METHODS FOR COLLECTING JOB ANALYSIS DATA

METHODS FOR COLLECTING JOB ANALYSIS DATA

          A number of methods have been used to collect job analysis information. Each method has certain advantages, disadvantages, and points of emphasis that must be kept in mind. None of them, however, is perfect and usually a combination of several methods is used.

1. Conduct a Conference of Expert: Using this method, supervisor, staff specialist and technician having considerable knowledge and experience about the job are interviewed by the analyst. The discussion with the experts adds insight. Various viewpoint of the job are obtained. It is a good-gathering method. But it overlook the job holders’ perceptions about what they do on their job.

2. Interview: Face-to-Face interviews are an effective way to collect job information. Here the analyst personally interviews the employee, or his supervisor or other concerned persons and records answer to relevant questions. A standard format is used to record the data. The interviewer may use standardized interview schedule.

3. Personal Meeting/ Observation: Here the analyst directly observes, without getting directly involved in the job, the worker or a group tasks, activities, are performed. This method is suitable for jobs that involve manual, standardized, and short job cycle activities. Jobs like those of draftsman, weaver, mechanic are example of these.

4. Performance of The Job: Under this method, the job analyst actually performs the job under study to get first-hand experience of the actual tasks, and physical and social demands of the job. This method can be used only for jobs where skill requirement low and can be learnt quickly and easily.

5. Logbook for Employee: In this method, a diary or logbook is given to each job holder. He describe his daily work activities in a diary or log. The record so maintained can be an accurate and feasible way of collecting job information. It is not popular method. It is time consuming and provides incomplete data because information concerning working conditions, equipment, and supervisory style is not available from the logbook.

6. Describe Past Experience: In this method workers are asked to describe several incident based on their past experience related to a particular job. The incidents so collected are analysed and classified according to the job areas they describe. Thus it is possible to have a clear picture of actual job requirements and to distinguish between effective and ineffective behavior of the workers on the job.