ch 5

Excel Books Human Resource Management (2nd Edition) Dipak Kumar Bhattacharyya

Copyright © 2006, Dipak Kumar Bhattacharyya

Job Analysis and Job DesignUnit:5

Block: Two Human Resource Procurement

5-1

5Unit Job Analysis and Job

Design





5-2

Introduction

For HRM in an organisation, effective information and documentation on job

analysis, job description and job evaluation are important prerequisites. All these

processes help in identifying job requirements and suitably describing the job and

job-families, skill sets, skill mapping and developing skill inventories in an

organisation. In HRM, these are critical inputs to decide about manpower

requirement to meet present and future needs. Although we have briefly discussed

these concepts in other chapters, here we will be discussing these in detail to

understand their importance in HRM.





5-3

Objectives of Job Information The first objective of job information is to communicate duties and responsibilities attached to a job to the employees for their clear understanding. This also helps employees to understand organisational expectations from them. Another objective of job information is organisational analysis. It helps in work

flow analysis with respect to a job and also helps in identification of redundant work elements in a job and thus facilitates in job restructuring.

For HRP, job information helps in analysing the scope for internal hiring and the requirements of external hiring for staffing various positions in the organisation. In setting performance standards and establishing job objectives, job information is essential both in qualitative and quantitative terms. This also facilitates in appraising performance of an employee against such set standards more scientifically. For other HR related decisions like; promotion, transfer, relocation, redundancy

and compensation designing, job information provides critical inputs.





5-4

Job Analysis

Job analysis is the process of gathering information about the job and evaluating

such information in terms of what is necessary and relevant. Essentially, job

analysis involves three questions: What is a job? What should be analysed? What

methods of analysis should be used?

A job is a group of essentially similar activities or tasks performed by a person or a

group of persons. These activities or tasks together become a job. Obviously tasks

or activities of jobs need not be identical. They may be performed in different

places, with different equipment, in a different sequence. Also, some employees

may perform certain activities in addition to the main job. Or some employees may

perform a job occasionally or temporarily, normally to fill in for persons who are

absent or on vacation. This definition of a job is typically used in compensation

designing and for other management practices.





5-5

Job QuestionnaireA job questionnaire is a special tool for consolidating job information. It is a printed form, in which essential information about the job may be listed either by the employee or by his supervisors. The major advantage of the job questionnaire is that it uses the knowledge of those who are proximate to the job. In addition, it gives each employee an opportunity to participate and contribute by giving responses to the questionnaire, which facilitates immediate compilation of job information.

The Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)

Recently there has been increased concern about quantification of the process of job analysis. A structured Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) can help the process. The PAQ was developed in the early 1970s through the efforts of McCormick and others. It consists of 194 job elements of a “worker‑oriented” nature which are divided into six major categories. The job elements are normally rated by the analyst on a scale of 0 to 5. However, administering PAQ is not at all simple.





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Job Descriptions

Compiled job information is translated to job descriptions. Job descriptions are

written records of job duties and responsibilities and they provide a factual basis for

job evaluation. Job descriptions are recorded on a standard form in a uniform

manner.

For the obvious requirement of writing skill in the preparation of job descriptions,

many organisations assign this task to trained and professional job analysts.

However, this by itself cannot guarantee flawless job descriptions. This is because a

professional job analyst may not have specific job knowledge. Therefore, despite

engaging an analyst, it is always better to involve the in-house people for scientific

description of jobs.

In terms of format, the job description should first name the job, using the title which

accurately summarises duties assigned. While naming a job, it is always better to

consider the job family.





5-7

Job Specifications

In addition to providing information about duties associated with job assignments,

job descriptions also outline basic specifications of the job. Such specifications

include education or experience, required to do the job and special knowledge and

skill set necessary to carry out the job. In addition, specifications also identify the

soft skills like interpersonal skills, analytical ability, problem-solving skills or

decision-making skill, etc., which are required to perform the duties assigned.

This exercise of processing job information is known as developing job specification.

It helps in the evaluation of jobs and at the same time it defines the attributes

required for a job position, which are required while going for recruitment. Therefore,

job specifications list out all those attributes, like education, experience, age,

physical fitness, etc. along with other soft skills required for performing a job.





5-8

Cont….

Objectives of Job Description

Job descriptions help in getting the things done through people and it helps

management to accomplish following objectives:

1. Efficient organisation of jobs.

2. Proper recruitment or staffing in the organisation.

3. Assigning jobs to people by communicating to them their duties and

responsibilities and by setting job standards.

4. Reviewing performance of the people.

5. Improving performance through appraisal and training.

6. Rewarding employees.





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A central peripheral relational model of job analysis is given below:

Job Analysis

Job Descriptions

Job Specifications

CompensationDesigning

Industrial Relations

Performance Appraisal

Setting Safety and Health Standards

Skills and Competency

Mapping

Recruitment

Human Resource Planning

Selection

Training and Development

Management Development

and Succession

Career Planning and Development

Setting Performance Standards

(KRA/KPAs)





5-10

Cont….

Job Evaluation

Job evaluation originated in the United States in 1971. In 1909, the Civil Service

Commission and the Commonwealth Edison Company in Chicago pioneered the

field. In 1926, Merill R. Lott wrote a book on 'Wage Scales and Job Evaluation',

describing methods used in his company, the Sperry Gyroscope Co., Inc.

A survey of British Institute of Management indicated the following reasons for its

use:

1. To reduce layout turnover,

2. To increase output,

3. To improve morale,

4. To reduce loss of time due to wage negotiation and disputes,

5. To reduce the complaints regarding wages,

6. To reduce wage and salary anomalies.





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Steps in Job Evaluation

1. Thorough examination of the job (job assessment),

2. Preparation of job description (recording its characteristics to suit assessment

of method).

3. Preparation of job analysis to set out the requirements of the job under various

factor headings,

4. Comparison of one job with another,

5. Arrangement of jobs in a progression,

6. Relating the progression of jobs to a money scale.





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Types of Job Evaluation Schemes

There are four basic types of job evaluation, which can be enumerated as

follows:

1. Ranking

2. Classification

3. Points Rating

4. Factor Comparison





5-13

Limitations of Job Evaluation

Job evaluation alone cannot establish a wage scale. For wage fixation, we need to

take into cognizance statutory requirements, like Minimum Wages Act, 1948.

Similarly, other factors of wage fixation like, capacity to pay, inter-industry wage

variation, inter-regional wage variation, collective bargaining agreement, if any, also

need to be given importance. Job evaluation is highly subjective (being based on

judgemental estimate). Similarly, it cannot take into account the cyclical effect of

market value of occupations. For example, finance jobs were highly priced in the

market at one point of time (now IT and marketing has taken its place). However,

with the failure of NBFC, finance jobs are not that highly priced in the market, at

least, at this point of time, even though no material change in the job profile of

finance professionals has taken place in between. Despite such limitations, job

evaluation technique is considered very useful for reasons explained earlier.





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Job Design

1. Job specialisation and repetitive operations,

2. Changing technology,

3. Labour-union policies,

4. Abilities of present personnel,

5. Adequate availability of potential personnel,

6. Interaction among jobs with the system, and

7. Psychological and social needs that can be met by the job.





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Job Assessment

At this stage information about each job is made available to the assessors. Every

job, whether manual or not, is closely observed and inspected in actual operation by

the assessors. If required, assessors question the operators and their supervisors to

collect further details about the job to clear doubts if any. To keep pace with the

changing job content, due to technological changes, it is necessary to make periodic

assessment of the job keeping in view the old job description.





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Pricing Job Value

The purpose of job evaluation is to establish the relative job value within the

organisation in terms of points or rankings and in terms of pay levels. The next step

is to translate these data into a pay structure through job-co-relation. This, therefore,

involves first deciding the pay grades and then developing pay ranges for each

grade.

Steps in Job Pricing

The initial process of pricing the job and fitting them into a pay structure calls for

translating the points into different job grades. Thereafter jobs have to be grouped

as per different pay grades and the result is related with comparable jobs in other

companies.





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Other Methods of Job Assessment

There are various other methods of job assessment for pricing a job value, which is

essential for compensation designing. At the same time such methods ensure job

simplification and humanisation of jobs. Even though some of these method do not

directly contribute to job pricing, these are still useful for achieving productivity and

efficiency.

Work Study

Method Study





5-18

Cont….

Work Measurement

ILO defined work measurement "as the application of techniques designed to

establish the work content of a specified task by determining the time required for

carrying it out at a defined standard of performance by a qualified worker.“

There are different techniques of work measurement. However, the following are the

principal techniques:

1. Time study

2. Ratio-delay study (statistical sampling technique)

3. Synthesis from standard data

4. Predetermined motion time standard

5. Analytic estimating





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Time Study

ILO defined time study as "a technique for determining as accurately as possible

from a limited number of observations the time necessary to carry out a given

activity at a defined standard of performance." For carrying out a time study,

equipment like stopwatch, study board, pencils, slide rule, etc., are required.

Other Techniques of Work Measurement

Since carrying out time study for each job is a time-consuming task, statistical

techniques, i.e., ratio-delay study is often carried out. Ratio-delay is a sampling

technique. Instead of going for the complete job study under ratio-delay techniques,

a sufficiently large number of readings are taken at random intervals. Like all other

sampling techniques, under this method also there are bound to be some errors.





5-20

Concept and Definition of ErgonomicsErgonomics is derived from two Greek words; ergon, meaning work and enomos, meaning laws. It is the study of the effects of work system on workers and it aims at fitting the work to the men to increase their efficiency, comfort and satisfaction. ILO defined ergonomics as:

The application of human biological sciences in conjunction with engineering sciences to the worker and his working environment, so as to obtain maximum satisfaction for the work which, at the same time, enhances productivity.

Some of the areas where ergonomics has been successfully applied are as under:

a. Design of equipment, power and hand tools.

b. Design of displays and warning systems.

c. Design of furniture, seats, rests and steps for operators.

d. Design of tools, jigs and fixtures.

e. Plant layout.





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Impact of Ergonomics on Work StudyWork study, which aims at scientific analysis of a work system to increase productivity and satisfaction at work, is dependent on ergonomics for the research data on many facets of human reaction to a given work situation. Such input information makes the task of the work study practitioner more scientific and result-oriented. These input information/data mostly relate to the following areas:

a. Limits of sustained physical endurance, normal speeds of movement and optimum method of handling of controls.

b. Receptivity to sensory inputs and time required for perception of deviations.

c. Reaction time for motion output and time required for evaluation and decision-making.

d. Anthropometric data to guide the design and layout of equipment, work place and furniture.

e. Effects of different types of environmental conditions on the human being in order to generate improvements.





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Ergonomics and Management

Ergonomics is a discipline at the service of management from the very planning and

design stage of a work system. In the organisation and control of human effort

directed to specific ends, management needs to have an appreciation of the human

factors involved in a work system.

Working Areas

The working area of an operator may be categorised into three groups; normal,

immediate and maximum working areas.





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Motion Economy

Motion economy is the process of minimising the physical and perceptual loads

imposed on people engaged in any type of work; whether it be in the office, the

shop floor, the kitchen or at the driving wheel. It leads to better design of equipment,

jigs and fixtures, hand tools, furniture and labour-saving devices. Also it facilitates

better layout of offices, warehouses, plants and operating areas like office desk,

work bench, aircraft, cockpit and crew compartments of armoured fighting vehicles.

Application of the principles of motion economy eliminates or minimises wasteful

and fatiguing movements and increases the productivity of the workers.





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Human Engineering

Method study seeks to determine the effective combination of the man, the machine

and the working environment. In doing so, it is necessary to determine which

functions are better performed by men and which functions are better performed by

machines. Both men and machines can surpass each other in certain ways.

Human Engineering and Machine Design

The designer of the machine should know the way the human being functions, his

body dimensions, his physical limitations and so also the conditions under which a

person performs perfectly. For performing a task, a person normally does the

following three things:

1. Receiving the information (through different sense organs)

2. Making decisions (acting on perceived information)

3. Taking action (which results from decision)





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Cont….

Value Analysis

Value is the worth of an article/product/service. In terms of cost and function, value

is determined. Value of product can be improved by:

1. Improving function (keeping function constant)

2. Reducing cost (keeping function constant)

3. Both by improving function as well as by reducing cost.

There are different types of values of an industrial product, which may be classified

as follows:

a. Use Value

b. Esteem Value

c. Cost Value

d. Exchange Value





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Cont….

Steps in Value Analysis

Following steps are followed for value analysis:

a. Collect full facts and information about the product

b. Get the details of the cost break-up

c. Determine the function

d. Think creatively

e. Compare and evaluate the alternatives

To succeed in each step, it is necessary to take the following line of action:

a. Eliminate the redundant parts

b. Initiate action of cheaper substitutes without impairing the use value

c. Standardise the parts

d. Develop alternative methods

e. Redesign, if necessary.





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Advantages of Value Analysis

We can get the following advantages from value analysis:

a. Lowering of cost

b. Better quality of product

c. Increased efficiency

d. High level of morale and team spirit

e. Increased customer satisfaction

f. Optimum resource utilisation

g. Improved methods of production

h. Increased job satisfaction and motivation to workers through use of their

creative ability.

ch 5

Documents

job elements

job requirements

job objectives

main job

job restructuring

objective of job information

consolidating job information

job design copyright