Job Analysis
Introduction
Classics of economic theory emphasized on the key role of workforce as the main component of value added. Nowadays human resource management is a matter of great importance for the organization as well as job analysis.
This paper contains the information regarding contemporary human resource market conjuncture, analysis of the current changes in employment legislation, job analysis methods, analysis of employers’ and employees’ expectations, analysis of major issues and concerns in the field of human resources.
The aim of the current paper is to find out if there are any changes in human resource management. If the changes took place, then describe them.
1. Importance of Job Analysis
Job analysis is the process of preparation of the information regarding job requirements and performance of the work. Usually it includes various information related responsibilities, outcomes, skills, and working environment (“Hrguide”, n.d.). The purpose of conducting job analysis is to prepare description and specification of a certain job in order to provide an organization with quality personnel. Job analysis is the basement for making improvements, developing appraisal system and compensation plans, defining promotion criteria and training needs assessment. It is often used for classification and selection of personnel. The scope of job analysis application varies depending on its stage. It can be applicable for compensation assessment (compensable factors, responsibilities, skill level, level of education), performance review (objectives, evaluation criteria, standards of performance), selection of personnel (tests, instruments, interviewing, appraisal procedures, requirements, orientation materials for applicants, salary level for the position) (“Job Analysis: Overview”, n.d.).
2. Job Analysis Application
Companies use job analysis for setting employees’ goal aiming to tie personal goals with the company’s needs. Sometimes job analysis is described as a combination of job description and job specification (Bhushan, n.d.).
Specification can be described as a set of necessary skills for job performance and background to perform job responsibility. Interestingly, specifications are often meant but are not listed among the job requirements. For example, master degree required in the job description list is not always necessary for job performance (Bhushan, n.d.).
A job description represents a list of functions and responsibilities of a particular position. Often job descriptions coincide with a certain position, i.e. secretary or clerk. It is important to standardize job descriptions so they could be understood by employees and human resource management. Job description is designed to explain employee’s functions. It is needed to avoid confusion associated with position functions and responsibilities. Sometimes the perception of employees’ differs from job description. Thus, it is a primary task to make an employee familiarized with a job description.
3. Contemporary Labor Market Conjuncture in the U.S.
Determination of the present labor market conjuncture is essential for job analysis. There are several main tendencies in the United States labor market. The main issue of the labor market is aging of the workforce. Industrial growth in the USA after the World War II was conditioned by the great influx of the workforce caused by the generation of “baby boomers”. The generation of baby boomers is to be replaced by the “generation Y” or “millenials” after retirement. At the present the USA employers faced the problem of employees’ shortage and increased demand for the workforce. Companies experience hardships with hiring, training, and retaining employees (Goldsmith, 2008).
Fortunately, globalization gave additional opportunities to outsource some job functions. Approximately twenty percent of the U.S. companies source talented people worldwide. India and China are the most promising human resource providers from this perspective. This percentage is expected to increase up to fifty percent in the next five years (Goldsmith, 2008).
The survey of 4,700 CEO in 83 countries conducted by Boston Consulting Group showed that the companies are not ready to manage demographic issue (Goldsmith, 2008).
The second issue is reducing employees’ loyalty. Having shortage of employees the companies are forced to develop programs for performance improvement and increasing engagement level.
Harding (2011) outlines the following factors influencing employment in the USA except for those mentioned before: the decay of real estate industry and the construction; competition from baby boomers for lower-paid jobs; increased government spending negatively influencing GDP; increasing of global competitiveness; higher demand for communicators rather than software engineers; outflow of capital caused by taxation growth; national currency debasement caused by existing monetary system.
4. Job Analysis Methods
There are several methods of job analysis. Usually the classification includes observation, questionnaire, and other methods.
Observation methods are subdivided into direct observation, critical incident technique, interview method, and work methods analysis (“Humanresources”, n.d.).
Direct observation method is based on analysis of tasks, activities, behaviors and events that were recorded during observation process. Critical incident technique classifies excellent and poor performance on the basement of behavioral analysis. Interview method suggests interviewing both incumbent and supervisors in order to gather maximum information regarding the job to make deep analysis. Work methods analysis is often used for description of jobs connected with manual and recurring procedures. This analysis of the job is designed for labor analysis and consists of analysis of time, motions, and micro-motions (“Job Analysis Methods”, n.d.).
Questionnaire methods include the following techniques: position analysis questionnaire, mosaic model, functional job analysis, Fleishman job analysis system, common metric questionnaire, and work profiling system.
Position analysis questionnaire model is designed for measure correlation between job and human characteristics. Mosaic model involves analysis of data collected from employees and supervisors. It includes 151 job tasks and 22 capacities ranked depending on the level of importance to define optimal level of effectiveness. Functional job analysis is a very popular method which outlines seven scales of techniques measuring time spent on work performance and reasoning of time spent. Fleishman job analysis system uses 52 psycho-motor, sensory, physical and cognitive abilities to describe jobs from vital capacities perspective. Common metric questionnaire is sometimes called “worker-orientation” method. It is commonly applied for the range of exempt and non-exempt jobs. The method contains 42 general questions concerning background, 62 questions related communication, 80 questions regarding decision-making, 53 questions about physical and mechanical activities, and 47 questions regarding work management. Work profiling system is the method which uses computer-administered system for technical questionnaire of job analysis (“Job Analysis Methods”, n.d.).
Among other methods are task inventory, technical conference, diary method, examining manuals, competency profiling, checklist and rating scales, threshold traits analysis system, job element method and various combinations of methods. Task inventory contains a list of activities which create a job. Technical conference is a method which is based on subject matter experts and employs brainstorming in the process of discovering job elements. Diary method suggests recording every day activities and their further analysis. Examining manuals is a method based on using materials and various manuals. Competency profiling method includes analysis of different components, such as values, knowledge, interests, skills, capacities, and personalities. In checklist and rating scales method jobs are analyzed by using a number of job elements. The analysis includes purposes of work, key responsibilities, communication and relationships, authority and decision-making, experience, working conditions, etc. Threshold traits analysis system includes a set of 33 traits subdivided to “can do” and “willing to do” factors. Job element method is a method of behavioral analysis which is similar to critical incident method. Combination methods use a mix of several methods listed above. For example, the most commonly used combination is interviews and direct observation method (“Job Analysis Methods”, n.d.).
5. Changes in Employment Legislation
Job analysis is also intimately tired with job legislation. This year the U.S. legislation law had undergone certain changes. Thus, there are several things which employers need to know in order to assure ability for adequate communication with employers.
According to Shepard and Walters (2009), the biggest changes relate workplace flexibility, healthcare, industrial relations and leave. Healthcare is a major issue in the USA being a point of concern both for employees who hesitate about their ability to pay for the changes, and for human resource management who are to cope with these changes. Industrial relations contain the biggest changes associated with labor unions. A paid leave for sickness or parental reasons were proposed to be financed through employers’ incentives but are not mandatory.
Other changes concern amendments to Americans With Disabilities Act of 2008, Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, State Children’s Health Insurance Program American Recovery, Reinvestment Act of 2009 Pro-Labor Executive Orders and E-Verify, Americans With Disabilities Act Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, Rehabilitation Act Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (Shepard and Walters, 2009).
In general, the amendments to the employment legislation can be characterized as employee-friendly.
6. Employees’ Expectations
Since the environment for employees is amicable, applicants and employees could expect loyal attitude from employers’ part. Companies are ready to offer a lot of carrier opportunities for talented and purposeful employees.
The expectations of employees are changing with regard to the following factors: changing legislation, employee shortage, outsourcing, and tendency to cost cutting. All of these factors make contradictory impact on the employees’ expectations. Current changes in legislation and employees’ shortage make positive impact on employees’ expectations while outsourcing practices and downsizing are not favorable (Blandford, n.d.).
As the research of Blandford (n.d.) showed, employees tend to seek for balance between working time and family life, thus, the expectations change accordingly. As many women decide to build on a carrier, they tend to make their work a part of their private life. Contemporary employees are willing to learn and improve their personality visiting corporate training, require extended traveling. They are willing to work sixty hours for week and resolve business issues having breakfasts and dinners (Blandford, n.d.).
Harding (2011) stated that employees switch to the following fields of activity: service-providing, health care, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing and mining.
7. Employers’ Expectations
Employers’ expectations significantly depend on the organizational structure and traditions.
As the companies forced to rigorously compete in the contemporary business environment, they need to have a good team in addition to all other market requirements. For this purpose they need flexible, energetic, well-qualified, and self-motivated staff (European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions report, 2007).
It is worth to mention that employers’ expectations depend on the company’s size and human resource strategy. Depending on the company human resource strategy, it may prioritize aging or young employees, women or men, ablebodied or persons with disabilities. More often the companies give the priority for employee’s personality and skills rather than age, gender or health condition.
Such organizations as hotels are not commonly very demanding when interviewing applicants. As they usually cannot offer carrier opportunities, their expectations are not too high. Such policy also relates employers offering temporary projects.
Usually, large companies do not offer carrier opportunities. Therewith, they could offer more learning opportunities as they have strong learning basement, such as corporate training program, improvement of qualification on a constant basis. On the contrary to large firms, small firms could offer opportunity for carrier development but fewer opportunities for personal growth (Blandford, n.d.).
8. Most Required Jobs
In accordance to the Bureau of Labor Statistics research, the most needed and well-paid jobs in the USA are: retail salespeople, cashiers, office clerks, service workers, people involved in combined food preparation (counter attendants), nurses, waiters, customer service representatives, material movers (laborers, truck loaders, baggage handlers), truck drivers , janitors, stock clerks, order fillers, secretaries, accountants, auditors, elementary school teachers. Remarkably, they made up twenty five percent of the total U.S. employment (Madden, 2010)
Sarullo (2011) provided interesting information regarding the most needed jobs in future. He foresees an increased demand for physician assistants, occupational therapists, physical therapists, medical scientists, computer software engineers, database administrators, computer software applications engineers, network systems and data communications analysts, and college instructors.
Conclusion
The importance of job analysis is obvious and there is a necessity to study job analysis methods in order to improve employees’ and human resource management performance. Job analysis is a key attribute of contemporary human resource management. Latest changes in business environment and employment legislation contain are amicable to employee. Employers had become more loyal to the employees because contemporary business environment requires synergy and flexibility.
References
Bhushan, A. (n.d.). Uses of the Job Description & Job Analysis. Retrieved from
http://performance-appraisals.org/experts/jobdesc.htm
Blandford, T. J. (n.d.). Changing Expectations in the Employment Relationship. Retrieved from http://www.careerlab.com/art_newrules.htm
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. (2007). Teamwork and high performance work organization. Retrieved from
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/ewco/reports/TN0507TR01/TN0507TR01.pdf
Goldsmith, M. (2008, July 8). Human Resources: The Big Issues. Businessweek. Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jul2008/ca2008078_219021.htm
Hardig, J. (2011, April 6). 7 Long-Term Factors Directly Affecting US Job Growth. Retrieved from
http://www.minyanville.com/businessmarkets/articles/unemployment-unemployment-rate-bls-bls-report/4/6/2011/id/33796
Job Analysis Methods. (n.d.). Humanresources.Retrieved from
http://www.humanresources.hrvinet.com/18-methods-of-job-analysis/
Madden, K. (2010, November 11). America's 15 Most Popular Jobs. Retrieved from
Retrieved from http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2010/11/11/americas-most-popular-jobs/
Sarullo, C. (2011, January 30). 10 Most Needed Jobs in the Future. Retrieved from
http://www.ehow.com/list_5481635_10-needed-jobs-future.html
Shepard, I.M. and Walters, C.E. (2009). Recent Employment Law Changes. Retrieved from
http://hrhorizons.nacubo.org/x329.xml
