1. 4 Job Analysis and the Talent Management Process
Human Resource Management
14th Edition, Global Edition
Managers should determine what a job entails before deciding who to recruit and select for the job. The main purpose of this chapter is to show you how to determine what a job entails, by analyzing a job and writing a job description for it. The main topics we address include the talent management process, the basics of job analysis, methods for collecting job analysis information, writing job descriptions, writing job specifications, and using models and profiles in talent management. Then, in Chapter 5 (Personnel Planning and Recruiting), we’ll turn to the methods managers use to actually find the employees they need.
By Gary Dessler
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Learning Objectives
Define talent management and explain why it is important.
Discuss the process of job analysis, including why it is important.
Explain how to use at least three methods of collecting job analysis information, including interviews, questionnaires, and observation.
After studying this chapter, you will be able to:
Define talent management and explain why it is important.
Discuss the process of job analysis, including why it is important.
Explain how to use at least three methods of collecting job analysis information, including interviews, questionnaires, and observation.
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Learning Objectives
Explain how you would write a job description.
Explain how to write a job specification.
Explain competency-based job analysis, including what it means and how it’s done in practice.
After studying this chapter, you will be able to:
4. Explain how you would write a job description.
5. Explain how to write a job specification.
6. Explain competency-based job analysis, including what it means and how it’s done in practice.
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4. The Talent Management Process Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.
We can define talent management as the goal-oriented and integrated process of planning, recruiting, developing, managing, and compensating employees.
Talent Management:
Tasks
Goal-directed
Uses the same “profile”
Segments and manages employees
Integrates/coordinates all talent management functions
We can define talent management as the goal-oriented and integrated process of planning,
recruiting, developing, managing, and compensating employees.
Effectively managing talent means that managers:
Understandthat talent management tasks are parts of one unified process.
Ensure talent management decisions such as staffing, training, and pay are goal-directed.
Consistently use the same “profile” of competencies, traits, knowledge, and experience for potential employees.
The approach requires that employers proactively manage recruitment, selection, development, andrewards.
Realize an effective talent management process integrates all underlying talent management activities such as recruiting, developing, and compensating employees.
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Talent Management Process
The usual process of talent management consists of the following steps:
Decide what positions to fill
Build a pool of job candidates
Application forms
Use selection tools
Make an offer
Orient, train, and develop
Appraise
Reward and compensate
The usual process of talent management consists of the following steps:
Decide what positions to fill
Build a pool of job candidates
Application forms
Use selection tools
Make an offer
Orient, train, and develop
Appraise
Reward and compensate
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Review
Thought of as linear process
Definition
Managing talent effectively
The usual process of talent management consists of the several steps such as building an applicant pool, conducting appraisals, and rewarding employees. More recently, however, managing talent is considered more of a unified process. It is a goal-oriented and integrated process of planning,recruiting, developing, managing, and compensating employees. All managers must use the same set of criteria in managing talent effectively. Managers must be proactive in the application of talent management principles and successfully integrate all talent management activities into a coherent whole.
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7. Discuss the process of job analysis, including why it is important.
For this learning objective, we will look more closely at a variety of important considerations such as:
What job analysis information typically is used for
How to conduct a job analysis
Job analysis guidelines
How to collect job analysis information
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8. The Basics of Job Analysis Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.
Work activities
Behaviors
Machines, tools, equipment, and work aids
Performance standards
Job context
Human requirements
Talent management begins with understanding what jobs need to be filled, and the human traits and competencies employees need. Jobanalysis is the procedure through which you determine the duties of the positionsand the characteristics of the people to hire for them.
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9. Uses of Job Analysis Information
Recruitment and selection
EEO compliance
Performance appraisal
Compensation
Training
The information collected through a job analysis is used help manage all aspects of an effective HR program.
In terms of recruitment and selection information about what duties the job entails and what human characteristics are required helps in hiring decisions.
Job analysis is crucial for validating all major human resources practices, especially when it comes to legal compliance. You may recall from our earlier discussion of federal laws that care must be exercised in all areas related to employees such as hiring under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
A job analysis helps compare each employee’s actual performance with his or her duties and performance standards in performance appraisals.
Compensation often depends onthe job’s required skill and education level, safety hazards, degree of responsibility, and other factors you assess through job analysis.
The job description, which is created from a job analysis, lists the job’s specific duties and skills—and therefore the training—that the job requires.
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10. Conducting a Job Analysis Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.
How will information be used?
Background information
Representative positions
Collect and analyze data
Verify
Job description and specification
Conducting a job analysis requires multiple steps.
Step 1: Decide how you’ll use the information.
Step 2: Review relevant background information such as organization charts, process charts, and job descriptions.
Step 3: Select representative positions.
Step 4: Actually analyze the jobby collecting data on job activities, working conditions, and human traits and abilities needed to perform the job.
Step 5: Verify the job analysis information with the worker performing the job and with his or her immediate supervisor.
Step 6: Develop a job description and job specification.
Job analysis may involve these processes:
Workflow analysis is a detailed study of the flow of work from job to job in a work process. Usually, the analyst focuses on one identifiable work process, rather than on how the company gets all its work done.
Business Process Reengineering Business process reengineering means redesigning business processes, usually by combining steps, so that small multifunction teams, often using information technology, do the jobs formerly done by a sequence of departments.
The basic reengineering approach is to:
1. Identify a business process to be redesigned (such as processing an insurance claim)
2. Measure the performance of the existing processes
3. Identify opportunities to improve these processes
4. Redesign and implement a new way of doing the work
5. Assign ownership of sets of formerly separate tasks to an individual or a team who use new
computerized systems to support the new arrangement
As at Atlantic American, reengineering usually requires redesigning individual jobs.
Job redesign Researches proposed redesigning jobs using methods such as job enlargement, job rotation, and job enrichment.
Job enlargement means assigning workers additional same-level activities. Thus, the worker who previously only bolted the seat to the legs might attach the back too.
Job rotation means systematically moving workers from one job to another.
Job enrichment means redesigning jobs in a way that increases the opportunities for the worker to experience feelings of responsibility, achievement, growth, and recognition—and therefore more motivation. It does this by empowering the worker—for instance, by giving the worker the skills and authority to inspect the work, instead of having supervisors do that. Herzberg said empowered employees would do their jobs well because they wanted to, and quality and productivity would rise. That philosophy, in one form or another, is the theoretical basis for the team-based self-managing jobs in many companies around the world today.
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12. Job Analysis Guidelines Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.
A joint effort
Clarity of questions and process
Different job analysis methods
Make the job analysis a joint effort by a human resources manager, the worker,and the worker’s supervisor.
Make sure the questions and the process are both clear to the employees.
Finally, use several different job analysis tools. Do not rely just on a questionnaire, forinstance, but supplement
your survey with a short follow-up interview.
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Review
The basics of job analysis
Uses of job analysis information
Conducting a job analysis
Job analysis guidelines
The information collected through a job analysis is used tohelp manage all aspects of an effective HR program including recruitment and selection, legal compliance, performance appraisals, compensation, and training. Elements of the job analysis process include how the information will be used, background information, selecting representative positions for analysis, verifying the data analyzing data, and then writing the job description. Since the information collected may be sensitive to the employee, it’s a good idea to make it a joint effort, clarify the questions and process, and use a variety of job analysis tools.
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Explain how to use at least three methods of collecting job analysis information, including interviews, questionnaires, and observation.
We will discuss the most important and most often used methods of collecting information for use in job analysis procedures.
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15. Methods for Collecting Job Analysis Information
Interviews
Questionnaires
Observation
Diary/logs
Quantitative techniques
Internet-based
Job analysis interviews range from completely unstructured interviews to highly structured ones. We will discuss interviews in more detail on the next slide.
Having employees fill out questionnaires to describe their job-related duties and responsibilities is another popular way to obtain job analysis information.
Direct observation is especially useful when jobs consist mainly of observable physical activities—assembly-line worker and accounting clerk are examples.
Another method is to ask workers to keep a diary/log of what they do during the day. For every activity engaged in, the employee records the activity (along with the time) in a log.
Qualitative methods like interviews and questionnaires are not always suitable. You may need to say that, in effect, “Job A is twice as challenging as Job B, and so is worth twice the pay.” Now, of course, you must be able to prove such a claim quantitatively. The position analysis questionnaire (PAQ) is a very popular quantitative job analysis tool, consisting of a questionnaire containing 194 items. The 194 items (such as “written materials”) each represent a basic element that may play a role in the job.
Experts at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) did much of the early work developing job analysis. The DOL method uses a set of standard basic activities called worker functions to describe what a worker must do with respect to data, people, and things.
For internet-based job analysis, the HR department can distribute standardized job analysis questionnaires to geographically disbursed employees. Such questionnaires may be sent via company intranets, and include instructions to complete the forms and return them by a particular date.
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16. Collecting Job Analysis Information – Interviews
The Interview
Typical questions
Structured interviews
Pros and cons
Interviewing guidelines
Managers may conduct individual interviews with each employee, group interviews with groups of employees who have the same job, and/or supervisor interviews with one or more supervisors who know the job. Some typical interview questions include the following:
What is the job being performed?
What are the education, experience, skill, and certification and licensing requirements?
What are the job’s physical demands? The emotional and mental demands?
And many others
Many managers use a structured format to guide the interview to ensure consistency and be certain key elements are not overlooked.
The interview’s wide use reflects its advantages. It’s a simple and quick way to collect information, including information that might not appear on a written form.
Distortion of information is the main problem—whether due to outright falsification or honest misunderstanding.
The basic interviewing guidelines include:
Quickly establish rapport.
Use a structured guide.
Ask the worker to list his or her duties in order of importance and frequency of occurrence.
Review the information with the worker’s immediate supervisor and with the interviewee.
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Review
Interviews
Questionnaires
Observation
Diary/logs
Quantitative techniques
Internet-based
The key methods for collecting useful job analysis data include both structured and unstructured interviews, both of which have advantages and disadvantages.
Questionnaires also may be structured or unstructured, depending on the situation and job under review.
Observation, while extremely useful is very time-consuming in that one individual will be needed to observe the worker for extended periods of time. In addition, the observer may miss some key job activities if they are not performed regularly.
Diaries and logs require the worker to make entries into his or her journal at regular times.
Quantitative techniques include the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) and the Department of Labor (DOL) technique.
Internet-based analysis allows the HR department to send questionnaires to geographically disbursed employees and receive information in a timely manner. This procedure also allows electronic or voice follow-up.
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Explain how you would write a job description.
The most important product of job analysis is the job description. A job description is a written
statement of what the worker actually does, how he or she does it, and what the job’s working
conditions are. You use this information to write a job specification; this lists the knowledge,
abilities, and skills required to perform the job satisfactorily.
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19. Writing Job Descriptions Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.
Job identification
Job summary
Relationships
Responsibilities and duties
Authority
Performance standards & working conditions
Job specifications
The job description is one of the main outcomes of conducting a job analysis. The job identification section (on top) contains several types of information. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) status section identifies the job as exempt or nonexempt with respect to being exempt or non-exempt from FLSA overtime rules. Exempt and non-exempt status also is used to help plan compensation strategies for a firm. The “Date” is the date the job description was actually approved. The job summary should summarize the essence of the job, and include only its major functions or activities.
There may be a “relationships” statement that shows the jobholder’s relationships with others inside and outside the organization. Responsibilities and duties are the heart of the job description. This section should present a list of the job’s significant responsibilities and duties. This section may also define the limits of the jobholder’s authority.
A “standards of performance” section lists the standards the company expects the employee to achieve for each of the job description’s main duties and responsibilities.
Working conditions include the location, tools, environment (hot, cold, etc.) and the like.
More employers are turning to the Internet for their job descriptions. The process is simple. Search by alphabetical title, keyword, category, or industry to find the desired job title. This leads you to a generic job description for that title which you may then customize as needed. The Internet, particularly O*NET, can help you create the “human requirements” of the job for the job specification. We will discuss job specifications next.
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Explain how to write a job specification.
The most important product of job analysis is the job description. A job description is awritten statement of what the worker actually does, how he or she does it, and what thejob’s working conditions are. Let’s discuss how a job description should be written.
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Write a job specification.
We will now discuss what elements to consider while writing a job specification.
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Writing job specifications
Trained vs. untrained
Judgment
Statistical analysis
Task statements
Writing job specifications for trained employees is relatively straightforward. Here your job specifications might focus mostly on traits like length of previous service, quality of relevant training, and previous job performance. The problems are more complex when you’re filling jobs with untrained people. Here you must specify qualities such as physical traits, personality, interests, or sensory skills that imply some potential for performing or for being trained to do the job.
Finally, the job analyst compiles all this information in a job requirements matrix for this job.
This matrix would list the following information, in 5 columns:
Column 1: Each of the four or five main job duties;
Column 2: The task statements associated with each main job duty;
Column 3: The relative importance of each main job duty;
Column 4: The time spent on each main job duty; and
Column 5: The knowledge, skills, ability, and other human characteristics related to each
main job duty.
Such a job requirements matrix provides a more complete picture of what the worker does on the job and how and why he or she does it than does a job description. (For instance, it specifies each task’s purpose.) And, the list of each duty’s required knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics is useful for selection, training, and appraisal decisions.
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Review
The job specification takes the job description and answers the question, “What human traits and
experience are required to do this job effectively?” It shows what kind of person to recruit and for
what qualities you should test that person. It may be a section of the job description, or a separate
document.
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Explain competency-based job analysis, including what it means and how it’s done in practice.
A job is traditionally a set of closely related activities carried out for pay, but the conceptof a job is changing. These changes include management practices such as organizing around work teams, which create different challenges we will now discuss.
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25. Profiles in Talent Management Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education Ltd.
Competencies and competency-based job analysis
How to write competencies-based job descriptions
Competencies are observable and measurable behaviors of the person that makeperformance possible. Competency-based job analysis means describing the job in terms of measurable, observable, behavioral competencies. Such competencies are usually grouped into general competencies, leadership competencies, and technical competencies.
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Review
The key to writing competency-based job descriptions is being able to observe effectively and measure results. A job is traditionally a set of closely related activities carried out for pay, but the concept of a job is changing. Many changes are related to the nature of work, such as the growth of using work teams. In such circumstances, relying on a list of conventional job duties can be counterproductive, because the person’s job changes frequently. In such cases, job profiles are preferred. Job profiles list the competencies, traits, knowledge, and experience that employees must be able to exhibit to get multiple jobs done.
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