Job analysis and Job design

Job analysis
It is the process of obtaining information about the work done in the
organization and systematically determining the characteristics of the work.
It is the most basic stage of HRM.
As a result of job analysis, information such as the characteristics,
skills, formal and vocational training required for personnel who can
perform the duties of the job have an important role in determining the
demand for human resources and filling vacant positions. All of this
depends on revealing the qualifications and characteristics of the jobs in
the organization and which qualified employees should perform these jobs.
Job analysis studies, which are the process of defining the jobs in the
enterprise, therefore constitute one of the important steps of human
resources planning.
A number of outputs are obtained as a result of job analysis studies,
which are detailed scientific and technical studies that allow management
to group interrelated components in scientific and numerical terms. These
are the job description, which explains the place and what the job is in the
business, and the job specification, which explains the knowledge, skills
and other qualifications required to perform the job effectively.
The general information that should be included in the preparation of a
job analysis is as follows:
 Content of the job
 Tools and equipment needed to perform the job
 Type of product or service produced
  Behaviors required to do the job
 The environment and conditions in which the work takes place
 Individual characteristics required by the job; age, gender,
education, abilities, personality traits, etc.
 Here's who you're responsible for
 Risk and dangers of the job
 The authority required to carry out the work

Job analysis is the most basic information gathering tool of HRM. In

HRM, it is the first and most important step to achieve the right goals in the
right place, with the right people.
The purposes of job analysis are as follows:
1. Human resources selection: It is very difficult to determine the
qualifications of the personnel to be recruited without performing
a job analysis and determining the requirements of the job. Job
interview forms and application forms always benefit from job
analysis data.
2. Clarifying roles within the business: Ensures that employees
clearly know their duties and responsibilities. Employees know
what is expected of them, and there are no unnecessary
disputes regarding authority and responsibilities.
3. HR training and development: Training is an effort to provide
employees with the qualifications, knowledge and skills required
for the job. Since job analyzes include the characteristics and
details of the job, it becomes easier to identify employees'
shortcomings and identify training needs.
 4. Job evaluation and Wage: Job analysis is most commonly used
in job evaluation and wage determination. Since the wage is
determined by the contribution made to the job, this contribution,
the factors that make up the job, and the difficulties of the job are
determined through job analysis.
5. Performance evaluation: Job analysis is also used to measure
success at work. In job analysis, the characteristics of the job
and the characteristics required for a personnel to do this job are
compared with the employee and an evaluation is made.
6. Regulating labor relations: Job analysis data can be used in
work-related questions and disputes between employee and
employer.
7. Ensuring occupational safety: Depending on the nature of the
work, the possibilities of a work accident and the risks involved in
the work are estimated and necessary precautions are taken.

Business Analyst
The person who proposes solutions to understand the functioning of
an organization's current structure, existing policies and processes and to
ensure that the organization achieves its goals is called a "Business
Analyst".
Individuals who perform job analysis tasks serve as business analysts.
These people must have knowledge of the existing structure and systems
within the organization in order to research solution suggestions and offer
the most appropriate suggestions. Many and many different solutions can
be offered to the same problem, and all of these solutions can achieve the
desired goal. However, being able to find and offer the most appropriate
solution in terms of cost, time and quality depends on this person's mastery
of the structure in the organization, his technical knowledge, experience,
i.e. his competencies. We can list these competencies in general terms as
follows:
 Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving
 Behavioral Characteristics
 Business Information
 Communication Ability
 Interaction Capabilities
 Software Tools and Technology Knowledge

Duties of Business Analyst

 Understanding the customer's business need
 Understanding how the customer currently does business
 Designing how to do things more accurately
 Documenting customer requests
 Creating projects that meet the customer's business needs
 Designing the required business architecture and adaptation
 Ensuring development control and quality of development
 Conducting functional and detailed testing during and after
development
 Evaluating the demands on the developed product and
improving the product
 Understanding the organizational structure of the client company
and changing it correctly
 Making short, medium and long term plans according to the
customer's business needs
  Providing training and consultancy to the customer
 Taking on the role of project owner in projects

Data collection methods in job analysis

It is very important to choose the data collection method in the job
analysis process, which is a systematic data collection method. These
methods used:
1. Panels organized with experts: Generally applied in companies
with crowded units. Employees are first given job analysis and
description preparation training, and then they are asked to
prepare job descriptions in their own units. Although it is a time-
saving method, reliable data may not always be obtained
because it involves subjectivity.
2. Cassette/videotape: What the employees do for a
day/week/month is recorded on video and the job analyst gets an
idea about the job by watching the video. It is a method mostly
valid in the production sector. It is not an effective method for
work that requires desk work and mental action. Additionally,
being monitored may lead employees to be dishonest and make
them uncomfortable.
3. Examining organizational documents: Existing documents about
the company and the business are read, decisions are made
accordingly, and the data collection strategy is determined. It is
widely used by business analysts.
4. Observation Method: Job analysts can obtain data about the job
by observing the staff, but of course it is not enough for desk and
mental work.
 5. Survey method: It is a widely used method. At least one staff
member for each job must answer the developed job analysis
survey. A lot of job-related information can be collected in a short
time with a survey.
6. Interview method (with employees and managers): The business
analyst conducts face-to-face interviews with the personnel. In
this method, a questionnaire or job checklist similar to a survey is
used. It is a method that can take a long time but can return
clearer information.
7. Work diaries: In this method, there are diaries that employees
keep on a daily or weekly basis while doing the job. Employees
are asked to write down what they do at work each day or each
week. These diaries are then collected, the work done is
analyzed and a job description is created. It is a very subjective
method, employees can fill out these diaries according to their
own perceptions.

As a result of systematic data collection for job analysis, two products

emerge for each job: Job description and job profile (competencies).

Job analysis process:

A job analysis; It consists of two parts: job (task) description and job
qualifications.
1. Job (Task) description: Job description is a systematic method
that defines the qualifications of the job. Defining the
competencies of the job is the first stage of the 'right employee
for the right job' process. In other words, if you don't know what
 kind of employee you need, you can't choose the right person.
The job description includes job-related information such as the
duties and responsibilities of the job, working conditions,
promotion opportunities, authorities, wages and benefits.
2. Job qualifications (Job requirements-Job qualifications):
While the job description includes all information about the job,
job qualifications focus on the qualifications of the personnel who
will perform the job. In other words, job qualifications; The
physical and mental qualities that the personnel must have for
the job - age, behavior - personality - education - supervision,
etc. It consists of information about. The effort and
responsibilities required for the job are also determined. For
example: skills such as foreign language knowledge, quick
decision making, human relations. Or the physical effort required
for work, standing, etc., or the need to solve problems, etc.
Working conditions are also taken into account in determining job
adequacy (work environment and its characteristics (noise, humidity,
steam, etc.) and job hazards (work accidents, occupational diseases, etc.).

Problems that may arise during job analysis:

Job analysis is not as easy as it seems and may encounter resistance
within the organization. It is important to get the support of top
management when performing job analysis. Otherwise, major difficulties
may occur during the data collection phase.
It is also a common problem that the incoming information is corrupted.
(i.e., the employee providing incorrect or incomplete information or filtering
the information.) If employees do not understand the seriousness of the job
during the data collection phase, they may mislead about the work they do.
This may also be due to the personality of the employee. Presenting them
as doing work they do not do, seeing only the work they do as very
important, etc. Behaviors such as these may occur, which reduces the
likelihood of the analysis giving accurate results. The way to prevent this is
to collect data from multiple sources. Getting the support of top
management will also reduce the chances of information distortion.
Again, very simple explanations of the task are also common. Detailed
information should be collected when creating a job description and profile.
Lack of detail and cursory explanations create difficulties when creating a
job description.

Job design
It is a way of working that combines the tools of business thinkers,
analysts, and strategists with design methods and mindsets. Business
designers consider how each element of the business model affects the
consumer and customer experience. A business designer's job is not just to
be the validator of things, but to figure out how to translate human needs
into business goals. Job design provides a way to try to meet both the
needs of the business and the value people want to add to their lives.
Business design stages
1. Empathy and Discovery - In this step, studies are carried out to
understand the problems of customers and stakeholders and find
solutions to these problems. For this reason, answers to some
questions are sought. What problems do customers and
stakeholders face? What challenges do they face? How big are
 these challenges? Business designers should not only rely on
qualitative data from customers but also conduct research on
competitors and the industry.
2. Define - Once the research is done, what has been learned is
synthesized and the challenge is defined.
3. Idea Generation - Once what has been learned is identified,
initial ideas for solutions begin to be found. Once you have
collected enough ideas, they are clustered and prioritized into
opportunity areas. At the end of this phase, a project team will
select an opportunity area as the focus of the next phase.
4. Prototype - In the prototype phase, the solution to the problem
begins to be designed. Depending on the challenge, a business
design prototype can be anything from a new business process
to a completely new initiative. The most common business
design prototypes are new business models, financial
projections, business processes, organizational charts, proposed
measurement framework and pricing strategies.
5. Testing – In the final phase, business designers (and the entire
project team) launch experiments. Establishes hypotheses and
uses prototypes to get answers. A business designer usually
tries to find the right metrics for each experiment.

Business design techniques

1. Job simplification is the process of removing tasks from
existing roles to make them more focused. The goal of job
simplification is to develop improved ways of working that
maximize output while minimizing expenses and cost.
2. Job enlargement is a component of job design in which existing
tasks associated with a job are expanded. The goal of job
enlargement is to increase employee job satisfaction and reduce
injuries associated with repetitive tasks. Job enlargement may
also be referred to as horizontal workload or horizontal
expansion of business activities.
3. Job enrichment is a process characterized by adding
dimensions to existing jobs to make them more motivating.
Examples of job enrichment include adding extra tasks,
increasing skill variety, adding meaning to jobs, building
autonomy, and providing feedback. The purpose of job
enrichment is to create motivating work. This can be done by
taking a regular or "boring" job away from the employee and
adding extra responsibilities that make the job more meaningful
for the employee.
4. Job rotation refers to an employee moving from one job to
another within a work group. It aims to add variety and reduce
boredom by introducing various tasks to the existing job profile of
employees. Job rotation is also known as the lateral transfer of
an employee to a job of the same level and status. Job rotation is
a development program approach by management in which an
individual is moved through the job schedule. It is designed to
enable qualified and talented employees to learn more about a
company's various processes. The job variation produced by job
rotation results in reduced boredom and increased job
satisfaction.