Job Analysis and Recruitment - Case Study Example

Every organisation, regardless of size, product service must recruit and select candi s to fill positions. Usually, it is the function of the human resources management (HRM) to recruit as positions become available. Information collection about the job which is commonly referred to as job analysis is of paramount importance in the recruitment process as it allows both the recruiter and the applicant to be better positioned to know the requirements of the job. This essay therefore seeks to critically analyse why job analysis is such an important feature of the recruitment process. It begins by giving an explanation of the two concepts namely job analysis and recruitment and then goes on to explain their relationship as well as importance to the recruitment process as a whole. In order to get a clear understanding of the two concepts highlighted above, it is imperative to begin by explaining their meanings. “Recruitment can be described as those activities in human resource management which are undertaken in order to attract sufficient job candidates who have the necessary, potential, competencies and traits to fill the job needs and to assist the organisation in achieving its objectives,” (Swanepoel 1998). On the other hand, job analysis is described as “a step by step process of obtaining information about a job by identifying the skills, duties, knowledge and even activities that are needed for taking that job in an organisation,” (Simmons 2006). As going to be discussed in detail, this essay seeks to critically analyse the relationship that exists between the two important functions of the HRM in any given organisation. By means of the recruitment process, the organisation aims to attract and to retain the interest of the suitable applicants and to project a positive image of the organisation to the outsiders. In most cases, the recruitment process may be set in motion by the recognition of a need arising from the need to fill vacant posts as a result of resignations or the need to fill a new position created in the organisation as part of organisational growth. The golden rule in the recruitment exercise is that from time to time, the organisation should always strive to attract job candidates with the required competencies and traits for the task to be performed (Carell et al 1995). The response of the potential employees depends on their attitude towards both the work to be performed and the organisation as well as their perception of whether the necessary fit can be established between them and the organisation trying to recruit them. The need to understand information about a job which forms job analysis is very significant since the process is often regarded as a very important component of HRM where the information collected serves many functions which can impact on virtually all its facets and more importantly on the recruitment process. Job analysis is basically concerned with establishing the qualities and roles needed for an individual to perform the job and these range from qualifications, physical as well as mental capabilities. In the practice of HRM, this information is very useful as it would enable the recruiter to select the best candidate for the job from a pool of other applicants. Without detailed information about job analysis, it would be difficult to conduct job description which is very important in determining the position held by an employee as well as remuneration. If an employee is fully aware of the position he or she holds in the company, there would be less chances of confusion and duplication of duties since all the workers would be aware of the positions they hold within an organisation. In this regard, it can be noted that the process of job analysis is twofold in that it allows the recruiter to vet the candidates and it also gives the potential candidates all the information required about the job. The information gathered from a job analysis is very crucial in that it determines the value of a job within the organisation thereby allowing the management to make informed decisions in terms of recruitment of the workers. Usually a salary that is commensurate with a person’s qualifications and skills is determined from information obtained from conducting a job analysis and it is at this point that the recruiter would seek to choose the most appropriate person who will not be a liability to the company or someone who will demand too much in terms of remuneration. All the information would be readily available for the recruiter and the candidate to see and the onus will rest in them to make some concessions or agree on what has been offered. The process of conducting a job analysis is also important in that it enlightens both parties involved in the recruitment exercise and this would help promote good relations among the parties involved. It often helps the organisation to be more objective in making informed decisions when they choose employees who will be considered as valuable assets to the organisation. A well prepared job analysis is always advantageous in that it can help the employer to prove that actions taken regarding recruitment of the employees would be based on the fit for the job and organisational requirements on behalf of the candidate. In most cases, decisions made from information obtained from a job analysis are often regarded as objective and there would be little chances of bias given that the process of job analysis is based on practical data physically gathered for a special purpose. In most cases, the information gathered from a job analysis generates two outcomes namely job description and job specification (Swanepoel 1998). As noted above, job description will encompass things like job title, purpose of job, responsibility as well as main duties while job specification looks at things like education, experience, disposition as well as skills (Grobler et al 2006). During the process of recruitment of employees, there are various factors that are considered as important and some of them include the following: qualifications, skills or experience as well as ability. Professional as well as educational qualifications are often regarded as the basic considerations in recruitment of employees. In any job, it is always vital for every person to have some level of education depending on the post and position of the job within an organisation. Thus, the level of education often ranges from high school qualifications up to degree level. Professional qualifications are also taken into consideration when the employer is looking for an ideal candidate to fill in a vacant post within the organisation. Some jobs require specific level of education and these qualifications are used as the yardsticks to screen potential employees. Lower positions within the organisation often require lower levels of education whereas higher positions require higher qualifications. Indeed, the recruiter may not guess this information about the applicant hence the need to stipulate the requirements of which the applicant will respond by sending detailed curriculum vitae. With the aid of job analysis, the HRM function of recruitment is made easier and the recruiter can get all the required information about the required person to fill the vacant position. However, qualifications alone may not be enough to use as a basis of recruitment where the best candidates will be sought for certain positions. In most cases, skills gained from previous experience are taken into consideration as a measure of trying to identify the most suitable candidate who will not have so many difficulties in performing the task. All this information is contained in a detailed job analysis which can make it relatively easier for the recruiter to filter through the details of all applicants and come up with those who meet the requirements. Positions requiring highly skilled labour also require candidates who are highly qualified and vice versa. High qualifications coupled with high levels of experience often go hand in hand in securing high positions in any given organisation and this is another very important consideration for recruiters in choosing the best candidates which can be facilitated through a job analysis. Another factor which is important for recruiters is to determine if the chosen candidate would be able to meet the expectations of the job. Some candidates may be highly qualified but with little ability to meet the requirements hence it is very important for recruiters to consider if the potential candidate has any track record which shows that he or she is able to perform to the expected standards. At times, this would require the applicant to have traceable references so as to try to exhaust all the required information about the ideal candidate for the position. In this regard, the potential candidate ought to show that he has some general knowledge about the position he will be applying for as a way of reducing the chancers who are out to try their luck. Where there has been a proper job analysis, there would be little chances for the recruiters to attract applicants for positions that would amount to duplication of duties given that a proper assessment of the qualities required for the job would have been met. Professionally, each employee would fully know the role expectations he would be expected to play within an organisation. All the efforts to train the staff would be tailored to meet the required level of performance at different stages within the organisation. Recruiting using a job analysis will likely to add value to the organisation in quite a number of ways. A proper job analysis gives the organisation the opportunity to recruit the right people for the right positions which would even make it easy to train such kind of employees. Retaining such kind of employees would be very possible given that staff retention is another basic tenet of human resources function. An organisation concerned about its growth and development should always make an effort to recruit the right people in the first instance as a requisite. Much has been said about the significance of job analysis in recruitment but it is also important to highlight some of the pertinent issues that characterise the recruitment process. This process is comprised of a sequence of steps that should be followed to ensure the best possible applicant, with the ability to be an above-average employee is obtained (Grobler 2006). Recruiting good candidates has always been challenging but HR managers concerned about getting the best candidates should use certain strategies in order to attract them. In most cases, once the management has determined the staffing requirements of an organisation, then the recruitment process begins. Normally, a firm recruits both internally and externally. In each case, the advantages of recruiting outside the organisation must be weighed against the advantage of recruiting inside the organisation. Of the several advantages of recruiting within the organisation probably is the increase in morale amongst the employees who also believe that organisations recognise the outstanding performance of its employees and decide to reward them with promotion. On the other hand, the managers recruiting within the organisation also have the advantage of using HR data maintained by the company (Gobler 2006). As noted in the discussion above about the significance of job analysis in recruitment, the interviews with supervisors and analysis of employee performance records can be obtained and added to the applicant’s file during recruitment. The main advantage of this approach is that it is not necessary to experiment with unknown people especially at higher levels given that such vacancies arise from within the organisation through promotions. Against this background, the organisation can use its own records and sources of testing which are all essential when recruiting the ideal candidates. All the information about the applicant will be readily available which saves time and money. The other method involves recruiting from outside. The main advantage for this method is that greater number of applicants can be recruited than could normally be recruited internally. Outside applicants can bring in new ideas and they may have contacts which the internal applicants may not have. All this information would add to the information available in the organisation’s data base. This information greatly contributes towards job analysis which is concerned with gathering information about a particular job. Organisations should rely on both internal and external sources of information so as to be able to be better positioned to make informed decisions when it come to recruitment. Over and above it has been noted that every organisation, regardless of size, product service must recruit and select candidates to fill positions and this is the function of the human resources management (HRM) to recruit as vacant places arise within the organisation. By means of the recruitment process, the organisation aims to attract and to retain the interest of the suitable applicants and to project a positive image of the organisation to the outsiders. Information collection about the job which is commonly referred to as job analysis is of paramount importance in the recruitment process as it allows both the recruiter and the applicant to be better positioned to know the requirements of the job. Thus, it can be concluded that a job analysis plays a complimentary role to the recruitment process given that it serves as a source of information about the job and about the prospective applicant to fill in that position. References Carrell, R. et al (1995), Human Resources Management: Global Strategies for managing a diverse workforce, 5th Edition, Prentice Hall, USA. Kleynhans R. et al (2007), Management: fresh perspectives, Pearson Education, SA Grobler P. Et al (2006). Human Resource Management. 3rd Edition. London. Thompson Learning. Swanepoel B.J (Ed) (1998). Human resources management: Theory and practice. Juta. Simmons D. C. (2002) Job Analysis: The Missing Ingredient in the total reward recipe Read More