Title: Work Design and Job Analysis: An overview for Managers
1Work Design and Job AnalysisAn overview for
Managers
2- Introduction
- Workforce planning is, in the broadest sense, the
activity required to map the human resources
required to achieve an organisations strategy. - Work design deals with the way work is organised
and managed including structures and grouping of
functions. - Job analysis is the process of describing what
work needs to be done and includes specific
responsibilities and working relationships. - The manager is responsible for designing
structure and jobs but it is also advisable that
staff also are involved in designing jobs. - When designing a new structure affected staff
must be consulted prior to changes being made
3- Why undertake work design activity?
- Organisational change delivers many opportunities
to look carefully at how work is structured in
the context of - How the work contributes to the achievement of
the University objectives and plans - Work process improvement activity
- The opportunities emerging from new technologies
- CSU sustainability agenda
- Current and future resourcing/budgets
4What does it achieve?
- Well designed work aims to strike a balance
between - Functional effectiveness
- ie does the work design increase productivity
and enhance efficiency. - Human values
- ie does the work design maintain or enhance job
satisfaction and health and safety. - In this way work is viewed more of a group
function based on what works for overall
performance, rather than a series of static
individual jobs and task descriptions.
5- When are jobs analysed?
- When vacancies occur this provides an
opportunity to learn from the outgoing person
about what was good and bad about the job and
what could be changed. - When creating a new position - this provides an
opportunity to review the changing needs of the
workplace - When introducing workplace change such as
technology or new processes that will impact on
the way work is currently done. - When designing a new structure to deliver
services.
6Well designed jobs provide
Task Identity Whole and identifiable pieces of
work with clear objectives and a visible
outcome Task significance Work fits the purpose
of the organisation Skill variety Requires a
range of skills and talents provides
challenge Autonomy Substantial discretion and
decision making (within set boundaries) Feedback
Work provides direct and clear information about
effectiveness and performance Working
environment Opportunity to interact with others
minimisation of environmental risks
710 Principles of well designed jobs.
- All jobs have clearly defined activities,
responsibilities and accountabilities which
contribute to the overall objectives of the
organisation - Issues to be considered
- What functions/activities are to be undertaken?
Why are they needed? - How do these contribute to the overall objectives
of the organisation? - How do the activities relate to the workforce
plan? - Is the job being designed around existing staff
rather than the organisations needs?
8Well designed jobs.
- Are located correctly within the organisation
- Issues to be considered
- Relationship mapping what interactions are
required between organisational units, across
functions and between roles? - Do roles overlap? Is there role clarity?
- How can the grouping of tasks provide a
cost-efficient process? - Are there specialised or rare skills that are
best grouped together?
9Well designed jobs.
- 3 Allow for a degree of discretion and decision
making by the employee - Issues to be considered
- Are the responsibilities, accountabilities and
delegations allocated optimally? - Is it possible for tasks to provide a coherent
whole as well as variety for the individual
employee? - Where do decisions get made? Is work checked
unnecessarily? (Ideally, the duties of a job
should be identified before the supervisory /
managerial structure is developed) - Is the job responsible for managing or doing if
both, is this feasible?
10Well designed jobs.
- 4 Do not include unnecessarily complex tasks or
tasks that do not contribute to the achievement
of the organisations objectives - Issues to be considered
- Why is the task being done?
- Can some workflows be eliminated, simplified or
streamlined? - Make the best use of the available technology
- Issues to be considered
- Are there efficiencies and/or job satisfaction
that could be gained through technological
solutions?
11Well designed jobs.
- 7 Have workload that can be successfully
completed within working hours. - Are physically and socially integrated with other
jobs and staff. - Are free of discriminatory or stereotypical
assumptions. - 10 Are physically safe.
12- Human Resources can work with managers to
- Design work and jobs which suit the purpose of
the workplace. - Consider a range of different ways of working
- Identify any organisational restraints that may
need to be addressed to move forward - Advise on the range of activities associated with
workplace change including - staff consultation
- change management plans
- writing statements of duties
- identifying appropriate classifications
- recruitment, translation of staff into new
structures etc.