Introduction
The constant changes and transformations in which current organizations are involved have led to adapting outdated and rigid structures to advanced and flexible systems. Human Resources Management has become an eminently strategic and dynamic function that projects its main key to success on the human factor.
All this, has forced the Directors of the Organizations, to establish systems and adaptive processes to the new structures, needing techniques that allow them to face and overcome the challenges to which the Organizations are subjected, which has brought with it a high flexibility in the field of human resources.
However, despite the fact that the analysis and description of jobs has not been considered a commonly accepted means to implement the desired level of flexibility in Organizations, the practice has proven useful, provided it is endowed with versatility and capacity. of adequate adaptation, determined as a basic tool for the establishment of any human resources policy since almost all the activities carried out in the human resources area are based in one way or another on the information provided by this procedure.
Background of the Analysis and Description of the jobs
From the early days when men began to form groups to achieve their goals that were unattainable individually, administration has been essential to achieve the coordination of human endeavors. The organization and division of labor generated the need for models to manage people.
The way of approaching the management of human resources has changed in correspondence with the dynamics of social development, influenced by events and philosophies such as the industrial revolution, scientific administration and industrial psychology.
Preliminary studies in the Analysis and Description of Jobs (ADPT) coincide with the industrial revolution in Europe and in the United States, Charles Babbage in Europe and Frederick Taylor in the American Union were the first authors who suggested that the work could and it had to be studied systematically and in relation to some scientific principle.
The industrial revolution was characterized by the rapid development of production technology, the division and specialization of labor, mass production, through assembly procedures, as well as the reduction of heavy physical labor. With it appeared scientific methods applied to production engineering and computerized control development (33).
As one of the results of the industrial revolution, employees began to collectively discuss issues of mutual interest, and unions emerged that greatly influenced employee-employer relations. Unionism contributed to the expansion of employee benefit programs, the clear definition of work obligations, the introduction of systematic salary structures, and the complaint management system, among others.
Parallel to the industrial revolution, the scientific administration emerged, which was an attempt to investigate production and assembly methods and establish the most efficient way to do a job. The “father” of this movement is considered to be Frederick Taylor.
The scientific administration contributed to the professionalization of the HRM. The hunch and intuition approach to management was replaced by that of design and planning based on management techniques.
After the Second World War, research in the field of human factor engineering began to experiment in the design of technologies, facilities and equipment, with results being obtained in the late 1940s.
Some years later it became clear that many of the existing administrative problems were the result of human rather than mechanical phenomena. This recognition promoted the intervention of the industrial psychologist in the world of work, introducing the idea that workers had emotional and psychological needs that should be considered at work, turning worker satisfaction and commitment to work into important aspects, thus improving some aspects related to personnel management such as selection, training, placement, among others. (33)
As relationships with employees changed and people became more valuable, Human Resources methods and functions became key aspects of organizations.
Current trends in Human Resources Management are directed towards systematic, practical, multidisciplinary and participatory approaches that consider the Analysis and Description of Jobs (ADPT) as a basic tool for the establishment of all human resources policies, since almost all The activities carried out in the human resources area are based in one way or another on the information provided by this procedure (11).
Analysis and Description of jobs. Concepts and Objectives.
Before entering the subject of concepts, it is convenient to carry out a series of reflections all related to the figure of the job, from the bibliography consulted:
- Regarding their origin, we can affirm that the analysis of jobs is born and develops in the field of theory and techniques of the Scientific Organization of Labor. This school of organizational thinking advocates the rationalization of the workplace as the main way to maximize worker performance. The core of this trend was constituted by the organized study of work, subsequent analysis until it was reduced to its simplest elements and the systematic improvement of worker performance in relation to each of these elements. The analysis of jobs is a objective process, insofar as it does not take into consideration the person who occupies the job, but the job itself (7,32).Then comes the danger that haunts every job analyst: losing focus and concentrating on the job holder rather than on the job itself. This circumstance is also present in the valuation process of the jobs (28).The jobs, curiously, are considered as a personal possession by their occupants and this together with the inevitable self-centeredness present in the interpretation of individual perceptions induces employees to consider this process as an annoying territorial intrusion (34). The job determines to a great extent the role that people play in organizations. This causes a certain behavior to be expected in an individual for the simple fact of occupying a certain job.(3) The job is the main link between the employees and the organization. Indeed, this link allows individuals to make contributions to their organization, while allowing them to receive the relevant rewards. These rewards can be intrinsic (satisfaction with the work done, feelings of achievement, etc.) and extrinsic (promotions and remuneration mainly). It should be noted at this time that remuneration continues to occupy a certainly privileged place among the motivational instruments available to organizations, and that it is precisely the occupied job position that is one of the main determinants of the economic amount received for such concept.Organizations can be understood as sets of people who hold jobs or as sets of jobs that are filled by people. Consequently, the person-job tandem is the one that characterizes an organization in a similar way as the product-market tandem characterizes the strategy deployed. It is appropriate to clarify at this time that there is not always equivalence between the number of employees in an organization and the number of different jobs that said organization contemplates. It often happens that several people occupy positions of identical content, then, generally, the number of jobs is less than that of members of the company. However,Contrary situations can also be observed when a certain firm coexists with the figure of the vacant position. In this case the position exists, but not the person who is to occupy it. This circumstance is normally of a conjunctural nature; non-structural. The possible combinations resulting from crossing the existence / non-existence of employees and jobs can be seen in figure 2. (6)
| SI position; SI person | Post No; SI person |
| COVERED POSITION | STAFF SURPLUS |
| SI position; Post NO | Post NO; Person NO |
| VACANCY | POTENTIAL POSITION |
Graph 1. Adapted from ELORDUY MOTA (1993)
- Normally this process is undertaken on three typical occasions: a first when the organization is born and faces the need to systematize its work flow; second, when a new job is created; and thirdly, when a position, as a result of the introduction of new methods, procedures or technology, is significantly altered in content. (31) As the last of the reflections pointed out, we must point out that the figure of the job is the main benchmark of career management. Therefore, individuals and organizations will evaluate this facet based on the relationship of jobs performed during the professional history of employees. (31)
The terms "Job Analysis", "Job Description" and "Job Specifications or Requirements" are commonly used interchangeably; reason why it is convenient to establish, at least theoretically, a conceptual differentiation (18):
- Job analysis: procedure for obtaining information about the jobs: their content and the aspects and conditions that surround them. Job description: document that collects the information obtained through the analysis, being reflected in this way, the content of the position as well as the responsibilities and duties inherent to it. Job specifications: this is related to the personal requirements and qualifications required for the satisfactory fulfillment of the tasks: level of studies, experience, personal characteristics, etc. These requirements emanate directly from the job description and analysis. Using this information, the professional profile would be prepared. Figure 1.
Figure 1: Design elements of workstations
It is also important to clarify the difference between certain terms commonly used in the analysis and description of jobs:
- Element: It is the minimum indivisible unit of work. Task: Individualized activity and identifiable as different from the rest. Function: set of tasks, performed by a person, that form a defined area of work. They usually maintain a relationship of physical or technical proximity to each other. Obligation: this is the name given to the various commitments that a person can develop in an organization. Position: It is one or more functions that are organized constituting a new unit of higher order and they take a hierarchical position in the organization. It can also be defined as "an organizational unit that involves a group of duties and responsibilities that make it separate and distinct from the others" (8). Occupation: types of positions that can be found in different organizations and that have a great similarity between yes.This term is related to the professional qualification of individuals, which enables them to perform certain jobs.
Due to the characteristics of the subject under study, it is necessary to delve a little into the aspects related to the job from the analysis and interpretation of the definitions found in the literature consulted.
PERETTI (1987), in this sense, affirms that this process must respond to two concerns: knowing the usefulness of work and describing the components (material, organizational, environmental) of it (29).
PEÑA BAZTAN (1990) defines it as «the fixation of the content of a job, with the functions or activities that are carried out in it, as well as the levels of training, ability, experience, effort that are precise and the responsibility that its occupant is required within the framework of certain environmental conditions. (…) Given the importance, of this activity, it is necessary to apply to its realization the maximum interest and effort, using trained analysts, to whom clear and concrete rules have been indicated so that, if several are used, they can apply identical observation and analysis criteria. ”(28).
According to LOUART (1994), a job is nothing more than: «a meeting point between a position, which is at the same time geographic, hierarchical and functional, and a professional level, which refers to competence, training and remuneration. It involves a set of activities related to certain objectives and involves in its holder certain general skills, certain specific capacities and certain practical knowledge related to internal ways of functioning and external ways of relating »(20).
Insisting a little more on the job, we will point out that NOE, HOLLEMBECK, GERHART and WRIGHT (1994) present this figure from a process perspective; that is, inputs concur in a job to give rise to a series of outputs. (24)
Figure 2. Process that occurs in the workplace
Indeed, in a properly designed organizational structure, every job responds to a need of the organization, therefore a contribution from said position to the organization must be expected; In addition, it must overcome certain criteria of productivity and quality. To achieve these outputs, workstations are designed based on tasks, obligations and occupations that must be performed through the procedures established by the organization, which must meet criteria of effectiveness and efficiency. Finally, it should be noted that a series of media factors are present in the performance of these activities: the person who occupies the job (knowledge, skills, potential, etc.), the means necessary to carry out the activities (used technology, available tools,etc.) the organizational (human relations, work environment, etc.) and environmental (physical location, lighting, noise, etc.) conditions.
According to the aforementioned, the Analysis and Description of jobs can be defined as the process of determining, through observation and study, the component elements of a specific job, establishing responsibilities, capacities, physical requirements and mental demands, the risks involved and the environmental conditions in which it operates. The authors consulted define it as:
DESSLER (1994) defines job analysis as the "procedure to determine the obligations and skills required by a job as well as the type of individual suitable to fill it" (10).
CARREL, ELBERT and HATFIELD (1995) point out that it is the “process by which management systematically investigates the tasks, obligations and responsibilities of positions within an organization. The process includes the investigation of the decision-making level of the employees belonging to a certain professional category, the skills that the employees need to carry out their job properly, the autonomy of the work in question and the mental efforts required to perform the job »(5).
Similar is the definition offered by DUCCESCHI (PUCHOL, 1993): «process of determining, through observation and study, the component elements of a specific job, the responsibility, capacity and the physical and mental requirements that it requires, the efforts and risks it involves and the environmental conditions in which it operates ». (30)
The analysis and description of jobs is a basic tool for all Human Resource Management. It makes it possible to clarify the tasks of individuals and their collective aspects, it allows to control the workload and its evolution so that it is possible to act on the qualifiers, technical decisions and balances of the organization.
The description details:
- "What workers do": Tasks, functions or activities they perform while performing the job. "How they do it": Resources they use, methods they use, the way they perform each task. "What they do it for": Objectives achieve, purpose of each task.
Along with this, the necessary requirements and qualifications must be specified so that the worker performs the tasks with a certain guarantee of success.
Among the objectives or possible uses of job description and analysis, the following should be highlighted:
- Recruitment: The analysis and description of jobs provides information on the characteristics that the candidate must have to occupy the job and therefore is useful in determining the sources of recruitment, that is, those places, centers, etc., where it is more likely that we will find a sufficient number of people who meet the required requirements. Personnel Selection: The analysis and description of jobs provides sufficient data to develop the professional profile or professional profile in which the characteristics and professional and personal requirements that the candidate must meet to adequately carry out the tasks and activities of the position.This information will guide the choice of the battery of psychological tests that will be used to measure the fitness and personality characteristics that we seek. It will also serve as a guide for the selection interview and for the different selection procedures used: group dynamics, assessment center, etc. Training: Comparing the existing fit between the requirements of the position and the knowledge, skills and characteristics it provides the candidate, we will be able to determine the existence of possible imbalances that indicate the need to develop training actions aimed at filling the gaps and enhancing the positive aspects. In this way, once the need is detected, we can design and implement the most appropriate training plans. Performance evaluation:Given that the job description indicates the tasks, activities, duties and obligations for which the person in charge is responsible, this description will help us determine to what extent the person is developing a performance according to what is required by the job.. This is especially relevant if an evaluation procedure by objectives or by values is being used. Job Evaluation: The analysis and description of jobs constitutes the basic tool from which the job evaluation system is determined. Without the analysis of jobs, the subsequent evaluation would not be possible, a procedure by which it is intended to determine the relative value of the different positions that make up an organization.This is done with a view to establishing fairer and more equitable remuneration systems.
Other Purposes in which you contribute or participate:
- Administration of wages Occupational safety and hygiene Career plans Improved communication between the organization's staff and others. (18)
Profesiogram Of Charges
From the ADPT, the Profesiogram of positions is prepared, which is the document that synthesizes the main requirements and demands that the occupant of the position must possess.
According to A. Cuesta Santos "the Profesiogram, whose essential components are expressed in figure 3, is the result of the key activities of ADPT, marks a fundamental methodological milestone and is an essential element of technical-organizational connection. (9)
Figure 3: Essential components of the ADPT
For JM Fourgous quoted by M. Fernández Ríos, the Profesiogram must contain the following six headings:
- The identification of the position: Exact name, place of work, number of people who carry out the same position. The objective of the position: The situation within the organization chart. The responsibilities of the position. Relationships: relationships within a team, animation, contacts, influences on the work of others who have no supervisory relationship with the position that is described and that is exerted through the exchange of information or opinion. The physical conditions of work: description of the workplace, nature of physical effort, possible risks, as well as the mental demands inherent in it. Regarding the mental demands, the concentration, reflection, coordination, judgment, discernment, etc., that the position requires for the development of its functions, are considered.taking into account both the frequency with which they are required and the complexity of the reasoning required.Requirements for the position: The minimum conditions that the ideal occupant of the position described should meet must be indicated, which will not necessarily coincide with those held by the actual occupant of the position, includes:
- Studies: Minimum level and the specialty of the formal studies required, refer to those that are acquired outside the company, with their general purposes and not necessarily for a specific position. Specialization courses: Those complementary courses or activities that provide Particular specialized knowledge that is considered necessary for the fulfillment of the tasks of the position. Previous experience and training: The minimum working time will be indicated as for a person of average characteristics and with the level of studies already described, who is able to exercise satisfactorily all functions and salaries, retirement pensions, bonuses, benefits, possibilities of promotion, changes, career development. (14)
According to the criteria of the authors consulted in the specialized literature (Sikula, 1989 (33); Cadalzo, 1996 (4); Harper and Lynch, 1992 (18); Cuesta, 1997 (9); Hernández, 2001 (19)) The following aspects should be reflected in the profesiogram:
- Name of the job or occupation Direction of work Objectives Responsibilities Relationships with other positions Technical qualification Level of education required Skills and knowledge required Physical Qualities Sex Characterological characteristics required.
It is necessary to specify that the profesiogram cannot constitute a static document in time and alien to the micro and macro working environment. Regarding this aspect, A. Cuesta points out: “As the current trend is towards multipurpose or multi-skill positions, it would be necessary to guarantee that the profesiograms, job profiles or profile by competence remain consistent with this trend, so that it does not mean typecasting or legal hindrance., but a referential, flexible and coherent framework with a broad profile, promoting the enrichment of performance or work, both horizontally and vertically ”(9).
For the preparation of the profesiograms of positions, it is necessary during the investigation process to provide as much information as possible, familiarizing the personnel involved with the modern conceptions of HRM, in order to obtain the maximum collaboration from all, encourage dialogue and communication, to eliminate suspicions that procedures of this type usually generate among employees.
As for the writing of the profesiograms of the positions, there is no fixed outline for the presentation and description of a position, however, in the consulted bibliography, the use of a simple, concise and clear style is suggested, trying to start each sentence with a verb of action and in the present tense.
Fernández Ríos (14) on the subject, recommends:
- Only objective facts are valid, not subjective opinions and interpretations. The description should be simple. Ambiguous words such as "maybe", "may", "occasionally", "rarely", are always sources of interpretative conflicts and consequently there will be If a job is described, it must be ensured that it has been fully done. If not, it should be indicated with the utmost clarity and transparency. A job is not a “story” that needs to be told. Consequently, a correct literary style must be used, with correctness and syntactic fluency. The contents of the statements must conform to the previous structure of the format, avoiding unnecessary duplication and redundancy. Whenever it is necessary to refer to another job, the formal name of the same.
Taking into account the studies carried out, it is advisable to establish a procedure for the Analysis and Description of Job Positions and, based on this, prepare the job profession model, which allows collecting all the necessary information about the characteristics and requirements of the candidate to occupy the job.
The Job Description and Description procedure used must provide detailed and comprehensive information to the Organization of all jobs, for their study and to the group of experts who, once this information has been processed, will decide the key aspects that must be in the Profesiogram of positions, taking into account the repercussion and importance of these in the development of the occupant of the position.
This will allow us to focus on those data that really interest when we need to consult the profesiogram for a selection process, a needs analysis and / or performance evaluation.
Bibliography
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Finally, and as a complement to what is indicated in the document, we leave you with the following video-lesson (2 videos, 90 minutes), from the Miguel Hernández University of Elche, which deals with the topic of job analysis and design work, its concept and utilities, its stages and methods, through it you can deepen your learning on this important topic of human resource management in companies.
