Job Design

Have you ever wondered why jobs are set up the way they are? Differences in the tasks and responsibilities for different jobs, or even for similar jobs in different companies, do not occur by chance. Managers consciously make decisions about how they design jobs to improve company performance.

Job design involves determining the tasks and responsibilities that employees in a particular job are expected to perform as well as how they need to interact with their coworkers to realize those contributions. Job design is a key component of effectively managing employees because it is one of the major ways to translate company goals into the specific actions that employees perform in their jobs.

Job analysis is the process of systematically identifying the tasks, duties, and responsibilities expected to be performed in a single job as well as the competencies - the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) - employees must possess to be successful in the job. Two important outcomes of job analysis are the creation of job descriptions and the identification of job specifications.

Job design and job analysis also serve a critical role in managing employee attitudes and behaviors.