HRM textbook

CHAPTER 4 JOB ANALYSIS AND THE TALENT MANAGEMENT PROCESS 131
As in Figure 4-11, each matrix listed (1) the types of skills required to do that job
(such as technical expertise) and (2) the minimum level of each skill required for
that job or job family. Talent management in this BP unit now involves recruiting,
hiring, training, appraising, and rewarding employees based on the competencies
they need to perform their ever-changing jobs, with the overall aim of creating a
more flexible organization.
R E V I E W
MyManagementLab Now that you have finished this chapter, go back to www.mymanagementlab.com to
continue practicing and applying the concepts you ve learned.
CHAPTER SECTION SUMMARIES
1. Employers today often view all the staff train reward
activities as part of a single integrated talent management
process. We defined talent management as the goaloriented
and integrated process of planning, recruiting,
developing, managing, and compensating employees. When
a manager takes a talent management perspective, he or
she should keep in mind that the talent management tasks
are parts of a single interrelated talent management
process, make sure talent management decisions such as
staffing and pay are goal-directed, consistently use the
same profile for formulating recruitment plans for a job
as you do for making selection, training, appraisal,
and payment decisions for it, actively segment and
manage employees, and integrate/coordinate all the talent
management functions.
2. All managers need to be familiar with the basics of job
analysis.
Job analysis is the procedure through which you
determine the duties of the department s positions
and the characteristics of the people to hire for them.
Job descriptions are a list of what the job entails,
while job specifications identify what kind of people
to hire for the job.
The job analysis itself involves collecting information
on matters such as work activities; required human
behaviors; and machines, tools, and equipment used.
Managers use job analysis information in
recruitment and selection, compensation, training,
and performance appraisal.
The basic steps in job analysis include deciding the use
of the job analysis information, reviewing relevant
background information including organization
charts, analyzing the job, verifying the information,
and developing job descriptions and job specifications.
3. There are various methods for collecting job analysis
information. These include interviews, questionnaires,
observation, participant diary/logs, and quantitative
techniques such as position analysis questionnaires.
Employers increasingly collect information from
employees via the Internet.
4. Managers should be familiar with the process for
writing job descriptions. While there is no standard
format, most descriptions contain sections that cover
job identification, a job summary, a listing of responsibilities
and duties, the job incumbent s authority, and
performance standards. The job description may also
contain information regarding the job s working conditions,
and the job specifications. Many employers use
Internet sources such as www.jobdescription.com to
facilitate writing job descriptions.
5. In writing job specifications, it s important to distinguish
between specifications for trained versus untrained
personnel. For trained employees, the process is relatively
straightforward, because you re looking primarily for traits
like experience. For untrained personnel, it s necessary to
identify traits that might predict success on the job. Most
job specifications come from the educated guesses of
people like supervisors, and are based mostly on judgment.
Some employers use statistical analyses to identify predictors
or human traits that are related to success on the job.
6. Employers are creating profiles for each of their jobs.
The aim of creating profiles is to create detailed descriptions
of what is required for exceptional performance in
a given role or job, in terms of required competencies,
personal attributes, knowledge, and experience. Each
job s profile then becomes the anchor for creating
recruitment, selection, training, and evaluation and
development plans for each job. Competency-based job
analysis means describing the job in terms of measurable,
observable, behavioral competencies (such as
specific skills) that an employee doing the job must
exhibit to do the job well. With the job of, say, a team
member possibly changing daily, one should identify the
skills the employee may need to move among jobs.