Discuss the methods for gathering job Information.

There are three main methods of gathering and verifying job information. They aquestionnaire, interview and direct observation at the work place. Usually, a questionnaire consists of a number of questions that the respondent has to answer in a set format. But there are either open-ended or closed-ended questions. An open-ended question asks the respondent to formulate his own answer; whereas a closed-ended question has the answer can be picked from a given number of options.

The Questionnaire:

The questionnaire has some advantages as the responses are gathered in a standardized way, so questionnaires are more objective, certainly more so than interviews. Generally it is relatively quick to collect information using a questionnaire. However in some situations they can take a long time not only to design, but also to apply. Information can be collected from a large portion of a group.

This potential is not often realized, as returns from questionnaires are usually low. However return rates can be improved if the questionnaire is delivered and responded to in good time period. They are a valuable method of collecting a wide rage of information from a large number of people.

The major disadvantage of written questionnaires is the possibility of low response rates. Low response is the curse of statistical analysis. It can reduce the confidence in the results. Another disadvantage of questionnaires is the inability to raise responses. Questionnaires are structured instruments.

They allow very little flexibility to the respondent with respect to response format. In essence, they often lose the flavor of the response. Most of the times all communication is visual. Gestures and other visual cues are not available with written questionnaires.

The lack of personal contact will have different effects depending on the type of information being requested. When returned questionnaires arrive in the mail, it’s natural to assume that the respondent is the same person you sent the questionnaire to. This may not actually be the case. Many times business questionnaires get handed to other employees for completion.

Interview:

An interview is a conversation between two or more people i.e. the interviewer and the interviewee, the interviewer asks the questions to obtain information from the interviewee. Interview is used to determine whether or not the person is qualified for the position, motivated to do the job, and to find if he is the right fit. When a person attends an interview he should answer questions in a way which is acceptable, but not necessarily right to the interviewer. We know many people struggle with interviews though they are the most experienced and best qualified for the job.

Knowledge of interview tips is very important before attending an interview. To meet the challenges of professional life, one has to be familiar with many skills to grab the attention of an interviewer, out of which interview skills are the basic necessities to meet up the future challenges with success.

There is difference in the working conditions for different types of interviewers, but most of these workers work in areas that are clean, well lit, and relatively quiet. Most of these workers work a standard 35 to 40 hour week, they may have to work during evening and weekends also.

Some interviewers may conduct surveys and they may go ahead themselves or send their representatives for the survey. There are minimal formal educational requirements for interviewers, and most new employees receive on-the-job training. Employers seek applicants with strong interpersonal skills, including a pleasant personality, clear voice, and the ability to communicate with others.

Interviews are always time consuming. For each interview an hour or plus is required, also other than that the interviewer takes time in analysis the interview to reach at a solution. It is very difficult job to find the necessary information from the job-holder about his or her job. The work is not simple therefore, in case only interview can help reach at the right solution then the right type of analysts should be employed.

Observation:

Direct observation can be explained as the method in which a researcher observes and records behaviour, events, activities, tasks, duties while something is happening. With the help of this technique the analyst observes input as material, input products, output products, the tasks performed, pace at which activities are done, tools and equipment’s used. The observations are made by camera, it can-be visual, photographic, video etc.