A Task-Based Approach to Job Analysis
The Job Position
MacDonald Pizza & Burger Center currently has an entrance level managerial job for a human resource manager currently. Considering the human resource job position from a task-based approach, the following are the main tasks that stand out:
1) Placing job offerings onto the company’s website as well as other websites; advertising job vacancies in newspapers; getting in touch with recruiting agencies to inform them of any opportunities and positions available at the company;
2) Conducting interviews by phone on all potential candidates for all vacancies prior to inviting them for formal interviews, and
3) Managing employee complaints.
Although the managerial post entails a number of tasks, these above responsibilities are the main tasks that define the essence of the human resource managerial position.
Task 1
Task 1 involves placing job offerings onto MacDonald Pizza & Burger Center’s website & other websites, placing advertisements onto newspapers regarding job openings, and getting in touch with recruiters to assist in filling the vacant positions. Considering that MacDonald Pizza & Burger Center is a small size company in the fast food industry along with the low frequency of needing to advertise a new job opportunity at the company, the human resource manager would expected to spend a relatively small amount of time to undertake task 1 (Prien et al, 2009). In view of the much ease of learning of this task, and the fact that it is very repetitive in nature once learned, task 1 is rightfully rated as easier than most.
However a mistake in this task would be fairly difficult and costly to fix considering that the mistake would be potentially in print translating that it is a rather serious and hard to correct task. While Task 1 is part of the job description of a human resource manager, it is not one of the primary reasons for the existence of this position. At the moment, there is no employee performing this task at MacDonald Pizza & Burger Center, and the task cannot be awarded on a long term basis.
Task 2
The second major task of the human resource manger is to first interview, by means of phone, all potential candidates for any open positions before extending them an invitation for formal interviews. Typically, this task requires a large amount of time as compared to Task 1. This is especially the case because phone interviews often consume most of the human resource manager’s time as a great number of potential candidates are interviewed prior to reaching a final decision on whom to invite for formal interviews. The phone interview task is more difficult than most to learn and not one of the hardest. Once a human resource manager has mastered the key interviewing skills and is comfortable with the whole interview process, it is often simple to cross over between interviewees.
Nonetheless, a mistake during the phone interview stage would prove serious and costly to correct. Task 2 would be potentially costly to the company in an instance where the human resource manager makes the mistake of bringing in a candidate for formal interview when the person falls way below the consideration level. Similarly, the mistake at this stage would prove serious where the human resource manager posed inappropriate question(s) that that attracted a lawsuit. The task of phone interviews is a primary part of the human resource managerial job and thus one of the major reasons for the existence of the position. Currently, there is no personnel handling this task at MacDonald Pizza & Burger Center and cannot be offered on a long term basis.
Task 3
Task 3 entails handling employee complaints. The human resource manager is expected to spend less than average amount of time to performing this task. However, it is one of the hardest tasks to learn. Similarly, a mistake during this task would prove very serious or very hard to correct with the probability of losing one or more employees. The task of handling employee complaints is a central part of the human resource managerial job and it is one of the main reasons the job exist. The task is currently not performed by any other employee and it cannot be reassigned on a long term basis.
A good job analysis needs to provide the following in order to be viewed favorably: It should result in a thorough, clear job description; it should have assessment of the frequency and significance of task behaviors, it must enable accurate assessment of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other such characteristics (KSAOs) needed by the position, it must provide information relating to the relationship between job duties and the KSAOs identified (Ivancevich, 2010).
Considering the tasks associated with the human resource managerial position at MacDonald Pizza & Burger Center, the tasks largely make sense but the individual in the position needs to be better assessed as to how s/he would perform the three main tasks. In this respect, the fast food company could do better by conducting an accurate assessment of the knowledge, skills and abilities of the human resource manager to help ease the issues linked with the position (DuBrin, 2008). Although some tasks can be achieved with accuracy, it would be prudent for MacDonald Pizza & Burger Center to further train their human resource manager so as to achieve desire efficiency in the other problematic tasks and reach self satisfaction (Deb, 2006).
Job Analysis Format
Tasks
“x”
if done:
RELATIVE TIME SPENT: DIFFICULTY TO LEARN:
A MISTAKE MADE (OR IF NOT DONE) WOULD BE:
CENTRALITY:
RE-ASSIGNMENT:
Places job opportunities out on web, to recruiters, and in newspapers x
1
2
3
1
2
Interviews by phone potential candidates for all positions prior to bringing them in for formal interviews x
5
3
3
2
2
Handles employee complaints x 2 4 3 2 2
References:
Deb, T. (2006). Strategic Approach to Human Resource Management. New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers & Dist.
Ivancevich, J. (2010). Human Resource Management. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Prien, P. E., Goodstein, D. P., Goodstein, J., & Gamble, G. L. (2009). A Practical Guide to Job Analysis. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
DuBrin, J. A. (2008). Essentials of Management. Connecticut: Cengage Learning.
