Learning Activity 3.2: Job Analysis

What is the purpose of job analysis? How does it inform other HRM functions?

What are job descriptions and job specifications? What does job analysis contribute to them?

Identify three sources of information that can be used in job analysis. What are the pros and cons of each source of information?

What is job design? And how is it related to job analysis?

What are two major approaches in job design? How do the priorities of these approach converge and conflict?

How might human-rights considerations be incorporated into job analysis and design?

Job Analysis

1. The purpose of Job Analysis is to fully understand the duties and responsibilities of a specific job through gathering and collecting data from the organization. It is very relevant when it comes in recruitment and selection process wherein you can tell to your applicants what specific task he/she gonna perform when he/she gets hired in the company.

2. Job Description is the sum of all duties and tasks to be given in a hired applicant while Job Specification is the qualifications of an applicant that needs to be considered in order to perform specific task.

3. The Three Sources of Information for Job Analysis are the following;

From the employees who actually perform the job

• Pros: Gathering actual and fact data from the employees who perform on an specific task.
• Cons: There still be chances of getting a vague data from inefficient employee or employee that doesn't expert on that job like for an example of an apprentice.

From the supervisors and foremen who monitor the workers doing the job

• Pros: Giving enough knowledge on what he/she suggests to improve employee's job assigned task.
• Cons: The availability of these superiors because they are mostly in a hectic schedule.

From outside observers like job analyst

• Pros: Much like having a high chances of providing accurate and helpful data because they are professionals and have an expertise on that kind of studying.
• Cons: Also their availability to interview, and others who want to keep confidentiality about their job.

4. Job Design is a process of improving job tasks of an employee. It is related to job analysis because it is, however, connected to job task of an employee. It acquires analysis on how to divert usual job to another work arrangement.

5. Two major approaches in Job Design are:

Job Enlargement is putting up an additional task to an employee for making it in a larger scope responsibility.

Pros: It helps to avoid repetitive task and less people who is engaged in any transactions for that position.

Cons: Employee will demand for a higher salary.

Job Enrichment somehow relates to job enlargement but the purpose of it is for employee's personal growth.

Pros: It helps to develop the skills and abilities of potential employees.

Cons: Employees will have to adjust to their position and a time-consuming.

6. Human-rights need to be the first priority on planning Job Analysis because there is limitation in giving tasks to employee. Management also needs to considered if an employee will have to accomplished an assigned task in an accumulated hours, and if he/she will feel violated if the employer force to do task that employee doesn't want and this will probably lead to increasing turnover rate.