Methods of Collecting Job Information

Methods of Collecting Job Information

There are various techniques one can use for collecting information on the duties, responsibilities, and activities of the job. In practice, one could use any one of them or combine techniques that best fit one’s purpose. Thus, an interview might be appropriate for creating a job description, where as the position always questionnaire is more appropriate for determining the worth of a job for compensation purpose, determining the worth of a job for compensation purpose.

Collecting job analysis data usually involves a joint effort by an HR specialist, the worker, and the worker’s supervisor. The HR specialist (perhaps an HR manager, job analyst, or consultant) might observe and analyze the work being done and then develop a job description and specification. The supervisor and worker will also get involved, perhaps by filling out questionnaires listing the subordinate’s activities. The supervisor and worker may then review and verify the job analyst’s conclusions regarding the job’s activities and duties.

Basic Methods of Data Collection for Job Information
There are two principle methods of collecting job information primarily.
1. Observation: In this method, respondents are visually observed, regardless of whether they realize it or not. This method is more objective than the use of survey questions. In observation method, there is chance of influencing the respondents because of interaction. In some cases, this method may yield more information than could otherwise be obtained, because the methods are independent of respondents’ unwillingness or inability to respond. Individuals are usually reluctant to discuss personal habits of consumption (in the case of marketing research) and observation avoids this problem.

The personal or direct technique of observation is most commonly used. Mechanical recording devices are often used for this purpose. Observers may be explicitly instructed about what they are supposed to notice. Training and practice are necessary if desired detail is to be systematically noted and recorded. If bias cannot be completely eliminated through training, it may be necessary to use observers of various backgrounds to over each other’s blind spots.

2. Questioning: Using this technique, data can be collected more quickly and at a minimum cost because the research does not have to wait for the event in order to observe it. The method is quite versatile, because it can be used to explore virtually all types of marketing problems. They can be useful to learn about a consumer’s internal working such as motives and attitudes that are not observable.

There are three basic types of questioning.

1. Personal Interview:

   An interviewer must know the language of the interviewee. A great deal of personal and social interaction occurs in a personal interview. The appearance of the interviewer must be taken into account. The use of the personal interview should be restricted only to the individual interview but it may involve group as well. That may be a focus group.

    
2. Telephone Interview: This technique poses a special challenge for international researchers. State-run telephone is usually associated with poor service and it is usually difficult to have a telephone survey, because everyone may not have telephone lines. Assuming that private telephones are available. There are several problems associated with a telephone interview. They may be difficulty in conversational skills. The habits may vary a lot: an interviewer may feel difficulty in getting the desired information over the telephone.
3. The Mail Questionnaire: The mail questionnaire is a very popular survey method because of its low cost and high degree of standardization. One problem involves the lack of good mailing lists. People in most countries generally do not bother in reporting their new address, not even for the purpose of mail forwarding. As a result, a government’s list based on the censused report is out dated. Another problem is illiteracy. Lack of familiarity with the mailed survey question method should be given careful consideration. Because many people are not used to responding by mail. The cause may even be the poor mail system. Many postal workers are simply lazy careless.

There are various techniques by which job information can be collected. Some of the important techniques are described below:
Technique 1: Questionnaire: A formalized instrument for asking information directly from a respondent concerning behavior, demographic chart and level of knowledge and or attitudes, beliefs and feelings.

Technique 2: Attitude Scale: A formalized instrument for eliciting self-regrets of beliefs and feelings counseling objects.

Technique 3: Rating Scale: Require the respondent to place the object being rated at some point along a numerically ordered service of categories.

Technique 4: Composite Scale: To express a degree of belief concerning various attributes such that the attitude can be indeed from the pattern of responses.

Technique 5: Perceptual ways: Derive the components or chart on individual uses in comparing objects and provide a-ix score for and object on each chart.

Technique 6: Observation: This is the direct examination of behavior, the result of behavior or physiological changes.

Technique 7: Conjoint Analysis: Derive the value an individual assigns to various attributes of a product.

Technique 8: Projective Technique Interviews: Designed to gather information that respondents are either unable or unwilling to provide in response to direct questioning.

Technique 9: Draft Interview: Allow individuals to express their feeling without any fear of disapproval, dispute or advice from the interviewer.

The Values of Written Job Description in an Organization

Job description is prepared on the basis of data collected through job analysis. Job description is a functional description of the contents what the job entails. It is a narration of the contents of a job. It is a description of the activities and duties to be performed in a job, the relationship of the job with other jobs, the equipment and tools involved, the nature of supervision, working conditions and hazards of the job and so on. All major categories of jobs need to be spelled out in clear and comprehensive manner to determine the qualifications and skills required to perform a job. Thus, job description differentiates on job from the other. In addition, job description is a written statement of what a job holder does, how it is done, and why it is done. The sample of job description is sown as below:

Job Title: Director of wage and salary Administration. Job Summary: Responsible for company wage and salary programs including job analysis job evaluation, wage surveys, and benefit administration.
Job Duties :1. Supervisor job analysis studies and approves final form of job description.
2. Develops executes and monitors job evaluation procedures in cooperation with operating management.
3. Acts as chairman of the company-wide job evolution committee.
4. Conducts periodic wage and salary surveys in the community and industry.
5. Administers the company’s supplementary benefit programme. Recommends changes in and additions to existing benefit.
6. supervises members of the wage and salary division
Working Conditions: Normal-working condition eight hours per day.

Behavioral Approach of Job Design

Behavioral Approach

This approach considers behavioral factors in job design. Employee needs in terms of autonomy, variety, task identify, task significance, and feedback are considered. The methods are:

a) Job Enrichment: It adds new sources of satisfaction to jobs. Jobs are made challenging and meaningful by increasing responsibilities are added to the job, usually with less supervision and more self-evaluation. workers get greater autonomy in planning and controlling their performance. It is also known as "vertical loading" of job. The steps in job environment are

• Select jobs, which are suitable for enrichment; identify changes needed.
• Change contents of the job to provide autonomy, control responsibility, achievement, and advancement.
• Train and guide employees.
• Integrate enriched jobs into work schedule.

Advantages

Disadvantages

- It leads to increased motivation and job satisfaction. - It satisfies higher level needs of the employees; job outcomes improve; job status increases. - It stimulates improvements in other areas of the organization. - It empowers employees; provides feedback to correct performances. - It leads to reduce turnover and lower absenteeism; employee development is facilitated.

- Unions may resist job enrichment; employees may refuse to accept enriched jobs with new responsibilities. - The costs of design and implementation are high for job enrichment; training costs can be high. - It focuses on the job only and ignores other variables that contribute to quality of work life (QWL). - Managers may be unwilling to delegate authority; supportive work environment may be lacking. - Job enrichment is only a tool; it is not universally applicable, it is situation specific.

b) Autonomous Teams (Self-directed Team): Autonomous teams are a group of employees with widely defined jobs and responsibilities to achieve specific goal. Team members are: highly committed; decide collectively; interact continuously; work closely, determine work assignments and working methods and practice self-supervision.

Advantages	Disadvantages
- Autonomous teams generally achieve high productivity and quality. - Supervision costs are reduced. - Team spirit with employee empowerment is realized. - Greater involvement of employees in decision making; greater employees commitment.	- Employees, managers and unions resist autonomous teams. - Cooperation among team members may be difficult. - Efficiency of the team may be low.

c) Modified Works Schedules: The work schedule is modified. The techniques can be

• Shorter work week; worker work ten hours each day for four days. It provides mere leisure to employees. Turnover and reduced absenteeism.
• Flexible time
• Job sharing
• Homework

Classical Approach of Job Design

Classical Approach of Job Design

It is based on the principles of scientific management. Standardization and simplification are used in job design to ensure specialization. The popular methods are:

a) Work simplifications: The job is simplified by breaking down the tasks of the job. The task contained in one job may be assigned to tow jobs. The outcome of work simplification is more specialization. 

Advantages	Disadvantages
- Work simplification, promotes efficiency through specialization. - Less trained and low paid employees can perform the jobs.	- Overspecialization results in boredom: Boredom results in fatigue and high labour. - Cost go up. - Routinized mechanical pacing provides little opportunity for interaction.

b) Job Rotation: Employees are allowed to move from job to job. The jobs are not changed; only the employees are rotated.

Advantages	Disadvantages
- Job rotation provides variety; employees can use different skills and abilities; monotony of specialized jobs are broken. - Employees become competent in several jobs. This results in employee development. - Worker’s self image is improved, provides for employee’s personal growth and improves task significance. - Organizations get flexibility in scheduling work.	- Job rotation does not improve the jobs; job relationships remain unchanged. - Costs are high, especially the training costs. - Job disruptions may be created. - Employees may feel alienated.

c. Job Enlargement: The tasks assigned to a job are increased by adding similar tasks. The scope of the job is enlarged horizontally. It is also known as “Horizontal loading” of job.

Advantages	Disadvantages
- It provides variety; reduces monotony by expanding the job cycle; draws on a wider range of employee skills. - Job satisfaction increases; motivation may also increases higher needs of employees may get satisfied.	- It requires longer training period; cost is high. - It does not reduce monotony of job; adds one more boring job to another. - It is resisted by employees.

Concept of Job Design

Concept of Job Design

As we know, organizations are human association for achieving goals. In an organization, different types of activities are to be performed to achieve organizational goal. Activities may be of different types and nature requiring different skills to perform it. So, to perform the activities smoothly, it should be organized or managed. The process of organizing and managing activities can be known as job design.

Job design engineer performs the test of job design. Job is the vehicles through which the organizational works are accomplished so, while designing the job the designer should meet the psychological and behavioral feeling of jobholders. Otherwise jobholder won’t be motivated towards the job.

Hence in the conclusion, job design is the overall structure of the job, that explains about the nature of job, contents of the job, skill required to perform the job, method of performing the job, so that organizational and technological requirements as well as psychological and social requirement of the job holder will be fulfilled. A well-designed job leads the organization rising in the Apex.

Basis of Job Design

The factors affecting job design are:
1. Job Analysis Factors: Job analysis forms an intensive, direct technique for identifying the crucial information regarding the job. It is the process of determining the tasks involves in the job and personnel qualities of the individuals required to perform the job. It defines duties, responsibilities and accomplish of a job. The components of job analysis are job and description and job specifications. Job analysis is used as an important input in job design to determine the contents of the job.

2. Organizational Factor: These factors are concerned with efficiency aspect in the job design. They focus on specialization. The factors are:

• Job Cycle: Job cycle is time allotted to complete every task in the job. Every task in the job are arranged to minimize the time and effort of worker on the basis of time and motion studies. Specialized jobs lead to short job cycles. Assembly lines present an example of short job cycle.
• Work Flow: The nature of the product influences work flow. Job design is based on determining the sequence of jobs and establishing balance between the jobs.
• Work Practices: They are set ways of performing jobs. They arise from tradition or the collective wishes of the employees. Job design is based on work practices.
• Ergonomics: It is the study of how human beings physically interface with their job. The job design is based on physically relationship between the worker and the work. Handling of the job is the prime consideration in job design.

3. Environmental Factors: The external environmental factors are considered for job design. The factors are:

• Employee Abilities and Availability: Efficiency considerations for job design are balanced against the abilities and availability of employees. The focus is on who will actually do the job. 
• Socio-cultural Expectations: Jobs are designed to meet the socio-cultural expectations of the workers. Expectation of worker may differ as to hours of work, holidays, attitudes, religious beliefs and management styles.

4. Behavioral Factors: Behavioral factors are concerned with satisfactions of human needs especially higher level of need. The factors are:

• Autonomy: It is having responsibility for what one does. Job design is based on autonomy factors, especially for decision making and responding to environment.
• Variety: It refers to variety in the use of different skills and abilities. Lack of variety leads to boredom. Boredom leads to fatigue. Variety is injected in job design.
• Task Identity: It refers to doing the whole piece of work to get a sense of accomplishment. Job design is done to provide task identity.
• Task Significance: It is the feeling of does anyone cares. Job design is based on task significance to give a feeling that the work has meaning to people inside and outside the organization.
• Feedback: It refers to information on performance. Job design incorporates feedback aspect to tell workers feedback aspect to tell workers how well they are doing.

Impact of Job Design on Motivation of the Employees

Impact of Job Design on Motivation of the Employees

Employee needs in terms of autonomy, variety, task identifies, task significance, and feedback are considered. The methods are:
1. Job Enrichment: It adds new sources of satisfaction to jobs. Jobs are made challenging and meaningful by increasing responsibility, autonomy and control. More planning and control responsibilities are added to the job usually with less supervision and more self-evaluation. Workers get greater autonomy in planning and controlling their performance. It is also known as “vertical loading” of job. The steps in job environment are

• Select Jobs, which are suitable for enrichment; identify changes needed.
• Change contents of the job to provide autonomy, control, responsibility, achievement, and advancement.
• Train and guide employees
• Integrate enriched jobs into work schedule.

2. Autonomous Team (self-directed team): Autonomous teams are a group of employees with widely defined jobs and responsibilities to achieve specific goal. Team members are highly committed, decide collectively, interact continuously, work closely, determine work assignments and working methods and practice self-supervision.

3. Modified works schedule: The work schedule should be modified. The techniques can be:

• Shorter workweek; worker work ten hours each day for four days. It provides mere leisure to employees. Turnover and reduced absenteeism. 
• Flexible time
• Job sharing
• Homework

The Impact of Job Design on Productivity of the Employees
1. Work Simplifications: The job is simplified by breaking down the tasks of the job. The task contained in one job may be assigned to two jobs. The outcome of work simplification is more specialization.

2. Job Rotation: Employees are allowed to move from job to job. The jobs are not changed; only the employees are rotated.

3. Job Enlargement: The tasks assigned to a job are increased by adding similar tasks. The scope of the job is enlarged horizontally. It is also known as “Horizontal loading” of job.