Course manager : Dr.

Assefa Balda
 JOB ANALYSIS AND DESIGN

Learning Objectives
After completing this session, you will be able to:
Define job analysis and job design
Explain the importance of job analysis and job design in
achieving organizational and individual goals
Identify job information required to conduct job analysis.
Develop job descriptions and person specifications
Discuss job redesign methods used to improve job
performance.
 CONCEPTS OF JOB ANALYSIS

A Job in an organization is created when tasks,

duties and responsibilities justify hiring of one or
more people for accomplishing the organizational
purposes.
A Job consists of a group of tasks that must be
performed for an organization to achieve its goals.
 contd...

 In a work group consisting of a development manager,

three project coordinators, an administrator, and two
accountants, there are a total of 4 jobs and 7 positions.
Job & Position
 A job is an organizational unit which consists of a
group of defined tasks or activities to be carried out or
duties to be performed.
 A position is the collection of tasks and
responsibilities performed by one person; there is a
position for every individual in an organization.
 WHAT IS JOB ANALYSIS (JA)?
 The reason why people are required in an organization is to fill
job vacancies and to do the job.
 This requires human resource management to understand the nature
of the job and the nature of the person required for the job.

 Job Analysis is the process of studying and collecting

information relating to the operation and responsibilities
of a specific job.
 Job Analysis holds job description, job specification and
job evaluation- a process of determining a relative
worth of a job
 The products of job analysis are: job description and
job specification
5
 contd...

 JA is a systematic exploration of the activities within a

job.
 JA defines and documents the duties, responsibilities,
and accountabilities of a job and the conditions under
which a job is performed.
WHEN IS JOB ANALYSIS TO BE CONDUCTED?

Job analysis is performed on three different

circumstances. These are:
1.When the organization is founded and a job
analysis program is initiated for the first time.
2.When new jobs are created
3.When jobs are changed significantly as a result
of new technology, methods, procedures, or
systems.
 MAJOR USES OF JOB ANALYSIS DATA

Almost all
HRM
activities are
tied to job
analysis; it
is the
starting
point for
sound HRM.
 MAJOR OBJECTIVES OF JA

Job analysis/study is undertaken in order to bring about:

Improvement in work methods,
Reduction in errors,
Elimination of handling unnecessary materials
Reduction in fatigue,
Increased employee commitment and responsibility, and
Improvement in the performance of the employee.
 INFORMATION NEEDED FOR JA

Job analysis information is used to define staffing needs

of an organization. It includes:
Work activities -What needs to be done?
Work tools and technology - What machines, tools and
technology people will use?
Knowledge requirement - What people must know to
perform the job?
Personal requirement - What skills and experience people
must possess to perform well?
Job context – the work schedules, physical conditions,
and social environment of job.
Performance Standards - expected results.
HIERARCHY OF JOB ANALYSIS INFORMATION

Job analysis seeks information about:

Job Element: smallest unit into which work can be
divided.
Task: Distinct work activity for a distinct purpose.
“what gets done”
Duty: Number of tasks.
Position: One or more duties performed by one person.
Job: Group of related activities and duties. Made up
of tasks
Occupation: Group of similar jobs.
 CONDUCTING JOB ANALYSIS

 Job analysis is not one man affair; it requires the

participation of employees and their immediate
supervisors.
 Organizations may use employed HR experts or use
outside consultants to perform job analysis.
 The job analysts carry out job analysis. Before
carrying out job analysis, the job analysts should clearly
understand Steps in Job Analysis Process.
 STEPS IN JOB ANALYSIS PROCESS

Step 1: Understanding the organization

The goals, strategies, structure, inputs, outputs, its
environment and its jobs
Identify what jobs need to be analyzed
Step 2: Determine information to collect:
Tasks, responsibilities, and KSA requirements
Step 3: Identify Source of Job Data
Supervisors, subordinates, customers
Existing job descriptions
Manuals, publications and the like
 contd...

Step 4: Choose appropriate method of collecting

information
Face-to-face interviews
Questionnaires
 Employee log/diary
Observation
Combination of above
Step 5: Gather Information
Status, key duties/tasks, KSAs, working conditions,
performance standards
Step 6:Analysis and Interpret Gathered Information
Step 7:Write Job Analysis Report
 JOB ANALYSIS DATA COLLECTION
METHODS

1. QUESTIONNAIRE METHOD
 Popular for collecting data for job analysis
 Reveals the duties and responsibilities, human
characteristics and working conditions and
performance standards of the job to be investigated.
 Quick and economical for gathering information
about jobs.
 contd...

2. INTERVIEW METHOD
Face-to-face conversation (interview) is an effective
method to collect job information.
The method provides an opportunity for the interviewer
to explain unclear questions and probe into uncertain
answers.
The job analyst often talks with employees first, and
then contacts the supervisors for checking the accuracy of
the information.
The interview method is costly and time-consuming.
 The method ensures a high level of accuracy.
 contd...

3. OBSERVATION METHOD
The job analyst actually watches employees directly on the job
to get first hand information.
A visual impression is obtained about the activities, equipment,
materials, working conditions and job hazards.
The method is used primarily to study jobholders at work,
noting what they do, how they do it, and how much time it takes.
The method enables the analyst to collect information about
simple and repetitive jobs involving manual work.
The method is NOT suitable for analyzing professional jobs
 contd...

4. DIARYMETHOD (EMPLOYEE LOG)

Employees record their daily activities in a diary or log.

If entries are made over the entire job cycle, the diary can
be quite accurate and feasible way of collecting job
information
The method is time-consuming and less reliable as some
employees may tend to exaggerate their tasks.
 contd...

5. COMBINATION OF METHODS
Job analysts often rely on combinations where two or
more techniques are used concurrently.
For Example:
 In analyzing clerical and administrative jobs, the analyst
might use questionnaires supported by interviews and
limited observation.
In analyzing production jobs, interviews supplemented
by work observation may provide the required information.
The methods can ensure high accuracy at minimum
costs.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION FOR JOB ANALYSIS

Employees
Actually perform the job.
Possess first hand knowledge about the elements and
activities involved in jobs.
Supervisors
Supervise the employees while the job is being done.
Deal with the problems that arise while the job is being
performed.
 contd...

Independent Expert
Persons specializing in job analysis are appointed to
watch the employees performing the job.
They systematically record the activities involved in a
job.
Job Review Committee
Such committee consists of representatives from
human Resource department, labor unions.
They review the job for analysis purposes.
 contd...

6. Nonhuman sources
Existing job description and specifications.
Equipment maintenance records
Blueprints of equipment and architectural
designs of work areas
Films of workers on the job
Training manual etc
THE PRODUCTS OF JOB ANALYSIS
 contd...

Job description:
Written statement of what the jobholder does.
Portrays job content, job environment, and conditions of
employment.
Describes job title, duties and responsibilities, authority,
accountabilities and job relationships.
A profile of the job Uses of Job Description:
Describes the job to the recruiters and potential candidates
Guides newly hired employees about what they are
expected to do.
Used for appraising whether the actual activities of the
employees match with their stated duties
 contd...

Items included in a job description are:

Major duties performed
Percentage of time devoted to each duty.
Performance standards to be achieved.
Working conditions and possible hazards.
Number of employees performing the job and how
they report to.
The machines and equipment used on the job.
 contd...

CONTENTS OF THE JOB DESCRIPTION

❖ Job Identification
❖ Job Summary
❖ Duties Performed
Job Identification: This section includes the title of the
job department/section, and reporting relationship, date of
the job description, and job code or number.
 contd...

Date of the Job Analysis

This helps in identifying how old the description is.
It ensures periodic review of the job content and
minimizes the number of obsolete job descriptions.
Duties Performed
This section provides the major duties to be performed.
Usually one sentence beginning with an action verb
such as receives, performs, establishes, or assembles,
adequately explains each duty.
 contd...

Job Specification
States personal characteristics and qualifications needed to
perform the job.
Identifies knowledge, skills and abilities needed to do the job
effectively.
A profile of human characteristics needed for performing the job.
Uses of Job Specification
Sets minimum qualifications needed in potential candidates for
recruitment purposes.
Guides selectors to select candidates with right qualifications.
An important input for preparation of Human Resources Inventory.
 contd...

Job Performance Standards

 The statement of attainable as well as acceptable
levels of job achievement.
 Indicate quality and quantity of job performance.
Uses of job standards
Motivation:
Serve as targets for employee efforts.
 Performance Evaluation/Control:
➢ Performance standards facilitate objective
performance evaluation
➢ Actual performance is measured against standards.
 contd...

Job Evaluation
Specifies the relative value of each job in the organization.
Ranks all jobs in a hierarchy
Rates the jobs, not the employees.
Job description, job specification and job standards serve as
inputs for job evaluation.
Uses of job Evaluation
It provides information for developing a compensation package.
It is an important part of compensation management in
organizations.
It serves as the basis for fixing a fair and equitable salary and
wage structure.
 Components of Job Analysis
Job Analysis has two components-job description and job specification
Job Description: a listing of the
job’s duties; its working
conditions; and the tools,
Job Description materials, and equipment used
to perform the job. It
identifies the picture of the
job
Job Analysis
Job Analysis Model: A Basic Human Resource Management Tool

 Human Resource
Tasks Responsibilities Duties
Planning
 Recruitment
 Selection
Job  Training and
Descriptions Development
Job  Performance Appraisal
Analysis Job  Compensation and
Specifications Benefits
 Safety and Health
 Employee and Labor
Relations
Knowledge Skills Abilities
 Legal Considerations
 Job Analysis for Teams
 Job Design (JD)
 Jobs are the foundation of organizational productivity and
employee satisfaction.

 How well jobs are designed will play an important role in the
realization of organizational objectives.
 Job design is the process of determining the specific tasks to
be performed, the methods used in performing these tasks,
and how the job relates to other work in the organization

 Job design specifies how the job is to be done and how

workers can be satisfied doing the job.
 The design of a job reflects the organizational,
environmental, and behavioral demands placed on it.
 ELEMENTS OF JOB DESIGN

Job Designers need to consider the following elements and try to

create jobs that are productive.
1.Organizational Elements
Major organizational elements of job design include:
Mechanistic approach: it involves identifying every task in a job so
that task can be arranged to minimize the time expended by workers.
Work flow: The product or service usually suggests the sequence of
and balance between jobs, if the work is to be done efficiently. Once
the sequence of jobs is determined, the balance between jobs is
established.
Ergonomics: it is the study of how human beings physically
interface with their equipment.
 contd...

2. Environmental Elements:
a. Employee Abilities and Availability
Efficiency considerations must be balanced against the
abilities and availability of the people who are to do the
work.
The level of technology and the type of work in an
organization should not exceed the abilities of the
organization's workforce.
 contd...

b. Social and Cultural Expectations

Job design can also be influenced by workers social and
cultural expectations.
Working hours, holidays, religious beliefs, management
styles, are some of the factors that must be considered when
designing jobs.
 contd...

3. Behavioral Elements
Any job can be described in terms of five core
dimensions. These are:
i.Skill variety. The extent to which the job requires a
variety of activities, skills, and talents to carry out the
work.
ii.Task identity. The extent to which the job allows its
employees to complete whole tasks rather than just parts
of tasks.
iii.Task significance. The extent to which the job can be
regarded as important to others inside and outside the
organization.
 contd...

iv. Autonomy. The extent, to which the job provides

freedom to plan, schedules and decides about work
procedures.
v. Feedback. The extent to which the job allows its
employees to obtain clear and direct knowledge about
how well they perform
 TECHNIQUES OF JOB REDESIGN
 The major purpose of job design and redesign is to
improve employee performance.
The following represent the more viable techniques of job
redesign.
1. Job Rotation
 refers to the movement of employees from one job to
another.
 Rotation breaks the monotony of highly specialized work
by calling on different skills and abilities.
 The organization benefits because workers become
competent in several jobs rather than one.
 contd...

2. Job Enlargement
A technique used to expand the number of related tasks
in a job. It increases job scope.
Gives greater variety in job content and thereby helps to
relieve monotony in repetitive jobs.
 contd...

3. Job Enrichment
Employees are given autonomy to set their own work
pace, design their own work methods, participate in
making decisions affecting their work units, and evaluate
their accomplishments.
Refers to basic changes in the content of the job and
increasing the level of responsibility, autonomy, and
control.
Expanding jobs vertically. Add more planning and
control responsibilities.
 PRINCIPLES OF JOB ENRICHMENT

 Increase job demands: Changing the increase the levels of

difficulty and responsibility of the job.
 Increase Worker's accountability: Allowing more worker
control and authority over the work, while retaining the
manager's ultimate accountability.
 Providing Work Scheduling freedom: Within limits, allowing
workers to schedule their own work.
 Providing feedback: making timely periodic reports on
performance directly to the worker.
 Providing New Learning experience: Creating opportunities for
new personal experiences and growth.
 THE BENEFITS OF IMPROVED JOB ESIGN

Potential Benefits to Employees Potential Benefits to

Management
More interesting work Better quality
Scope for development Reduced absence
More autonomy Lower turnover of staff
Companionship and team pride More flexibility
Share in any benefits to Higher productivity
employers (i.e. higher pay) Improved performance

Potential Organizational Benefits

High level of commitment to the organization
Improved industrial relations climate
Organizational growth