Job Analysis

and
Job Description

Seema Singh, KUSOM, 2013

Job Analysis
What is it?
 A procedure
 To determine duties (work)
 To identify employee characteristics required
(worker)
 To prepare job descriptions
 To use the information in various HR functions
(selection, performance planning, training and
development, compensation)

Seema Singh, KUSOM, 2013

Job Analysis
 Who are involved in this process?
 Supervisor- for validity
 Expert- specially for new positions, and for validity
 Incumbent (job holder)- consider average
performance

Seema Singh, KUSOM, 2013

Job Analysis
Methods:
 Interview
 Observation
 Questionnaire
 Participant diary/log
 Internet

Seema Singh, KUSOM, 2013

Job Analysis Methods
Interview:
• Involvement: Incumbents, supervisors, experts
• Focus: Regular core activities, important but
periodic activities, non-core activities, work
environment/context, equipments required,
personality attributes, physical attributes, job
requirements- e.g., experience, education,
training
• Problem: communication, information distortion
(exaggeration/hiding), employees’ perception
about the event (JA), variation in ‘what should be’
and ‘what it is’

Seema Singh, KUSOM, 2013

Job Analysis Methods
Questionnaires:
• Involvement: Incumbents, supervisors
• Focus: Regular core activities, important but
periodic activities, non-core activities, work
environment/context, equipments required,
personality attributes, physical attributes, job
requirements- e.g., experience, education,
training
• Types: structured, open ended

Seema Singh, KUSOM, 2013

Job Analysis Methods
Observation:
• Involvement: Incumbents
• Focus: observable activities
• Limitations- not applicable to all jobs, all
important but periodic jobs

Seema Singh, KUSOM, 2013

Job Analysis Methods
Participant Diary/Log:
• Involvement: Incumbent, supervisor
Internet:
• Websites
• Questionnaires through internet

Seema Singh, KUSOM, 2013

Job Analysis Approaches:
 Competencies- demonstrable characteristics to perform the
task

 Competency-based JA- describing job in terms of

measurable, observable, behavioral competencies
(knowledge, skills, behaviors), worker focused, pre-requisite-
skill matrix

 Traditional JA- describing duties and responsibilities, job

focused

Seema Singh, KUSOM, 2013

Group formation:
Group Task (only for groups 1,3 and 5; please refer to next slide for
group formation): Bring samples of job analysis form from
library/internet (one sample each group, preferably pen-drives, so
that other groups can also see the form), discuss what
information are sought – on Sunday

Group-1: roll 1, 3, 5, 39, 41, 43

Group-2: roll 7, 9, 13, 31, 35, 37
Group-3: roll 15, 17, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29
Group-4: roll 2, 4, 6, 24, 40, 42, 44
Group 5: roll 8, 10, 12, 34, 36, 38
Group 6: roll 14, 18, 20, 22, 26, 30, 32
Seema Singh, KUSOM, 2013
Job Description (JD):
What is it?
• A written statement explaining:
– What the jobholder does
– Why the job is to be done
– How he or she does it
– What are the conditions

Seema Singh, KUSOM, 2013

Job Description (JD):
How information are organized?
• Incumbent’s information (position, supervisor,
relationships etc)
• Job summary
• Responsibilities and duties with standards
• Job specifications
• Authority
• Working conditions

Seema Singh, KUSOM, 2013

Job Description (JD):
What is the source of information for JD?
• Job analysis
How information are organized?
• Incumbent’s information (position, supervisor,
relationships etc)
• Job summary
• Responsibilities and duties with standards
• Job specifications (human traits, experiences,
education)
• Authority
• Working conditions

Seema Singh, KUSOM, 2013

Job Description (JD):
• Advantages of JD:
Specifies tasks, their acceptance level, provides
basis for appraisal, development, compensation
• Disadvantages of JD:
No flexibility, so might not be applicable to all
sorts of jobs, job assignments might change
frequently because of global competition

Seema Singh, KUSOM, 2013

Job Description (JD):
Group Exercise in Class: Preparing JD

Seema Singh, KUSOM, 2013