Introduction
Knowledge of the job and a clear job description are very important to ensure effective task performance. Many employers have been at crossroads when a task in the organization fails to be performed due to a lack of clarity on the responsibility. Therefore, in any organization, there must be proper guidelines that give a clear description of all the responsibilities and who is responsible for all of them.
Disputes at the workplace must be avoided at all costs especially those regarding positions, roles and duties. The manager should also know who performs each specific task to avoid crucifying others for mistakes they never committed. This paper aims to discuss the uses of Job Analysis from Organizational Design to Job Design to Pay Setting to Performance Measurement.
Description
Job analysis is the process by which information concerning duties, responsibilities, required skills, expected outcomes, and work environment regarding a particular job are obtained (Fine, & Cronshaw, 1999, p.13). Job analysis can also be used to produce recruitment plans, advertisements, and performance evaluation plans, as well as make a clear description of the requirements of the job in question.
The data may be collected in several ways including interviews and/or questionnaires, process analysis, self-reports, participation, critical indent technique, or repertory grid; it will clearly describe the job requirements rather than the person required (Heathfield, n.d.).
The overall purpose of having an analysis of the job is to establish the relatedness of the job and several procedures involved e.g. training, selection, compensation and appraisals. In job analysis, the aspects on which data are collected include duties and tasks, environment, tools and equipment, requirements and relationships.
Duties and tasks define the basic units where the specific tasks are identified in terms of frequency, effort, duration, complexity, skills, standards, and equipment. Environment describes the physical requirements so that a job is performed (Prien, 2009, p.75). In addition, the environment may either be conducive or non-conducive including the dangers and risks that come with it. Tools and equipment include what is required to perform the task; when these are not present the task may be hard to undertake or impossible altogether. The relationships define the chain of command including supervision for the job though they may sometimes involve external elements. The requirements are more specific and will include knowledge, skills, and abilities need to effectively perform. Moreover, a job analysis mostly quotes the minimum attainments required to perform a specific job.
The uses of job analysis
Job analysis can be used in various ways as categorized below:
Determining training needs: here it can be used to assess identify or develop the training needs. This includes the training content, assessment aptitude tests to gauge whether training is effective, the equipment used during the training, and the methods used in training which can be numerous such as groups, presentations, videos and teaching.
Compensation: used in identification and determination of the level of skills, establish the factors that can be compensated, the environment of the job in terms of hazards, and the attention that is needed to improve it, to identify the responsibilities for each period or those that can be done in a given work frame and the supervisory factors required for every job. It also identifies the required education level, graduate, and post-graduate, doctoral or casual. This will indirectly reflect on the amount of salary that the job requires (Henderson, 2005, p.38).
The job analysis is useful in selection procedures in that:
- It helps in identifying and developing the duties and responsibilities that will be listed in the advertisement for the job;
- It helps develop the appropriate salary scale for the said job and what are the allowances and benefits to go along with the position;
- It gives the minimum requirements in terms of education that will help eliminate all those who are not qualified and screen them out;
- It helps the panel that will interview the candidates the appropriate questions and answers for the question during the interview,
- It helps identify the selection tests/instruments that will be used at the interview – some employers may use aptitude tests, and others prefer oral tests, while others go for job simulations (Fine, & Cronshaw, 1999, p.89).
A job analysis will also help in determining the appropriate appraisal designs and the best performance evaluation format for the position. Finally, for the selection procedure, it will be important in establishing the orientation procedure and materials necessary during his/her orientation.
In regard to performance review, job analysis will help in developing the major goals and objectives for the position once the post is occupied; it also helps to identify the performance standards of the job and gives the evaluation criteria. Job analysis identifies the expected probation time for the individual who is recruited to establish if he is competent in the job when given the duties. It also helps to check the duties and evaluate them accordingly, as well as establish whether they have failed or performed as required.
Job analysis is also useful when it comes to human resource planning where it forecast the requirements needed by the departments and indicating the hierarchy of commands i.e. both lateral and vertical. This will avoid conflicts of interest and skiving of duties without assignments (Prien, 2009, p.91). It helps in the smooth running of the company since when the person required to undertake the duties is not present, the leader or supervisor can reassign such duties to fellow mates.
Job analysis can also be beneficial in counseling. When managers understand the job well, they can know the level of stress involved. This will help them know the right approach to handle the employees. The employees on the other hand appreciate the career they choose since they have a clear description and the specific requirements needed.
The hazards in an environment are easily identified through a job analysis. When these hazards are identified, the management can take all the necessary steps to make the place safe and habitable when all operations are going on. All unsafe practices that are not necessarily important may be eliminated thus making the workplace a safer and conducive place.
Locating weak points in a job will also be easy thus necessitating the best remedial steps to be taken (Prien, 2009, p.109). This will actually help in designing and redesigning the job which can involve reducing unnecessary movements, simplifying the steps present, and above all improving those that may be hazardous through close monitoring.
Conclusion
Whenever people talk of a job description, most would probably argue that the aim is to describe the incumbent of the position but this is not the case. It aims to give a clear description of what is really required for the post and all the competencies the office bearer has to acquire. Job analyses are very essential in any organization in that there will be no conflicts regarding who is to perform any duties. The managers are able to rest assured that the duties and responsibilities are all taken when they take a job analysis.
This will solve disputes of salaries and wages since remunerations are given as per the job description and allowances and appraisals are considered when necessary. The general purpose of a job analysis is to identify the relatedness of the job and several procedures involved e.g. training, selection, compensation, and appraisals. All managers who want effectiveness in their organization must embrace job analysis as a close tool at all times they want to advertise any position.
References
Fine, S. A. & Cronshaw, S. F. (1999). Functional Job Analysis: A Foundation for Human Resources Management. New Jersey, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Web.
Heathfield, S. M. (N.d.). Job Analysis. About.com Guide. 2010. Web.
Henderson, R.L. (2005). Compensation Management in a Knowledge-Based World. Ed.10. New York, Prentice Hall. Web.
Prien, E. P. (2009). Practical Guide to Job Analysis. San Francisco, CA John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (US). Web.