The procedure for determining the duties and skill requirements of a job and the kind of person who should be hired for it is :
Job analysis
Job analysis — option 2. The wording is Gary Dessler’s definition almost exactly.
The distinction the question tests. Job analysis is the procedure; job description and job specification are its two products. Confusing the process with its outputs is the commonest error here.
| Term | What it is | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Job analysis | The process of collecting and studying information about a job | Both questions below |
| Job description | A written statement of what the jobholder does — duties, responsibilities, reporting relationships, working conditions | What is the JOB? |
| Job specification | A written statement of the human qualifications required — education, experience, skills, aptitudes, physical demands | What is the PERSON? |
| Job evaluation | A comparison of jobs to establish their relative worth, and hence the pay structure | What is the job WORTH? |
How job analysis is carried out. Information is gathered by observation, interview with the jobholder and supervisor, questionnaires, participant diaries and logs, or critical-incident technique. Structured instruments such as the Position Analysis Questionnaire and the Functional Job Analysis give quantitative, comparable results.
Why it is called the foundation of HRM. Almost every other HR activity draws on its output :
| Activity | What it takes from job analysis |
|---|---|
| Recruitment and selection | The specification defines whom to look for and what to test |
| Training | The gap between required and actual competence sets the training need |
| Performance appraisal | Duties in the description become the standards a jobholder is judged against |
| Compensation | Job evaluation works on the descriptions to fix relative worth |
| Legal defensibility | Selection criteria must be shown to be job-related, and the analysis is the evidence |
A modern qualification. Where work changes rapidly and roles are fluid, firms increasingly use competency-based analysis — describing the behaviours and capabilities a person needs across a family of roles — rather than fixing a single static job description.
Hence, the answer is Job analysis.
Similar Questions
Match items given in List – I, with those in List – II :
List – I List – II a. Predictive analytics to help anticipate the result of HR strategy i. Job Specification b. Statement of purpose, scope, duties, task and responsibilities of job ii. Ernest J. McCormick c. Position Analysis Questionnaire iii. Job Description d. Statement of qualifications and qualities required of an employee to be successful iv. Workforce Analytics Codes :
A formal explanation of the knowledge, skills, abilities, traits and other characteristics necessary for effective job performance is known as:
Which one of the following is related to 'Standard of Personnel'?
Important Questions from Job Description & Job Specification
- Which one of the following consists of physical working conditions, work schedule, incentives and the number of people with whom the employee would normally intract?
- The Job Description Index (JDI) Technique is used for measuring which one of the following ?
Match the items of List – I with the items of List – II and indicate the correct code :
List – I List – II a. Job specifications i. The procedure for determining the duties and skill requirements of a job and the kind of person who should be hired for it. b. Job description ii. A list of human requirements c. Job analysis iii. A list of job’s duties, responsibilities, reporting relationships, working conditions and supervisory responsibilities. Codes :
Match items given in List – I, with those in List – II :
List – I List – II a. Predictive analytics to help anticipate the result of HR strategy i. Job Specification b. Statement of purpose, scope, duties, task and responsibilities of job ii. Ernest J. McCormick c. Position Analysis Questionnaire iii. Job Description d. Statement of qualifications and qualities required of an employee to be successful iv. Workforce Analytics Codes :
A formal explanation of the knowledge, skills, abilities, traits and other characteristics necessary for effective job performance is known as:
