Chapter 3: Job Analysis

Job Analysis:
Job analysis is a systematic process for
- Collecting, accommodating, documenting, and analyzing information in order to describe jobs,
sometimes job duties, common worker requirement and working condition.
Information such as
- Knowledge and skills required to perform a job,
- Duties and responsibilities involved,
- Education qualifications and
- Experience required and physical and emotional characteristics required to perform a job in a
desired manner.
Reason/ Need / importance / purpose / benefits of Job Analysis
1. Organizational structure and design: Job analysis helps in preparing the organization chart and the
organizational structure. Classification of the jobs, relation of each job with one another and various
positions and hierarchy of the positions is also determined through job analysis
2. HR planning: Job analysis provides useful information and appropriate guidelines for human
resource planning. It forecast the demand for and the supply of human resources in an organization.
It is also necessary for preparing HR inventory and HR information system in the organization
3. Recruitment and selection: Job Analysis helps in determining what kind of person is required to
perform a particular job (Right person at a right place). It points out the educational qualifications,
level of experience and technical, physical, emotional and personal skills required to carry out a job in
desired fashion.
4. Training and development: Job Analysis can be used to assess the training and development
needs of employees. By comparing knowledge and skill of current employees with the expected level
of performance, the training and development needs are assessed. It also helps in deciding the
training content, tools and equipment to be used to conduct training.
5. 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
6. Compensation Management: Job analysis helps deciding the pay packages, extra benefits and
fixed and variable incentives of employees. After all, the pay package depends on the position, job
title and duties and responsibilities involved in a job.
7. 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.
8. Job Designing and Redesigning: The main purpose of job analysis is to streamline the human
efforts and get the best possible output. It helps in designing, redesigning, enriching, evaluating and
also cutting back and adding the extra responsibilities in a particular job. This is done to enhance the
employee satisfaction while increasing the human output.
Steps in job analysis process
1. Determine the purpose of job analysis: The first step is to determine its need and desired output.
Spending human efforts, energy as well as money is useless until HR managers dont know why data
is to be collected and what is to be done with it. The general purposes of job analysis are
- Recruitment and selection
- Determining training needs
- Performance Appraisal
- Determining compensation plan etc.
2. Determine job analysis program: A company must decide between using an established system
and developing its own system that suitable for specific requirements. Both established and custom
job analysis programs vary in the method of gathering data. The most typical methods for collecting

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 job analysis information are questionnaires, interviews, observation and participation. Oftentimes
selecting a job analysis method depend on administrative costs.
3. Select and train analysts: A task force of representatives from throughout the company ideally
conduct the job analysis and HR staff members coordinate it. Before the task starts job analysis,
members need to be trained about how to conduct the process and use the selected methods for
collection and recoding of job data
4. Direct job analyst orientation: Before starting specific job analysis, analysts must
- Analyze the context in which employees perform their works to better understand influencing
factors.
- Obtain and review internal information such as organizational charts, listings of job titles,
classifications of each job position to be analyzed, job incumbent names and pay rates, any
instructional handbooks for operating equipment.
Job analysts may find job related information from external sources such as trade union, trade
association, professional societies etc.
5. Conduct the study: Now job analysts can begin job analysis process- gathering and recording
information for each job in the company
i) Method use for data collection: The most common method for data collection are questionnaires
and observation.
ii) Renew the background information
iii) Select the representative position
iv) Actually analyze the job
v) Verify the authenticity of collected data and then review it. This is the final information that is used
to describe a specific job.
6. Summarize results:
Now is the time to write job description and job specification.
- Job Description describes the roles, activities, duties and responsibilities of the job while
- Job specification is a statement of educational qualification, experience, personal traits and skills
required to perform the job.
Different method of data collection
Questionnaires In this method, a questionnaire related to the nature of duties, tasks and
responsibilities related to the job is developed and given to the employees and supervisors /
managers, to provide the answers.
The questionnaire can be of two types: structured questionnaire and unstructured questionnaire.
- In structured questionnaire each employee gets an inventory of perhaps hundreds of specific
duties or tasks. Employee is required to answer whether he performs each task or not, and if
performs, how much time is normally spent on each one.
- The unstructured questionnaire is open -ended that simply asks the employees to describe the
major duties of their job.
A questionnaire is a quick and efficient method of collecting information from a large number of
employees. This method is less costly as compare to the interviewing method of collecting information.
But this method is expensive and time consuming.
Interviews This technique involves discussion between job analyst and job occupants.
Through this method, the occupants can come up with their own style of working, problems faced by
them, use of particular skills and techniques while performing their job, and insecurities and fear
about their career.
This method enables the interviewer to know exactly what an employee thinks about his or her job.
Interviews can be individual interview or group interview. Individual interviews are one to one basis
whereas interviews with two or more occupants in a group are group interview.
Interviews can be unstructured or structured.
- In unstructured interviews, the questions and the area of discussions are unspecified.
- In structured interview, each point for discussion is clearly laid down. There is a possibility that all
aspects of a job are covered in an interview by using structured format.
Observation Under this method, the job analyst watches and observes the person, performing the
job, and takes notes to describe the tasks and performed duties.

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 During a complete work cycle, various aspects, like, the tasks performed, the working conditions, the
hazards involved, and the pace at which the activities are carried out etc. are observed by the job
analyst.
For the jobs, that involve manual/physical, standardized and short job cycle activities, this method is
very much suitable.
Machine operator, bus driver, flight attendant, house keeper are examples of such jobs.
Participant Dairy or Log:
The daily listings that made by the workers about what they do during the day are called maintaining
the dairy or log.
In this technique, the workers maintain the diary on daily basis by recording the job duties,
frequencies of the duty etc. This technique produces the complete picture of the job when
supplemented with subsequent interviews with the workers and the supervisors.
In order to have good information about the job, the diary or log should be updated.
Types of Job Analysis
1. Job based analysis
Job based analysis means
- Describing a job in terms of activities involved and job requirements needed to perform the
activities.
Job analysis provides information to organizations which helps to determine which employees are
best fit for specific jobs. Through job analysis, the analyst understand what are the important tasks of
the job, how they are carried out, and the necessary human qualities needed to complete the job
successfully.
2. Competency based analysis
Competency based analysis means
- Describing a job in terms of the measurable and observable behavioral competencies that an
employee must exhibit to do a job well.
- Writing a job based on competencies not on duties. Competency means demonstrable
characteristics of a person that enable performance of the job such as character, knowledge,
ability, attitude, skill, social role.
It is strategic. It can help reach High Performance System.
Two Aspect of Job Analysis
Job Analysis is related to
1. Job specification or workers requirement
The statement which explains the minimum qualification requirements for performing a particular job
is known as Job Specification.
- This written statement consists of what types of educational qualifications, specific qualities, level
of experience, physical, emotional, technical and communication skills required to perform a job.
- It expresses what an applicant must possess for getting selected.
- It describe job holders.
2. Job description
Job Description is a concise written statement, explaining about what are the major requirements of a
particular job.
- It includes designation, place of work, scope, salary range, working hours, responsibilities,
reporting authority etc.
- It expresses what a prospective employee must do when he will get the placement.
- It describes jobs.
- It can be sub divided into two categories:
a. Job content or job duties Job content are the factors controlled by the individual oneself like
performance, recognition, autonomy etc.
Job content factors are directly related to individual's job.
b. Job context or working condition: Job context are the factors controlled by the organization like work
condition, base salary, company policies etc.
Individual has no control over it.
Content/ Format of Job Specification
1. Name of the job position: The name of the job position such as cashier / manager must be mentioned.
2. Education qualification: State what degrees or certifications are required for the position.

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3. Experience: Under it, the number of years of work experience required for the selected candidate is explained, if
necessary. An experienced employee will be preferable in comparison to the fresh candidate.
4. Additional qualification: Additional qualification such as skill on M/S word, M/s power point, M/s Excel,
Operating system etc.
5. Training: States required training for performing job
6. Other qualification: Other qualification such as strong verbal and personal communication skills, problem
solving skill, ability to give presentation in front of a large audience, ability to perform under high pressure etc.
7. Physical traits
Physical traits include the physical qualifications or physical capacities that vary from job to job. Physical
qualifications or capacities include physical features like age, height, weight, eye sight, vision, hearing, ability to
lift weight, ability to carry weight, health, , capacity to use or operate machines, tools, equipment, emotional
stability, decision making ability, analytical ability etc.
Content/ Format of Job Description
1. Organization name: The name of the organization should be mentioned.
2. Title of the post: What the particular job is all about is identified under this content. It should be short, clear and
accurate. For example, "cashier",
3. Date of preparing: The date of preparing job description should be mentioned.
4. Job summary/ Key responsibilities: Job summary tells about a brief history of job. Two or three sentences about
the position and the company are enough at this point
5. Detailed duties and responsibilities: The details about the task and responsibilities that must be performed by
an employee are mentioned under this content. For more complex positions it may be helpful to estimate the
percentage of time that is devoted to the performance.
6. Authority and accountability relationship: Clarify the reporting structure for each department or division, stating
to whom the employee reports or who reports to the employee.
7. Standards of performance: Indicate productivity and quality standards required for the individual to be successful
in his or her new role.
8. Working condition: Job descriptions may need to list specific working conditions that affect the employee. This
could include common requirements such as a dress code for interaction with the public, or regular manual labor.

Or it could include something more specific, such as the handling of hazardous materials or frequent business
travel. It should also include the normal working environments of the job, such as outdoor work or long periods of
sitting behind a desk.
Short Note
Job Design:
Job design is the process of work arrangement (or rearrangement) aimed at reducing or overcoming job
dissatisfaction and employee disaffection arising from repetitive and mechanistic tasks.
Job Enlargement vs. Job Enrichment
Job Enlargement Job Enrichment
In job enlargement the task related to a single job are Job enrichment provides an employee with more tasks
increased. to do as a part of their job, as well as the responsibility
and authority needed to complete those additional
tasks.
Job enlargement means to add more duties, and an Job enrichment means improvement, or an increase
increased workload. with the help of upgrading and development.

It is an increased in the quantity of job. Here employees
take charges of more duties and responsibilities which
are not mentioned in the job description.
Job enlargement involves a horizontal loading or
expansion of job, which means that the tasks added are
at the same level as those in the current position.
The purpose of job enlargement is to reduce the
monotony in performing certain repetitive jobs
Job enlargement may not require the acquisition of
higher level or new skills on the part of the job holders.
In job enlargement the job holder may need more
external direction and control in view of enlargement of
the scope of his responsibilities.
It is an improvement in the quality of job in terms of its
intrinsic worth.
Job enrichment involves vertical loading of functions
and responsibilities of the employee.
The purpose of job enrichment is to make the job more
lively, challenging and satisfying.
Job enrichment requires the development and
utilization of higher skills, initiative and innovation on
the part of the job holders.
In job enrichment the employee uses his own
capabilities of self-direction and control. He needs less
of external direction and control.