Human Resource Manag...

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Human Resource Management-Meaning and Definition: Human resources are the people who work for the organization; human resource management is really employee management with an emphasis on those employees as assets of the business.The advocates of self-managing teams or autonomous work groups claim that this approachoffers a more comprehensive view of organizations than the rather simplistic individual motivationtheories that underpin job rotation, enlargement and enrichment.Performance Reviews/Discipline:In many companies, HR managers conduct or facilitate performance reviews, which is a discussion with an employee about how "she or he is doing relative to the standards and expectations laid out in the job description," according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This also includes providing any follow-up training or goals. If needed, HR managers perform or assist with the discipline or firing of employees for not following company policy. They also conduct exit interviews. Allocating Resources/Layoffs:HR managers may help with layoff decisions and allocating remaining resources after layoffs.They may be responsible for informing employees of the layoffs and providing them with severance information. Human resource planning-Meaning and Definition: Human Resource Planning is the process of determining and ensuring that the organization has adequate number of qualified persons available at the proper times. The same number of employees should be able to perform jobs which meets the needs of the organization and provides satisfaction for individual employees. Human resource planning is concerned with the flow of people into, through and out of the organization. HR planning involves anticipating the need for labor and the supply of labor and then planning the programs necessary to ensure that the 15 organization will have the right mix of employees and skills when and where they are needed. Forecasting the future can be very inexact science, so human resource planning may also include multiple scenarios and contingency plans. Some Other Definitions: HRP has been defined by Geisler (1967), o As a process of forecasting, developing and controlling human resources in an enterprise. This process helps the enterprise to ensure that it has right number of people and the right kind of people at the right place at the right time performing tasks for which they are most effective. o Similarly Wilkstorm (1971) defines it" "As a process involving; forecasting of future requirements, inventorying the present resources and assessing the extent to which these resources are optimally utilized and also planning of necessary HR programs.Job enrichment aims to maximize the interest andchallenge of work by providing the employee with a job that has these characteristics: o it is a complete piece of work in the sense that the worker can identify a series of tasksor activities that end in a recognizable and definable product; o it affords the employee as much variety, decision-making responsibility and control aspossible in carrying out the work; o it provides direct feedback through the work itself on how well the employee is doinghis or her job.A self-managing team enlarges individualjobs to include a wider range of operative skills (multi-skilling), decides on methods ofwork and the planning, scheduling and control of work, distributes tasks itself among itsmembers and monitors its own performance, taking corrective action when required.Human Resource Management (HRM) can be defined as the set of programs, functions, and activities designed and performed in order to maximize both employee as well as organizational effectiveness.As described by Herzberg (1968), job enrichment is not just increasing the number or varietyof tasks; nor is it the provision of opportunities for job rotation.It involves multi-skilling - job demarcation lines are eliminated as far as possibleand encouragement and training are provided for employees to acquire new skills.(Beer et al, 1984) HRM comprises a set of policies designed to maximize organizational integration,employee commitment, flexibility and quality of work.Adjustments: Job design allows for adjustments for physically demanding jobs by minimizing the energy spent doing the job and by aligning the manpower requirements for the same.Job enlargement This means combining previously fragmented tasks into one job, again to increase the varietyand meaning of repetitive work.Self-managing teams (autonomous work groups) These are self-regulating teams who work largely without direct supervision.The philosophyon which this technique is based is a logical extension of job enrichment but is strongly influencedby socio-technical systems theory.Other definitions of HRM Human resource management involves all management decisions and actionthat affect the nature of the relationship between the organization and itsemployees - its human resources.Job rotation This is the movement of employees from one task to another to reduce monotony by increasingvariety.High-performance work design This concentrates on setting up working groups in environments where high levels of performancecan be achieved.Job enrichment This goes beyond job enlargement to add greater autonomy and responsibility to a job and isbased on the job characteristics approach.Be that as it may, thestrength of this system is that it does take account of the social or group factors and the technologyas well as the individual motivators.As described by Buchanan (1987), this requires management to define what it needs in the form of methods of production and the results expected from itsintroduction.As with other business assets, the goal is to make effective use of employees, reducing risk and maximizing return on investment (ROI).It is a management function that helps organization in recruiting, selecting, and training, developing and managing its members.Work / Rest Schedules: Job design offers good work and rest schedule by clearly defining the number of hours an individual has to spend in his/her job.These approaches may relieveboredom, but they do not result in positive increases in motivation.Selfmanagedteams are set up with full responsibility for planning, controlling and monitoring thework.HRM is concern with the management of people in the organization from Recruitment to Retirement.In this context, employees are sometimes referred to as human capital.27 Techniques: 1.2.3.4.28 5.

Original text

Human Resource Management-Meaning and Definition:
Human resources are the people who work for the organization; human resource
management is really employee management with an emphasis on those
employees as assets of the business. In this context, employees are sometimes
referred to as human capital. As with other business assets, the goal is to make
effective use of employees, reducing risk and maximizing return on investment
(ROI).
Human Resource Management (HRM) can be defined as the set of programs,
functions, and activities designed and performed in order to maximize both
employee as well as organizational effectiveness. It is a management function that
helps organization in recruiting, selecting, and training, developing and managing
its members. HRM is concern with the management of people in the organization
from Recruitment to Retirement.
Other definitions of HRM
Human resource management involves all management decisions and actionthat
affect the nature of the relationship between the organization and itsemployees –
its human resources. (Beer et al, 1984)
HRM comprises a set of policies designed to maximize organizational
integration,employee commitment, flexibility and quality of work. (Guest, 1987)
"The Process of analyzing and managing an organizations human resources needs
to ensure satisfaction of its strategic objectives” (Management –Ellriegel/Slocum)
“The policies and practices involved in carrying out the ‘people’ or human resources
aspects of a management position, including recruiting, screening, training and
appraising.” (Human resource management –Gray Dessler)
So, Human resource management (HRM) is the governance of an organization’s
employees. A company’s human resources department is responsible for creating,
implementing and/or overseeing policies governing employee behaviour and the
behaviour of the company toward its employees.
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Features:
Human Resource Management is a process of bringing people and organizations
together so that the goals of each are met. The various features of HRM include:
• It is pervasive in nature as it is present in all enterprises.
• Its focus is on results rather than on rules.
• It tries to help employees develop their potential fully.
• It encourages employees to give their best to the organization.
• It is all about people at work, both as individuals and groups.
• It tries to put people on assigned jobs in order to produce good results.
• It helps an organization meet its goals in the future by providing for
competent and well-motivated employees.
• It tries to build and maintain cordial relations between people working at
various levels in the organization.
• It is a multi-disciplinary activity, utilizing knowledge and inputs drawn from
psychology, economics, etc.
Objectives:
The objectives of HRM may be as follows:

To create and utilize an able and motivated workforce, to accomplish
the basic organizational goals.

To establish and maintain sound organizational structure and
desirable working relationships among all the members of the
organization.

To secure the integration of individual or groups within the
organization by co-ordination of the individual and group goals with
those of the organization.

To create facilities and opportunities for individual or group
development so as to match it with the growth of the organization.

To attain an effective utilization of human resources in the
achievement of organizational goals.

To identify and satisfy individual and group needs by providing
adequate and equitable wages, incentives, employee benefits and social
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security and measures for challenging work, prestige, recognition,
security, status.

To maintain high employees morale and sound human relations by
sustaining and improving the various conditions and facilities.

To strengthen and appreciate the human assets continuously by
providing training and development programs.

To consider and contribute to the minimization of socio-economic
evils such as unemployment, under-employment, inequalities in the
distribution of income and wealth and to improve the welfare of the
society by providing employment opportunities to women and
disadvantaged sections of the society.

To provide an opportunity for expression and voice management.

To provide fair, acceptable and efficient leadership.

To provide facilities and conditions of work and creation of favorable
atmosphere for maintaining stability of employment.
Management has to create conductive environment and provide necessary
prerequisites for the attainment of the personnel management objectives after
formulating them.
Functions:
HR is an exclusive department in almost all organizations and has a number of
important functions to perform. These are as follows:

Employee Career Goals: To understand that the employees are also individual
and have their own set of needs.They also have certain goals and they also want
reach the pinnacle of the career ladder. The HR has to identify those needs and
work upon them to make the employees feel important and motivated by
providing them time to time training related to their field of interest. It is to be kept
into consideration that if the employee will not find any career advancement in the
kind role he is assigned in the organization, his inclination towards performing will
be really low due to lack of motivation.

Organizational Goals: To understand and define the overall objectives and goals
of the organization, its mission as well as vision. It also calls for aligning the skills of
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the workforce with the company’s mission/vision statement and encouraging them
to work towards achieving those organizational objectives. It does not only include
the present organization requirements but also forecasting the future needs and
making strategies for fulfilling them.

Training and Development: To ensure proper availability of latest tools and
methods for training the employees as required for their respective competencies.
Identifying the imperfect areas which requires training and also working towards
filling the need gap with the best available training tools. HR should realize that
training is not an unnecessary expenditure which can be discarded; instead they
should understand that if the employees are properly trained and developed, it can
prove to be the best investment made by the company which will definitely furnish
quality returns in future. HR’s job does not just ends with the training. They should
also scrutinize the post training transformation in the performance the
employees and should provide adequate feedback if further improvement is
required.

Recruitment: Selecting the best workforce from the labor market by using the
recruitment options like internal job portals, job websites,
advertisements, employment agencies etc. Personal interviews, GD’s, Aptitude
test should be unbiased and very seriously performed, for getting the cream
employee. The candidates should be informed well in advance about the profile of
the job, required skills, attitude and the workload a candidate can experience so
that they may come with a defined mindset and give their best to the job offered
to them. Before moving ahead with recruiting, the HR manager should ensure the
adequacy of the funds to be invested on the recruitment procedure.

Staffing: To assign the right job to the right employee if the proper utilization of
the talent is needed. The HR should understand that the employee will not be able
to give his 100% if his talent is not utilized in the right direction. They also require
making them understand the overall objective, mission and vision statements and
also providing them proper resources which will help him attain those objectives.

Ensuring employee health and safety by abiding to the employee safety and
health regulations.

Managing grievances
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Ensuring provisions for adequate and promised compensation with fixed and
variable benefits to keep them motivated.

Making strategies for reducing the employee turnover rate.

To ensure a positive work environment in the organization.

To continuously stimulate a sense of belonging, responsibility and
accountability in employees.

Ensuring effective communication between employees and minimizing
conflicts.

To ensure latest appraisal methods, fair and unbiased salary hikes for
keeping the employees motivated.

To keep a record of the employee profiles and database so that it can be readily
available at the time of recruitment and staffing and also ensuring its
confidentiality.

To keep a bird eye view on each employees performance and regularly
providing feedbacks on the same.
Scope:
The scope of HRM is extensive and far-reaching. Therefore, it is very difficult to
define it concisely. However, we may classify the same under following heads:
▪ HRM in Personnel Management: This is typically direct manpower
management that involves manpower planning, hiring (recruitment and selection),
training and development, induction and orientation, transfer, promotion,
compensation, layoff and retrenchment, employee productivity. The overall
objective here is to ascertain individual growth, development and effectiveness
which indirectly contribute to organizational development.
It also includes performance appraisal, developing new skills, disbursement of
wages, incentives, allowances, traveling policies and procedures and other related
courses of actions.
▪ HRM in Employee Welfare: This particular aspect of HRM deals with working
conditions and amenities at workplace. This includes a wide array of responsibilities
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and services such as safety services, health services, welfare funds, social security
and medical services. It also covers appointment of safety officers, making the
environment worth working, eliminating workplace hazards, support by top
management, job safety, safeguarding machinery, cleanliness, proper ventilation
and lighting, sanitation, medical care, sickness benefits, employment injury
benefits, personal injury benefits, maternity benefits, unemployment benefits and
family benefits.
It also relates to supervision, employee counseling, establishing harmonious
relationships with employees, education and training. Employee welfare is about
determining employees’ real needs and fulfilling them with active participation of
both management and employees. In addition to this, it also takes care of canteen
facilities, crèches, rest and lunch rooms, housing, transport, medical assistance,
education, health and safety, recreation facilities, etc.
▪ HRM in Industrial Relations: Since it is a highly sensitive area, it needs careful
interactions with labor or employee unions, addressing their grievances and
settling the disputes effectively in order to maintain peace and harmony in the
organization. It is the art and science of understanding the employment (union-
management) relations, joint consultation, disciplinary procedures, solving
problems with mutual efforts, understanding human behavior and maintaining
work relations, collective bargaining and settlement of disputes.
The main aim is to safeguarding the interest of employees by securing the highest
level of understanding to the extent that does not leave a negative impact on
organization. It is about establishing, growing and promoting industrial democracy
to safeguard the interests of both employees and management.
Role of HR manager:
The human resource (HR) manager position is vital to the successful operation of a
business. These managers perform such tasks as hiring, training, and maintaining a
healthy workplace environment.
Hiring: An HR manager's objective is to maintain adequate staffing levels for a
business and to fill each position with the applicant who is most qualified to
perform the job successfully. To do this, an HR manager may post job openings,
test applicants, conduct or schedule interviews, and attend recruiting events.
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Orientation/Training:Orientation entails introducing a new hire to the company
and its goals, history, policies, workers, culture, and any other information essential
to function within the company. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
training may entail classroom instruction, electronic learning, videos and other
tools.
Interactions:HR managers take employee complaints, mediate conflicts, promote
communication, and in some cases, assist in negotiating union contracts.
Employee Benefits: HR managers are also charged with providing information
about employee benefits, such as 401(k)s, health insurance, life insurance, vacation
time, transit subsidies, and stock plans.
Performance Reviews/Discipline:In many companies, HR managers conduct or
facilitate performance reviews, which is a discussion with an employee about how
"she or he is doing relative to the standards and expectations laid out in the job
description," according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This also includes
providing any follow-up training or goals. If needed, HR managers perform or assist
with the discipline or firing of employees for not following company policy. They
also conduct exit interviews.
Allocating Resources/Layoffs:HR managers may help with layoff decisions and
allocating remaining resources after layoffs.They may be responsible for informing
employees of the layoffs and providing them with severance information.
Human resource planning-Meaning and Definition:
Human Resource Planning is the process of determining and ensuring that the
organization has adequate number of qualified persons available at the proper
times. The same number of employees should be able to perform jobs which meets
the needs of the organization and provides satisfaction for individual employees.
Human resource planning is concerned with the flow of people into, through and
out of the organization. HR planning involves anticipating the need for labor and
the supply of labor and then planning the programs necessary to ensure that the
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organization will have the right mix of employees and skills when and where they
are needed. Forecasting the future can be very inexact science, so human resource
planning may also include multiple scenarios and contingency plans.
Some Other Definitions:
HRP has been defined by Geisler (1967),
• As a process of forecasting, developing and controlling human resources in
an enterprise. This process helps the enterprise to ensure that it has right number
of people and the right kind of people at the right place at the right time performing
tasks for which they are most effective.
• Similarly Wilkstorm (1971) defines it” “As a process involving; forecasting of
future requirements, inventorying the present resources and assessing the extent
to which these resources are optimally utilized and also planning of necessary HR
programs.
Vetter defines it as “the process by which management determines how the
organization should move from its current manpower position to its
desiredmanpower position’’.
Importance of Human Resource Planning:
Human Resource Planning is important for any organization in the following ways;
Provides quality workforce
One of the Importance of Human Resource Planning is that effective Human
Resource Planning fulfills the organization needs for a quality workforce. Quality
workforce aids in giving a company a competitive advantage over its rivals.
Reduces labor costs
Another Importance of Human Resource Planning is that a proper Human Resource
plan reduces labor costs substantially by maintaining a balance between demand
for and supply of HR i.e. works as a cost saving device for the company.
Facilitates rise in skills
Another Importance of Human Resource Planning is that it facilitates the rise in
skills, abilities and potential of the workforce through training and development.
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Training employees helps them improve in their working capacity thus tend to
develop to a quality workforce.
Effective motivation
Effective motivation is another Importance of Human Resource Planning. An
effective Human Resource Plan provides multiple gains to the employee by way of
promotions, increase in salary and other fringe benefits. This definitely boosts
employee morale.
Safety of health
Another Importance of Human Resource Planning is safety of health. It provides for
welfare, health and safety of its employees thus leads to an increase in productivity
of the employees in the long run.
Factors affecting HR Planning:

Employment:-
HRP is affected by the employment situation in the country i.e. in countries where
there is greater unemployment; there may be more pressure on the company,
from government to appoint more people. Similarly some company may force
shortage of skilled labour and they may have to appoint people from other
countries.

Technical changes in the society:-
Technology changes at a very fast speed and new people having the required
knowledge are required for the company. In some cases, company may retain
existing employees and teach them the new technology and in some cases, the
company has to remove existing people and appoint new.

Organizational changes:-
Changes take place within the organization from time to time i.e. the company
diversify into new products or close down business in some areas etc. in such
cases the HRP process i.e. appointing or removing people will change according to
situation.

Demographic changes:-
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Demographic changes refer to things referring to age, population, composition of
work force etc. A number of people retire every year. A new batch of graduates
with specialization turns out every year. This can change the appointment or the
removal in the company.

Shortage of skill due to labourturnover:-
Industries having high labour turnover rate, the HRP will change constantly i.e.
many new appointments will take place. This also affects the way HRP is
implemented.

Multicultural workforce:-
Workers from different countries travel to other countries in search of job. When
a company plans it’s HRP it needs to take into account this factor also.

Pressure groups:-
Company has to keep in mind certain pleasure. Groups like human rights activist,
woman activist, media etc. as they are very capable for creating problems for the
company, when issues concerning these groups arise, appointment or
retrenchment becomes difficult.
Process of Human Resource Planning:

Analyzing the Corporate Level Strategies: – Human Resource Planning should
start with analyzing corporate level strategies which include expansion,
diversification, mergers, acquisitions, reduction in operations, technology to be
used, method of production etc. Therefore Human Resource Planning should begin
with analyzing the corporate plans of the organization before setting out on
fulfilling its tasks.

Demand forecasting: – Forecasting the overall human resource requirement in
accordance with the organizational plans is one of the key aspects of demand
forecasting. Forecasting of quality of human resources like skills, knowledge,
values and capabilities needed in addition to quantity of human resources is done
through different methods.

Analyzing Human Resource Supply: – Every organization has two sources of
supply of Human Resources: Internal & External. Internally, human resources can
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be obtained for certain posts through promotions and transfers. In order to judge
the internal supply of human resources in future human resource inventory or
human resource audit is necessary. Human resource inventory helps in determining
and evaluating the quantity of internal human resources available. Once the future
internal supply is estimated, supply of external human resources is analyzed.

Estimating manpower gaps: – Manpower gaps can be identified by comparing
demand and supply forecasts. Such comparison will reveal either deficit or surplus
of Human Resources in the future. Deficit suggests the number of persons to be
recruited from outside, whereas surplus implies redundant employees to be re-
deployed or terminated. Employees estimated to be deficient can be trained while
employees with higher, better skills may be given more enriched jobs.

Action Planning: – Once the manpower gaps are identified, plans are prepared
to bridge these gaps. Plans to meet the surplus manpower may be redeployment
in other departments and retrenchment. People may be persuaded to quit
voluntarily through a golden handshake. Deficit can be met through recruitment,
selection, transfer and promotion. In view of shortage of certain skilled employees,
the organization has to take care not only of recruitment but also retention of
existing employees. Hence, the organization has to plan for retaining of existing
employees.

Modify the Organizational plans: – If future supply of human resources form all
the external sources is estimated to be inadequate or less than the requirement,
the manpower planner has to suggest to the management regarding the alterations
or modifications in the organizational plans.

Controlling and Review: – After the action plans are implemented, human
resource structure and the processes should be controlled and reviewed with a
view to keep them in accordance with action plans.
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Unit-2
Job Analysis: Meaning and Definition, Process, Techniques
Job Design: Meaning and Definition, Objectives, Techniques
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Job Analysis-Meaning:
Job analysis is a formal and detailed examination of job. Job analysis is theprocess
of gathering and organizing detailed information about various jobswithin the
organization so that managers can better understand the processthrough which
they are performed most effectively.Job is synonyms ofwork. Work is understood
as physical and mental activity that is carriedout at a particular place and time,
according to instruction, in return formoney.Job analysis includes job description
and job specification. Job descriptionincludes tasks and responsibilities of a job. Job
title, duties, machines,tools and equipment, working conditions and hazards comes
under jobdescription.
The capabilities that the job holder should possess for doing a particularjob from
part of job specification. Education, experience, training, skills,communication are
a part of job specification. Whatever the particular jobdemanded there are certain
abilities required to discharge the task. Jobanalysis is important if an organization
is to fully understand the skills andcompetencies required to perform a particular
job.
There is a list of eleven items of job analysis suggested by Viteles’ (1932)known as
Guide of Job Analysis:

Identification of the job

Number employed

Statement of duties

Machines used

Analysis of operations

Conditions of work

Pay and non-financial incentives

Relation to other allied jobs (place in the organization)

Opportunities for transfer and promotion

Time and nature of training

Personal requirements:
(a) General (e.g., age, marital status)
(b) Physical
(c) Educational
(d) Previous experience
(e) General and special abilities
(f ) Temperamental and character requirements
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Job analysis is a important part of working efficiency, besides promotingsmooth
working relationships among the employees. Effective training programs, efforts to
reduce fatigue, fair personnel police and many othermeasures leading to efficiency
cannot be introduced effectively unless thebasic and preliminary step of job
analysis has been taken carefully.
Process of Job Analysis:
Where to place the employees in order to best utilize their skills and talent? How to
determine the need of new employees in the organization? How to eliminate unneeded
jobs? How to set realistic performance measurement standards? How to identify the
jobs and prepare a plan to fill them?
Well, all this can be effectively done by a proper and thorough job analysis. Managers
deal such kinds of challenges in day-to-day company operations where they need to
fulfill effectively and efficiently fulfill the organization’s requirements related to human
resource recruitment, selection, performance, satisfaction and cutting down and adding
extra responsibilities and duties. And there is no scope where they can avert the risk of
being wrong.
An effective and right process of analyzing a particular job is a great relief for them. It
helps them maintain the right quality of employees, measure their performance on
realistic standards, assess their training and development needs and increase their
productivity. Let’s discuss the job analysis process and find out how it serves the
purpose.
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Job Analysis Process
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▪ Identification of Job Analysis Purpose: Well any process is futile until its
purpose is not identified and defined. Therefore, the first step in the process is to
determine its need and desired output. Spending human efforts, energy as well as
money is useless until HR managers don’t know why data is to be collected and
what is to be done with it.
▪ Who Will Conduct Job Analysis: The second most important step in the
process of job analysis is to decide who will conduct it. Some companies prefer
getting it done by their own HR department while some hire job analysis
consultants. Job analysis consultants may prove to be extremely helpful as they
offer unbiased advice, guidelines and methods. They don’t have any personal likes
and dislikes when it comes to analyze a job.
▪ How to Conduct the Process: Deciding the way in which job analysis process
needs to be conducted is surely the next step. A planned approach about how to
carry the whole process is required in order to investigate a specific job.
▪ Strategic Decision Making: Now is the time to make strategic decision. It’s
about deciding the extent of employee involvement in the process, the level of
details to be collected and recorded, sources from where data is to be collected,
data collection methods, the processing of information and segregation of
collected data.
▪ Training of Job Analyst: Next is to train the job analyst about how to conduct
the process and use the selected methods for collection and recoding of job data.
▪ Preparation of Job Analysis Process: Communicating it within the
organization is the next step. HR managers need to communicate the whole thing
properly so that employees offer their full support to the job analyst. The stage also
involves preparation of documents, questionnaires, interviews and feedback
forms.
▪ Data Collection: Next is to collect job-related data including educational
qualifications of employees, skills and abilities required to perform the job, working
conditions, job activities, reporting hierarchy, required human traits, job activities,
duties and responsibilities involved and employee behaviour.
▪ Documentation, Verification and Review: Proper documentation is done to
verify the authenticity of collected data and then review it. This is the final
information that is used to describe a specific job.
▪ Developing Job Description and Job Specification: Now is the time to
segregate the collected data in to useful information. Job Description describes the
roles, activities, duties and responsibilities of the job while job specification is a
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statement of educational qualification, experience, personal traits and skills
required to perform the job.
Thus, the process of job analysis helps in identifying the worth of specific job,
utilizing the human talent in the best possible manner, eliminating unneeded jobs
and setting realistic performance measurement standards.
Techniques:
There are many different methods which may be used to obtain data for ajob
analysis. Some are the listed below:
CHECKLIST METHOD
Under this technique of collecting data for job analysis, workers’ check thetask that
he performs from a long list of possible task statements. It requireslots of
preliminary work to prepare the check list for collecting
appropriatetaskstatements. Check list method are easily administered to large
groupand easy to tabulate.
OBSERVATION METHOD
Observation method actually conducted at the place of job or work. Theobservers
examine the task which was performed by worker through simpleobservation
without interrupting work, and made their conclusion. Theadvantage of this
method is the production process never stopped.
INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEW METHOD
In this method representatives are selected and interviewing usually outsideor the
actual job situation. The interview is structured and should be donewith the help
of experienced and qualified interviewers. It has not been doneby the single
interview, but a series of individual interview provide accuratedata for job analysis.
This technique is costly and time consuming but ifdone with care it provides
complete picture of the job.
GROUP INTERVIEW METHOD
Group interview method is an extension of individual interview method.
Theadvantage over the individual interview method is the savings in timeobtained
by the group method. Under this technique interviewer interviewedthe group of
respondents simultaneously. With the instruction of interviewerrespondents recall
and discuss their work activity. The interviewer collectsand combines all the
comments into a single job description.
WORK PARTICIPATION METHOD
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Under this technique the job analysts perform the job himself. They learnedby
doing work himself and obtain firsthand information about all thecharacteristics
for job investigation. This technique is good for simple jobbut as the job becomes
complex it will not suggested. Because before doingthat particular complex task
prior training required for analysts which leadsinto costly and time consuming
method of data collection.
DIARY METHOD
Workers’ are instructed to record their daily job activities using some typeof
logbook or diary. This method is useful in gathering data systematicallywhich give
valuable information for job analysis. But it is also timeconsuming, and data are not
satisfactory when recording form are not keptsimple for workers’.
TECHNICAL CONFERENCE METHOD
Under this method job analyst get information from expert rather thanactual job
performer. These experts are basically the supervisors who haveextensive
knowledge of job. The analyst discusses all the characteristics ofjob with experts.
The main drawback of this method is the expert are notactually perform the task
themselves. They give information to analyst onthe basis of their own previous
experience.
QUESTIONNAIRE METHOD
Here, job performer gives the detailed information about the job via
surveymethod. Under this technique a well prepared questionnaire related to joba
method is useful for people who write easily but not so good for collectingdata
from low-level workers’ who have little facility for self-expression. It isalso time
consuming and lengthy process to analyze the data obtained.
Job Design:
Job design specifies the contents, methods and relationships of jobs in order to
satisfy workrequirements for productivity, efficiency and quality, meet the
personal needs of the job holderand thus increase levels of employee engagement.
The process of job design is based on an analysis of the way in which work needs
to be organizedand what work therefore needs to be done – the tasks that have to
be carried out if thepurpose of the organization or an organizational unit is to be
achieved. This is where the techniquesof process planning and systems analysis are
used to achieve improvement in organizational performance. They concentrate on
the work to be done, not the worker. Theymay lead to a high degree of task
specialization and assembly line processing; of paper work aswell as physical
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products. More desirably, it can also lead to the maximization of
individualresponsibility and the opportunity to use personal skills.
It is necessary, however, to distinguish between efficiency and effectiveness. The
most efficientmethod may maximize outputs in relation to inputs in the short run,
but it may not be effectivein the longer term in that it fails to achieve the overall
objectives of the activity. The pursuit of short-term efficiency by imposing the
maximum degree of task specialization may reducelonger-term effectiveness by
de-motivating job holders and increasing employee turnover andabsenteeism.
Job design has to start from work requirements because that is why the job exists.
When thetasks to be done have been determined it should then be the function of
the job designer toconsider how the jobs can be set up to provide the maximum
degree of intrinsic motivationfor those who have to carry them out, with a view to
improving performance and productivity.Consideration has also to be given to
another important aim of job design: to fulfil the socialresponsibilities of the
organization to the people who work in it by improving the quality ofworking life,
an aim which, as stated in Wilson’s (1973) report on this subject, ‘depends
uponboth efficiency of performance and satisfaction of the worker’.
Objectives:
The following are the objectives of job design:
Employee Input: Job design enables a good job feedback. Employees have the
option to vary tasks as per their personal and social needs, habits and
circumstances in the workplace.
Employee Training: Training is an integral part of job design. Contrary to the
philosophy of “leave them alone’ job design lies due emphasis on training people
so that are well aware of what their job demands and how it is to be done.
Work / Rest Schedules: Job design offers good work and rest schedule by clearly
defining the number of hours an individual has to spend in his/her job.
Adjustments: Job design allows for adjustments for physically demanding jobs by
minimizing the energy spent doing the job and by aligning the manpower
requirements for the same.
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Techniques:

Job rotation
This is the movement of employees from one task to another to reduce monotony
by increasingvariety.

Job enlargement
This means combining previously fragmented tasks into one job, again to increase
the varietyand meaning of repetitive work.

Job enrichment
This goes beyond job enlargement to add greater autonomy and responsibility to a
job and isbased on the job characteristics approach. Job enrichment aims to
maximize the interest andchallenge of work by providing the employee with a job
that has these characteristics:
• it is a complete piece of work in the sense that the worker can identify a series of
tasksor activities that end in a recognizable and definable product;
• it affords the employee as much variety, decision-making responsibility and
control aspossible in carrying out the work;
• it provides direct feedback through the work itself on how well the employee is
doinghis or her job.
As described by Herzberg (1968), job enrichment is not just increasing the number
or varietyof tasks; nor is it the provision of opportunities for job rotation. These
approaches may relieveboredom, but they do not result in positive increases in
motivation.

Self-managing teams (autonomous work groups)
These are self-regulating teams who work largely without direct supervision. The
philosophyon which this technique is based is a logical extension of job enrichment
but is strongly influencedby socio-technical systems theory. A self-managing team
enlarges individualjobs to include a wider range of operative skills (multi-skilling),
decides on methods ofwork and the planning, scheduling and control of work,
distributes tasks itself among itsmembers and monitors its own performance,
taking corrective action when required. The advocates of self-managing teams or
autonomous work groups claim that this approachoffers a more comprehensive
view of organizations than the rather simplistic individual motivationtheories that
underpin job rotation, enlargement and enrichment. Be that as it may, thestrength
of this system is that it does take account of the social or group factors and the
technologyas well as the individual motivators.
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High-performance work design
This concentrates on setting up working groups in environments where high levels
of performancecan be achieved. As described by Buchanan (1987), this requires
management to define what it needs in the form of methods of production and the
results expected from itsintroduction. It involves multi-skilling – job demarcation
lines are eliminated as far as possibleand encouragement and training are provided
for employees to acquire new skills. Selfmanagedteams are set up with full
responsibility for planning, controlling and monitoring thework.

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