This is, however, only half the equation. The second aim is to find a match between what the organisation has to offer and the individual's career needs. Successful placement, by necessity, involves the employment of competent individuals who will find that theirpositions meet their expectations and fulfil their needs for further development.

Furthermore, the job description can be most useful should disciplinary procedures be implemented. Where the job description has been issued and discussed in detail with the staff member, and where it forms a part of the training process, the employer can be fairly well assured that claims for unfair dismissal on the basis of unclear expectations are unlikely.

The second facet of job analysis is the development of a job specification, otherwise known as a person specification. This helps to define the skills, knowledge and experience necessary for individuals to perform the duties defined in the job description. Care should be taken in the writing of job specifications so as not to breach guidelines for equal employment opportunity (EEO), which is employment based on merit. Discrimination should not occur on any criterion which is not directly related to performance of the duties of the position. The more obvious criteriaare age, marital status and the like, and all are clearly spelt out in anti-discrimination legislation. There are forms of discrimination that occur, sometimes unthinkingly, which are not based on sound factors. Place of residence is one of these: employers decide on the applicant's behalf that "it is too far to travel". This is not the employer's decision, but that of the person applying for the job. If someone is willing to travel the required distance and time, this is no concern for an employer unless the employee is likely to be needed at short notice. Another example is the basis of "need". Having a dependent family can result in employers deciding to employ on the basis of financial need, while others decide that the children are a liability, likely to cause absenteeism. Non-parents on the other hand, are "flighty and unstable".

None of these impressions are relevant to the employment decision, which should be based entirely on the skills, knowledge and experience the applicant has for the position.The development of a good job or person specification, with the communication skills required for customer service, can go a long way toward making sound, defensible decisions in the selection process.

The third facet of job analysis is job design. Multi-skilling, or the performance of a wide range of tasks, is currently fashionable, making staff more flexible and versatile. Where this adds to job satisfaction it is most appropriate, enabling staff members to develop skills in a wide range of tasks. The only time when the addition of extra tasks is not appropriate is where staff find the routine duties performed easy to manage and have no desire to diversify. The addition of more routine or boring tasks simply causes frustration and dissatisfaction. Careful analysis of the needs of staff needs to be done when job design factors are considered. Not all staff look to their employment for career development and enrichment; some use their jobs and the money they earn as a means to other ends.

Job evaluationis the final facet of job analysis: decisions regarding the remuneration paid to a person in the position being based on the responsibility of that position in relation to others in the organisation. In doing so, a framework is created in which pay is matched to the level of skill required, with relativity between positions necessary from one department or employment stream to another in order to achieve equity.

Job descriptions: In organisations of all sizes, job descriptions are valuable tools used to define the tasks, relationships and accountability of staff. They are the result of careful task analysis which defines key performance areas. In the services sector this is fairly difficult since many tasks are non-routine. The result is that many job descriptions poorly reflect the major areas of responsibility. In most job descriptions only the routine, procedural aspects of job performance are covered. Following an earlier theme of two-dimensional service, these tasks are the more objectiveaspects of the job; tasks that can be easily observed and recorded are the more scientific aspects of the service role. If, however, there is an art to the delivery of effective customer service, there needs to be an attempt to define these aspects of the job in the job description. Many of these aspects form part of the personal dimension of service and relate to communication processes as they occur in the service interaction. The difficulty is that every situation is different: the customer is different, the question they ask are different, the timing is different, the degree of importance of the interaction is different and so it goes on. An attempt may be made to in the writing of job descriptions to reflect this, otherwise the job description has a tendency to list routine tasks that are rarely performed and form only a small part of what the employee does. The second, service-oriented job description attempts to reflect more accurately both the procedural and personal aspects of servicedelivery.

While task analysis is useful in yielding the procedures generally followed in performing routine tasks, another technique, the critical incident analysis, can be most useful in helping to define the more important non-routine but essential tasks that form part of quality service. Calling a taxi for an elderly person struggling with parcels and helping them to the door, entertaining bored children while their parents reach decisions, or discussing family news and the weather are things that salespeople do all the time. These are part of what the customer calls a "positive attitude". This value-added service cannot be offered during periods when other customers are waiting, but it is these small things that are a `service' and rate very highly in the customer expectations.

BUILDING QUALITY SERVICE

Lynn Van Der Wagen

Jaico Publishing House

Price: Rs 550