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MODULE 1

Part 3
Workforce, Jobs and Jobs
Analysis

Module Author:
DR. MARIANE D. ATINAJA / Prof. PRESENTACION BOLARIO

Business Management Department

College of Business Administration and Accountancy
De La Salle University - Dasmariñas

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Module 1 Part 3 Workforce, Jobs and Job Analysis Logo

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page
Gospel Activity 3
Part 1 Workforce, Jobs and Jobs Analysis 4
1.1 The Workforce Profile 4
1.2 The Nature of Work and Jobs 5

1.3 Designing Flexible Jobs 8

1.4 Understanding Job Analysis 9
1.5 Implementing Job Analysis 10
1.6 Job Analysis Methods 11
1.7 Behavioral and Legal Aspects of Job Analysis 11
1.6 Job Descriptions and Job Specifications 12
1.7 Enabling Assessment 13

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Gospel Activity

3 things God says about work

Jesus has taken the “thorns and thistles” we work among (Gen. 1:18), and he wore a crown of
thorns on his head as a reminder that he is indeed the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev.
19:16).

The crown of thorns the Roman soldiers placed on Jesus’ head with the intent of mocking him,
turned out to be a picture of Jesus’ rule and reign as the one true King.

As our Lord Jesus works to redeem all things, he has redeemed your life through faith in him. He
has delivered you from the penalty and power of sin, and through the indwelling presence of the
Holy Spirit, you are empowered to redeem your work for the glory of God and the good of others.

In the words of Stephen Nichols, “Christ through his redemptive work undone what Adam did in
the fall. And he restores to us the ability and the capacity to be image bearers as God intended
us to be.”

In redeeming your work, here are three ways you will find God at work in you and through you in
Bible verses about work.

1. Jesus is your boss

How do you work for your employer? Do you work for him or her as you would for Jesus? It’s easy
for our eyes of faith to become glassy at work, and forget who it is we work for.

The Lord Jesus may not be your crew leader. He may not be physically sitting in an office watching
your every move, or the one signing your checks, but he is the one you work for. Paul had this in
mind when he said, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men… You are
serving the Lord Christ” (Col. 3:23-24).

The next time your boss reminds you of Bill Lumbergh from Office Space, and you feel frustrated,
angry, or not compelled to do your job, then take a moment, pray, seek God’s grace in Christ, and
remember that it’s Jesus who you’re really working for.

2. God works through your work

What did you eat for breakfast?

Did you enjoy a bowl of warm oatmeal and a cup of hot coffee? How about a batch of scrambled
eggs and bacon? Or, did you pick up something through a drive-thru on your way to work?

Regardless of what you ate this morning, countless people participated in God’s work of providing
you your daily bread. From farmers who planted the seeds and truck drivers who transported your
food to grocery store clerks who sold you what you ate and bankers who provide business with
financial resources, numerous people, without even knowing each other, participate together in
God’s work in providing for one another.

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God is at work in your life and through your life in more ways than you can imagine. Even though
you may not see how what you do benefits others, know that God has chosen to act through you,
your skills, and experience for the good of others.

3. You can trust God with your work

Are you stressed at work?

If you haven’t felt this way at one point in your life, you probably haven’t worked long enough.

There are many causes of stress at work. There’s crushing deadlines, conflict with your co-
workers or manager, or you’re not compensated well for the hard work you do.

Regardless of what makes you feel stressed at work, you are free in Christ from anxiety, and you
can trust God wholeheartedly to meet your needs, meet you in the storms of life, and work through
you despite what’s going on around you.

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WORKFORCE, JOBS AND JOB ANALYSIS

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 Explain how the workforce is changing in unpredicted ways.
 Identify components of workflow analysis.
 Define job design and identify common approaches to job design.
 Discuss how flexible work arrangements are linked to work–life balancing efforts.
 Describe job analysis and the stages in the process.
 List the components of job descriptions.

4-1. The Workforce Profile

The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the population working or seeking
work.
4-1a. Important Elements of the Workforce Profile
Participation rates predict future workers. Age/generation groups, employee skills
and skill gaps, and readiness for work are variables used to profile the workforce.
Generation groups include Mature, Baby Boomers, Generation Xers, and
Generation Yers (Millennials). Each group has different characteristics that affect
HR practices.
Companies can train managers to handle differences among age groups.
Skill gaps occur when employees do not have the skills to help a business
accomplish its goals.
Schools can educate students before they enter the workforce. Organizations
and their HR departments can provide training for their employees.

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4-2. The Nature of Work and Jobs

Work is effort directed toward accomplishing results. A job is a grouping of tasks, duties,
and responsibilities that constitutes the total work assignment for an employee.
Total work processes to be done in all jobs = total amount of work to be done
4-2a. Workflow Analysis
Workflow analysis is the study of the way work (inputs, activities, and outputs)
moves through an organization. Figure 4-4 shows a workflow analysis
framework.

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An integrated workflow analysis leads to better employee involvement, greater

efficiency, and more customer satisfaction.

4-2b. Job Design/Job Redesign

Job design refers to organizing tasks, duties, responsibilities, and other elements
into a productive unit of work. Job redesign refers to changing existing jobs in
different ways to improve them.
Job design can influence performance, affect job satisfaction, and affect both
physical and mental health.
Managers can influence or control job characteristics, but can’t easily control the
basic characteristics of people (Figure 4-5).

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4-2c. Using Contingent Workers as Job Design

Organizations hire a variety of types of workers, including contingent workers. A
contingent worker is someone who is not a full-time employee but is a temporary
or part-time worker for a specific period of time and type of work.
A person–job fit is matching the characteristics of people with the characteristics
of jobs.
4-2d. Common Approaches to Job Design
Jobs can be designed or redesigned by simplifying, enlarging, enriching, and
rotating.
Job simplification is simplifying job tasks and responsibilities.
Job enlargement is broadening the scope of a job by expanding the number of
different tasks that are performed.
Job enrichment is increasing the depth of a job by adding responsibility for
planning, organizing, controlling, and/or evaluating the job.
Job rotation is the process of shifting a person from job to job.
4-2e. Characteristics of Jobs to Consider in Design
Jobs have five important design characteristics. As shown in Figure 4-6, skill
variety, task identity, and task significance affect the meaningfulness of work;
autonomy stimulates responsibility; and feedback provides knowledge of results.
Skill variety is the extent to which the work requires several activities for
successful completion.

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Task identity is the extent to which the job includes a recognizable unit of work
that is carried out from start to finish and results in a known consequence.
Task significance is the impact the job has on other people and the organization
as a whole.
Autonomy is the extent of individual freedom and discretion in the work and its
scheduling.
Feedback is the amount of information employees receive about how well or how
poorly they have performed.
4-2f. Using Teams in Job Design
Jobs can be performed by teams. Special types of teams include special-purpose
teams, self-directed teams, and virtual teams.
A special-purpose team is an organizational team formed to address specific
problems, improve work processes, and enhance the overall quality of products
and services.
A self-directed team is an organizational team composed of individuals who are
assigned a cluster of tasks, duties, and responsibilities to be accomplished.
A virtual team is an organizational team that includes individuals who are
separated geographically but who are linked by communications technology.
Global teams that never meet in person are virtual teams.
4-2g. Teams and Work Efforts
A work team has been a popular job redesign strategy that has good results.
4-3. Designing Flexible Jobs
Flexibility can be designed into a job by changing where and when the work can be
done. Connectivity has been enhanced by technology.
Figure 4-7 shows that workers with more education are more likely to work at home than
workers with less education.
4-3a. Place Flexibility: Telework
Telework is employees completing work through electronic interaction,
telecommunications, and Internet technology.
Telework creates both advantages and disadvantages that affect teleworking
employees (higher morale vs isolation), organizations (lower overhead vs poor
interaction), and the environment (less pollution caused by commuters).
Companies can develop telework for regular work, brief occasional work, or
temporary/emergency work.

4-3b. Time Flexibility: Work Scheduling

Organizations are using many work scheduling arrangements, including shift
work, compressed workweeks, part-time schedules, job sharing, and flextime.
Shift work requires employees to work on various schedules that function at
different times throughout a workday. Most employers provide additional pay,
called a shift differential, for working the evening or night shifts.

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A compressed workweek is a workweek in which a full week’s work is

accomplished in fewer than five days of eight working hours each.
Part-time jobs are used when less than 40 hours per week are required to do a
job.
Job sharing is a scheduling arrangement in which two employees perform the
work of one full-time job.
In flextime, employees work a set number of hours a day but vary starting and
ending times.
4-3c. Managing Flexible Work
Flexible scheduling allows management to relax some of the traditional “time
clock” control of employees.
4-3d. Flexibility and Work–Life Balance
Work–life balance is employer-sponsored programs designed to help employees
balance work and personal life. The quality of employee’s personal and family life
is improved by flexibility at work.
4-4. Understanding Job Analysis
Job analysis is a systematic way of gathering and analyzing information about the
content, context, and human requirements of jobs. An overview of job analysis is shown
in Figure 4-8.

4-4a. Purposes of Job Analysis

Job analysis affects HR planning, recruiting, and selection; equal employment
opportunity matters; compensation, training, and employee performance
appraisals; as well as workplace health/safety and employee/labor relations
issues.
4-4b. Job Analysis Responsibilities
HR and operating managers are needed for successful job analysis. Figure 4-9
shows a typical division of job analysis responsibilities in organizations with an
HR unit.

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4-4c. Task-Based Job Analysis

Task-based job analysis is the most common type of job analysis and focuses on
the components and characteristics of work embedded within a job.
A task is a distinct, identifiable work activity comprised of motions that employees
perform.
A duty is a larger work segment comprised of several tasks that are performed by
individuals.
Responsibilities are obligations that individuals have to perform certain tasks and
duties within a job.
4-4d. Competency-Based Job Analysis
The competency approach considers how knowledge and skills are used.
Competencies are individual capabilities that can be linked to enhanced
performance by individuals or teams. Technical competencies refer to
employees’ specific knowledge and skills. Behavioral competencies refer to
characteristics such as leadership and decisiveness.
More integrated use of both task-based and competency-based analyses will be
used in the future.
4-5. Implementing Job Analysis
Analysts usually follow a multistage process. The stages for a typical job analysis are
outlined in Figure 4-10.
4-5a. Planning the Job Analysis
Identify the objectives of the job analysis. Gather information about jobs from
managers and employees.

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4-5b. Prepare for and Introduce the Job AnalysisIdentify the jobs and the
people to be analyzed.
4-5c. Conduct the Job Analysis
Collect data about jobs. Compile and sort the information.
4-5d. Develop Job Descriptions and Job Specifications
Draft job descriptions and job specifications.
4-5e. Maintain and Update Job Descriptions and Job Specifications
Keep job descriptions and specifications current and posted on a firm’s intranet
source. Use current job descriptions and job specifications as part of other HR
activities to ensure that they are reviewed regularly.
4-6. Job Analysis Methods
The most common job analysis methods have been (1) observation, (2) interviews, and
(3) questionnaires.
4-6a. Observation
Someone watches an employee performing the job and takes notes to describe
the tasks and duties performed. Work sampling and employee diary/log are
observation methods.
Work sampling uses statistical sampling of certain actions rather than continuous
observation and timing of all actions.
In the employee diary/log method, employees observe their own work by keeping
a diary/log of their job duties, noting how frequently those duties are performed,
and recording the time required for each one.
4-6b. Interviewing
A manager or an HR specialist talks with the employees performing each job and
completes a standardized interview form to record the information.
4-6c. Questionnaires
The questionnaire is a widely used method of gathering data on jobs. The typical
job questionnaire often covers the areas shown in Figure 4-11.
Some specialized job analysis methods exist for management jobs. A well-known
method is Management Position Description Questionnaire (MPDQ).
4-6d. Job Analysis and O*Net
Resources for job analysis are available from the U.S. Department of Labor
(DOL). O*Net is currently the main DOL resource available and provides
employers with a wide range of useful items.
4-7. Behavioral and Legal Aspects of Job Analysis
Job analysis can be disruptive for both managers and employees. Other behavioral
factors can affect job analysis and make the process more challenging.
4-7a. Current Incumbent Emphasis
The incumbent may have unique skills. Focus on the core duties rather than the
incumbent’s abilities.

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4-7b. “Inflation” of Jobs and Job Titles

People tend to inflate the importance and significance of their jobs. Job
descriptions and titles should convey a clear view of what a job involves.
4-7c. Employee and Managerial Anxieties
Both employees and managers have concerns about job analysis. (1) Some
employees fear that an analysis of their jobs will limit their creativity and flexibility
by formalizing their duties. (2) The incumbent’s desires and skills may affect the
job analysis. (3) Managers and supervisors fear that the job analysis and job
descriptions will unrealistically limit managerial flexibility.
4-7d. Legal Aspects of Job Analysis
HR requirements must be tied to specific job-related factors if employers are to
defend their actions as a business necessity.
The ADA requires that organizations identify the essential job functions, which do
not include marginal functions. Marginal job functions are duties that are part of a
job but are incidental or ancillary to the purpose and nature of the job.
To determine essential functions and marginal functions, use (1) percentage of
time spent on tasks, (2) frequency of tasks done, and (3) importance of tasks
performed. Job analysis should also identify the physical demands of jobs.
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and most state wage/hour laws
indicate that employees must perform their primary duties as executive,
administrative, professional, or outside sales employees at least 50% of the time
to be exempt from overtime.
4-8. Job Descriptions and Job Specifications
Job analysis output is used to develop a job description and its job specifications, which
summarize job analysis information in a readable format and provide the basis for
defensible job-related actions.
4-8a. Job Descriptions
A job description identifies a job’s tasks, duties, and responsibilities.
4-8b. Job Specifications
Job specifications are the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) an individual
needs to perform a job satisfactorily.
4-8c. Performance Standards
Performance standards are indicators of what the job accomplishes and how
performance is measured in key areas of the job description.
4-8d. Job Description Components
The identification section contains the job title, department, reporting
relationships, location, and date of analysis.
The general summary is a concise statement of the general responsibilities and
components that make the job different from others.
The essential functions and duties are listed in order of importance.

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The job specifications section gives the qualifications needed to perform the job
satisfactorily.
The disclaimers and approvals section contains approval signatures by
appropriate managers and a legal disclaimer. Figure 4-12 contains a sample job
description and job specifications for a customer service supervisor.

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