Human resource management involves the management of
people at work to ensure maximum utilization of human capital. Human resource
management has been endorsed with so many practices or the ten key practices
areas (KPA) that include human resource planning, recruitment and selection,
motivation and benefit, performance appraisal, industrial relation, discipline,
training and development, job design and job analysis, occupation safety and
healthy and others.
This paper shall be divided into three major parts namely
definition of the concepts that is job analysis, human resource management. The
second parts will discuss the importance of job analysis in general, the link
between human resource management key practices areas (KPAs) and job analysis
which will try to show on how job analysis is at the heart of human resource
management. The last phase shall hold the conclusion of the discussion.
Definition of the
terms
Job analysis refer to the process of gathering and analyzing
information for determining the nature
of the job, skills required and abilities to perform those jobs. Scholars has
defined job analysis as follows Michael A (2009) defined job analysis as the
process of collecting, analyzing and setting out information about the content
of jobs in order to provide the base for job description and data for
recruitment, training, job evaluation, and performance management.
Grobler A P et al (2002) defined job analysis as the
process by which management systematically investigate the tasks, duties, and
responsibility of the jobs within an organization.
With these definitions therefore job analysis shall have
the following defining features one, job analysis is a systematic process of
collecting and analyzing job information. Second job analysis shall be
purposive it must have purpose to serve in sense recruitment, performance
management, and training and development shall be the purpose of job analysis.
On the other hand Human Resource Management refers to the
systematic and strategic management of people at work for the realization of
organization goals. It is also defined as an arts and science of managing
people within an organization. As an art it involves creativity and personal
skills to manage employees psychological and altitudinal side for the
realization of organization goals. On the other hand as science entails the use
of principles, theories and methodologies to manage people at work place with
the focus of productivity
Why job analysis is
at the heart of human resource management
Job analysis has been at the heart of human resource
management because key practices areas of human resource management are
informed by job analysis. Cole G (2002:156-157) has provided the following
importance of job analysis first it clarifies posts for which new recruits are
sought, second provide job description, third enables personnel or job
specifications to be drawn up for the purpose of selection or training, fourth
it can provide basic materials on which performance assessment can be done,
fifth it aid the review of organization structure and lastly it help in the
assessment of training need.
With this analysis by Cole G then job analysis shows that
at least every practices of human resource management are informed by job
analysis. Job analysis specifically informs KPAs as follows:
Training and development; for the organization to decide
on conducting training and development of the employee then job analysis
information are required. It is this information that provides information like
what skills, knowledge and ability are there and what skills, ability, and
knowledge are required to perform a particular job in an organization.
Compensation and benefit, also in administrating
compensation and benefit then job analysis provide information on what level of
benefit and compensation to offer to employee regard to jobs, skills and
knowledge, and job conditions. For the human resource managers and employers in
most case pay per considering the nature of works, hours the work is performed,
type of skills and knowledge especially mental and physical skills and ability
as well as knowledge. All these information can only found in job analysis
information.
Performance appraisal also in conducting performance
appraisal job analysis provides supporting information to conduct performance
appraisals. With job analysis information managers determine the jobs specific
activities and performance standard.
Recruitment and selection, organization recruit better
and staff fit for particular jobs by matching the skills, knowledge and ability
with the job vacant available. Again job analysis provides job description that
help to recruit the best and staff that fit the vacancy in an organization.
Employee awareness and commitment, also job analysis can
increases awareness and commitment among workers as they determine their
responsibility and their environment of their jobs. These in turn provide a great
commitment to their job as well as increase performance.
Managing diversity; there is a growing diversities in the
labor market, disabled people, genders issues are emerging in labour market.
With job analysis information provide an easy way to manage them in an
organization. Job analysis provide information on the nature of work and
conditions of works these also help to decide what environment can human
resource manager can accommodate all employee diversities
Human resource planning, involve the anticipation of the
future demand of the organization resource by looking at the existing
resources. It anticipates the information like the number of staff required
including their skills, ability, and knowledge.
Conclusion
Job analysis in any organization play a central role in
human resource areas as it provide relevant information that can be used in
making decisions in regard to human resource management. Job analysis apart
from informing all Key Practices Areas of human resource management it provide
information that inform issues of unsigned duties, also inform the employee on
what are their duties, and boundaries of authority in regard to their jobs.
References
Cole G (2002); Personnel and Human Resource Management (5th
ed) Cengage EMEA, United
Kingdom
Grobler A P et al (2002); Human Resource Management in
South Africa, second edition, Thomson learning UK
Micheal A (2009) Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource
Management Practices
(11th
ed), London and Philadelphia UK
SHL Group plc (2005); Guideline for Best Practice in the
Use of Job Analysis
Techniques,
www.shl.com/assets/resources/Best-practices- job-analysis.pdf.
Accessed on 12nd November 2013, 5:50am
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