidates are for the identified and described jobs (Udoh, 2018).

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  5. Hi Virosha, totally agree with you. Job analysis can be considered as one of the most vital activities of human resource management and can perform multiple functions (Suthar, Chakravarthi and Pradhan, 2014). A regular or proactive job analysis practices will lead to increase the employees` motivation and job satisfaction. The two paramount outcomes of a job analysis are a job description and a job specification (Breaugh, 2017).

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    Replies
    1. Agreed Nimshi.
      Job analysis is the process of determining the duties and nature of jobs, as well as the types of people who should be hired to accomplish their goals. It includes instructions for writing job descriptions and job specifications, which are used in recruiting and selection, compensation, performance evaluation, and training. A formal and extensive assessment of jobs is known as job analysis. It is a methodical examination of the tasks, obligations, and responsibilities required to do a job (Baishnab, 2021)

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  6. hi virosha i agree and would like to add this with When recruitment and selection of the employees take place, then it is vital to take into consideration, equal employment opportunities for the individuals. Equal opportunity results when all the applicants are treated on an equal basis and consistently at every stage of recruitment. There should not be any discrimination against anybody on the basis of factors, such as, caste, creed, race, religion, ethnicity, gender and socio-economic background. Fairness and justness is of principal significance in the recruitment and the selection processes (Klug, 2017)

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  7. Hai Virosha Job analysis is a systematic process of collecting and analyzing information about jobs. Job
    analysis provides information about the work performed and the work environment. It also
    identifies the knowledge, skills, abilities and personal competencies people need to perform
    their work well. In short, it is a method that provides a description of the job and profiles the
    competencies people need to be successful. Most definitions of job analysis identify three key
    points: Job analysis is not a single methodology - it is a generic term which refers to a range of
    techniques, including observation, interview, and questionnaire based analysis. Job analysis is
    structured - the exploration of the role is guided and focused, although the degree of structure
    varies with the technique used. Job analysis is analytical. The process attempts to break the job
    down into its component parts, rather than to describe the job as a whole. Job analysis is the
    series of activities undertaken to systematically obtain, categorize, and document all relevant
    information about a specific job. The goal of this process is to secure whatever job data are needed
    for the specified Human Resource Function, such as job evaluation (Dessler, Griffiths, and
    Lloyd-Walker, 2004)

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