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Chapter 4 Essay: Job Analysis and Job Design

No matter how well employees perform, there is always room for improvement. No matter how impressive current work processes are, there are certainly alternatives that can bolster corporate efficiency. No matter how much profit an organization generates, the potential to raise even more profit definitely exists. These are all testaments to how crucial it is for firms to implement job analysis. Job analysis is the systematic process of collecting information about all parameters of a job (Bohlander, Morris, and Snell 132). This definition stresses the importance of the connection between gathering job analysis information as well as developing job descriptions and specifications from the collected data. How well-structured the link between the two parts of job analysis can determine its effectiveness on corporate budget, time, and of course, reputation. Before significant improvement can be made, job analysis involves numerous logical steps that ought to be performed in order, and the first step involves bringing together information necessary to analyze jobs.

The first part of job analysis requires both strong sources of data and productive methods of collecting data. The most typical methods of accumulating information are interviews, questionnaires, observations, and diaries (Bohlander, Morris, and Snell 136). All of them require job analysts, employees, and supervisors. For example, in interviews, job analysts ask questions to individual employees and managers about job parameters, while at the same time, discover any conflicting or over-the-top answers. At the end, the collected information should result in quality job data that consists of job context, required knowledge and skills, performance standards, needed experience, and even equipment used. Once this is set and stone, the second part begins, where the two most important pieces of information that result from a job analysis, job descriptions and job specifications, are highlighted. A job description is a written document that entails the overall purpose of the job as well as the tasks, duties, responsibilities, and qualifications needed to do it. The common components of a job description include the job’s title and location, a job identification section, and a job duties section (Bohlander, Morris, and Snell 139). The job duties section is the cornerstone of a job description, as it consists of the essential functions. Statements that explain job duties are placed by level of importance. For corporations, it is extremely critical for them to show that the job criteria are clearly related to the job duties. Once the job duties step is completed, the job analysis procedure moves onto the job specifications section.

Job specifications are qualifications that outline in detail the skills requirements, physical demands, knowledge requirements, and abilities needed. For the employer, specific performance requirements should be based on valid job-related criteria (Bohlander, Morris, and Snell 142). As for the jobseeker, experience, education, training, and interpersonal skills have never been so significant and applicable. The last portion of job analysis is all about the human resources functions. For recruitment and selection, the information from the previous steps will show up on all platforms that advertise open positions. The gaps between job descriptions and jobholders give an indication of how good the quality of training provided is as well as how well jobholders have to perform in training in order to land various jobs. As far as performance appraisal goes, job analysis provides the criteria for evaluating great and poor performances. In addition, it can indicate the necessary steps for improvement. Last, but not least, when it comes to compensation management, job analysis helps human resources managers figure out the relative worth of positions so compensation is appropriate (Bohlander, Morris, and Snell 134). If this is the case, employees would want to stay put rather than think about transitioning to a new job elsewhere. Part of this can be correlated with job enrichment, which goes into detail about how money can be a strong motivator.

Job analysis provides a snapshot of how jobs are currently done. With the business market constantly going at a fast pace, there is no question that it is difficult to update job analysis processes at mutual speed. Therefore, managers are forced to adopt a competency-based approach, which can improve corporate efficiency (Bohlander, Morris, and Snell 139). The method builds job profiles that put the spotlight on not only responsibilities and activities of jobs, but the personal competencies or capabilities required to thrive during job challenges. In other words, job analysis adds extra dimensions that cover more ground, including technical expertise, problem solving, and business acumen. This can not only help human resources departments save a lot of money, but it can also help them be more efficient in their efforts to collect information. Another great pro that comes from the implementation of job analysis is the outgrowths. As an industrial engineering major, I perfectly understand the importance of job design, the top-down approaches, and the bottom-up approaches. In general, the goal is to cut down cycle times or reduce unnecessary steps in a work process, just like the approach of NASCAR drivers training to get quicker times. The study of ergonomics focuses on designing equipment and systems that are easy and efficient to use so that physical well-being will not be too overwhelming. The textbook talks about the company Avon, which implemented job enrichment and eventually turned unprofitable markets into highly profitable ones (Bohlander, Morris, and Snell 147). In all, every organization would like to be impacted by job analysis processes the same way that Avon was impacted.

In conclusion, there is no question that job analysis can play a tremendous role in any human resources effort. Chelan David of Smart Business Magazine wrote in an article that job analysis provides the objective criteria needed for executives to make informed decisions regarding staffing, selection, performance, succession planning, and compensation (David). In the same article, Jody Wheaton, Director of Organizational Effectiveness at Corporate College, quoted saying conducting job analysis is important because organizations are being asked to work leaner and more efficiently while developing growth and innovation (David). In other words, she is emphasizing employee empowerment alongside cost reductions. Of course, any organization would love to have an incredible group of employees who have ideal grasps of their strategic influential jobs. At the end of the day, it is just a matter of how well that organization executes job analysis.

Works Cited

David, Chelan. "How Conducting a Job Analysis Improves Your Business’s Efficiency, Growth and Innovation." Smart Business Online. Smart Business Magazine, 1 Oct. 2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. <http://www.sbnonline.com/article/how-conducting-a-job-analysis-improves-your-businesss-efficiency-growth-and-innovation/>.

Snell, Scott, Shad Morris, and George W. Bohlander. Managing Human Resources. 17th ed. N.p.: Cengage Learning, 2016. Print.