3. How many methods we can use collecting job analysis?
Job analysis is based on job data. Hence the question: how to collect
job related data? A variety of methods are available for collecting job
data. The method that was historically linked to the concept of job
analysis was observation supplemented by the interview.
In recent years, questionnaires, check lists, critical incidents, diaries,
personnel records and technical conference method have also been
experimented for collecting job-related data. A brief description of each
method is in order.
Observation:
Under this method, data is collected through observing an
employee while at work. The job analyst on the basis of observation
carefully records what the worker does, how he/she does, and how
much time is needed for completion of a given task. This is the most
reliable method of seeking firsthand information relating to a job.
This method is suitable for jobs that consist primarily of
observable physical ability, short job cycle activities. The jobs of
draftsman, mechanic, spinner or weaver are the examples of such jobs.
However, the flip side of this method is that this method is not suitable
for jobs that involve unobservable mental activities reveal overlaps and
grey areas and have not complete job cycle.
That it is time consuming is it’s yet another handicap. Given these,
the job analyst needs to be quite skillful in collecting data about jobs
with a high degree of discretion or decision content. Training can make
the job analyst skillful.
Interview:
In this method, the job analyst directly interviews the job holder
through a structured interview form to elicit information about the job.
This method is found suitable particularly for jobs wherein direct
observation is not feasible. By way of directly talking to the job holder,
the interviewer job analyst may extract meaningful information from
the job holder about his/her job.
However, the interview method is both time consuming and
costly. Particularly, the professional and managerial jobs due to their
complicated nature of job, require a longer interview’ This may also be
a possibility that bias on the part of the analyst and the job holder i.e.,
the respondent may cloud the accuracy and objectivity of the
information gathered through interview. Nonetheless, the effectiveness
of the interview method will depend on the ability of both interviewer
and respondent in asking questions and responding them respectively.
Questionnaire:
Questionnaire method of job data collection is desirable especially
in the following two situations:
First, where the number of people doing the same job is large and
to personally interview them is difficult and impracticable.
Second, where giving enough time to employees is desirable to
enable them to divulge and explore the special aspects of the jobs.
In this method, the employee is given structured questionnaire to
fill in, which are then returned to the supervisors. The supervisor, after
making the required and necessary corrections in the information
contained in the questionnaire, submits the corrected information to
the job analyst. Questionnaire provides comprehensive information
about the job.
Information so obtained can be quantified and processed in the
computer. The greatest advantage of the questionnaire method is that
it enables the analyst to cover a large number of job holders in the
shortest possible time. However, the method suffers from certain short-
comings as well.
In the absence of direct rapport between the job analyst and the
employee, both cooperation and motivation on the part of the employee
tends to be at low level. Often employee due to lack of training and skill,
do not express the job-related information in a meaningful and clear
fashion. As such, job related data tends to be inaccurate. Moreover, the
method is time-consuming and costly.
Checklists:
The checklist method of job data collection differs from the
questionnaire method in the sense that it contains a few subjective
questions in the form of yes or no. The job holder is asked to tick the
questions that are related to his/her job. Checklist can be prepared on
the basis of job information obtained from various sources such as
supervisors, industrial engineers, and other people who are familiar
with the particular job.
Once the checklist is prepared, it is then sent, to the job holder to check
all the tasks listed in the list he/she performs. He/she is also asked to
mention the amount of time spent on each task by him/her and the type
of training and experience required to do each task. Information
contained in checklist is, then, tabulated to obtain the job-related data.
Like questionnaire method, the checklist method is suitable in the large
organizations wherein a large number of workers are assigned one
particular job. Since the method is costly and, therefore, is not suitable
for small organizations.
Critical Incidents:
This method is based on the job holder’s past experiences on the
job. They are asked to recapitulate and describe the past incidents
related to their jobs. The incidents so reported by the job holders are,
then, classified into various categories and analyzed in detail. Yes, the
job analyst requires a high degree of skill to analyses the incidents
appropriately described by the job holders. However, this method is
also time-consuming one.
Diaries or Log Records:
In this method, the job holder is asked to maintain a diary
recording in detail the job-related activities each day. If done
judiciously, this method provides accurate and comprehensive
information about the job. This overcomes memory lapses on the part
of the job holder. As recording of activities may spread over several
days, the method, thus, becomes time-consuming one.
The disadvantage associated with this method is that it remains
incomplete because it does not give desirable data on supervisor
relationship, the equipment used and working conditions prevalent at
the work place.
Technical Conference Method:
In this method, a conference is organized for the supervisors who
possess extensive knowledge about job. They deliberate on various
aspects of the job. The job analyst obtains job information from the
discussion held among these experts/supervisors. The method
consumes less amount of time. However, the main drawback of this
method is that it lacks accuracy and authenticity as the actual job
holders are not involved in collecting job information.
It is seen from the preceding description that no single method is
complete and superior. In fact, none of the method is to be considered
as mutually exclusive. The best data related to a job can be obtained by
a combination of all methods described above.
Before we skip to the next content, a brief mention about the
problems faced with job analysis is in order.
