Job Analysis and Job Design Chapter 7 Job Analysis and Job Design

Objectives Distinguish between job analyses, job descriptions, and job specifications Discuss the relationship of job requirements to other HRM functions Enumerate the steps involved in a job analysis and SHRM Address the relationship between job analyses and SHRM Understand the changing nature of jobs and how jobs are being redesigned to enhance productivity

Important Terms to Consider Job defined Position Job analysis Job description Job specification Job: group of activities and duties that entail natural units of work that are similar and related Position: different duties and responsibilities performed by 1 employee Job analysis: process of obtaining info about a job by determining the jobs task and responsibilities Job description: written explanation of a job and the duties it entails Job specification: describes the personal qualifications a person must posess to perform a certain job

The Job Analysis Process Steps Determine the purpose of the job analysis Identify the jobs to be analyzed Explain the process to employees and determine their level of involvement Collect the job analysis information Organize the job analysis information into a form that will be useful to employees and management Review and update the job analysis information frequently Determine the purpose of the job analysis Why is it being conducted – reasons vary Identify the jobs to be analyzed All are analyzed initially then job are analyzed as necessary Explain the process to employees and determine their level of involvement Keeping employees informed helps ease the transition and makes them feel a part of the process Collect the job analysis information What method will you sue to do this – methods vary based on needs of the org Organize the job analysis information into a form that will be useful to employees and management Make sure the job specifications are relevant to the job Review and update the job analysis information frequently Every 3 years if no major changes have occurred

Data Collection Methods Which method is best varies based on the organization's needs and goals Examples of data collection methods: Observations Interviews Structured questionnaires and checklists Perform the job Diary method Technical conference method Competency model technique Occupational Information network Observations: observe current job holders as they perform their jobs Interviews: ask current job holders or those familiar with a position about the job and what it entails Structured questionnaires and checklists: ask employees to fill out a survey on the job and survey several for accuracy Perform the job: the analysts actually performs the job to get a first hand appraisal Diary method: have employees record their daily activities Technical conference method: obtain job attributes by supervisors with extensive knowledge of the job Competency model technique: examine the cometencies related to a job and how they are performed Occupational Information network: uses data collected for over 23,500 occupations

Legal Considerations Court cases that have impacted job analyses and HRM Griggs v. Duke Power Precedent set Albermarle v. Moody Rowe v. General Motors U.S. v City of Chicago Griggs – ruled that employment practices must be job related (i.e. must prove that a job specification is legit and not used to discriminate) Albermarle – dealt with the validity of employee selection decisions Rowe – companies should have written objective standards for promotion U.S. v . Chicago – standards should describe the job for which the person is being considered for promotion

Legislative Concerns Fair Labor Standards Act Equal Pay Act purpose Equal Pay Act Civil Rights Act Occupational Safety and Health Act Fair Labor Standards Act Purpose: categorizes employees as exempt and no exempt based on the job analysis Equal Pay Act Purpose: makes sure all positions with equal amounts of work are paid equally Civil Rights Act Purpose: requires job specifications to prevent against discriminatory practices in hiring, promotions, etc Occupational Safety and Health Act Purpose: requires job specifications to be shown to an employee in advance that details specific safety concerns

The Changing Environment How do we deal with a hyperturbulent healthcare environment? Adopt a future oriented approach to job analysis Use a competency based approach to job analysis Conduct generic job analyses

Managerial Challenges and Strategies to Overcome Them Strategy to overcome 1) Only a single method of job analysis is used Use multiple methods of job analysis 2) Job holder and supervisor excluded form the analysis Make sure they are both involved in the process 3) Employee isn’t allowed sufficient time to complete the analysis Make sure to give them sufficient time during work hours so analysis is accurate 4) Data is distorted Train on the process 5) Job descriptions are structured with specific tasks only Always have a generic duty such as “any other duties may be assigned” 6) The analysis doesn’t go beyond what is currently being done Look to see if the job is being done correctly or if there are areas to improve upon and include new duties

Other Issues to Consider Job design Defined Specialization Implications Job enlargement Horizontal vs. vertical expansion Multiskilled health practitioner defined Job design Defined: involves changing, adding to, deleting, etc of job responsibilities to align with the talents of the employees doing the job Specialization Implications: try to balance the organization's needs with the need for creativity and the ability to challenge an employee to keep them interested thru job redesign Job enlargement Defined: changing the scope of a job to provide better variety for the employee Horizontal vs. vertical expansion: horizontal = new opportunities with the same level of responsibility; vertical = new duties add new responsibility levels Multiskilled health practitioner Defined: trained to provide more than 1 function in an organization so can fill in where needed

Redesign Methods Work-Group redesign Purpose Types See p. 181 in the text for 6 types of teams Work-schedule redesign Examples Compressed workweek Flextime Job sharing Telecommuting Contingent workers Work group redesign purpose: addresses the use of teams as a way to accomplish tasks and how to empower them to function efficiently Work schedule redesign purpose: give employees greater control over their time Examples Compressed workweek: working 40 hours over 4 days (i.e 4 ten hour long shifts) Flextime: employees choose their own start and quit times as long as they work the required # of hours per week Job sharing: 2 part time employees share 1 full time job Telecommuting: working form home with a computer, fax, etc instead of from an office Contingent workers: temp workers or contract workers called upon to fill in for employees out