The Use of Job Analysis
to Actually Reduce Payroll Costs
By Lloyd M. Gordon, President
GEC Consultants, Inc.
Skokie, IL 60076
What can be done with the Job Analysis to develop materials to aid you in undertaking actual steps to control and cut your labor costs? The first step in the project is to review all the Job Analyses and review some of the questions that might arise from them. There are some questions that you might include in your Job Analysis that could provide data for cost saving decision making such as those that follow:
- What time do you start? - Does the time the job is scheduled coincide exactly with the time that the person is needed? If not rescheduling is possible to save labor hours.
- What work do you never have to do that you were told was needed? - This permits you to examine times that are allotted for tasks that the employee never has to do in the normal course of events. Revisions are then possible to save labor hours.
- What work that you do is also done by others? - Look at how many people are scheduled to do similar jobs. Examination may show that some of these are not needed, saving labor hours.
- Is the work you do beneficial to our business? - Evaluate if the segments of work performed by the employee are all essential to the successful operation of the business. If any aren't necessary, take steps to eliminate them, thus saving labor hours.
The second step is to look carefully at the caliber of the person needed to perform the actual job. It's possible that you are paying for a higher type employee than is needed for the job.
Every restaurant owner or manager has his own inner feeling of what type of personality will be most successful in his/her restaurant. But studies over the past 25 years all agree that few people lack the intrinsic skills required of food service.
These traits of character seem to be essential if a person is to function adequately in a restaurant type environment. Check to see if the Job Analysis absolutely requires a worker that needs more than the minimal traits needed for food service. These are that the applicant appears to be:
- Responsible - looks for other jobs to do when his are done.
- Serious - task oriented and practical in dealing with others.
- Energy - is full of pep and is in action most of the time.
- Self-control - can keep anger under control and is basically pleasant and agreeable.
- Truthful - tends to be honest in his dealings with others.
- Orderly - likes his job well structured and is neat about himself.
- Conformity - learns to be a team member and follow the leader.
From the above we see that a successful food service employee needs to conform to your system and is a follower, not a leader. If you hire most people only of this type you can maintain a more economical pay scale than if you hold to the philosophy of developing supervisors from within the organization. If prospects are being hired for their potential as leaders, you are looking for a higher quality person and should expect to pay more. However, pay more only when you need a specific person.
These are practical ways to save labor costs by better scheduling and selection of your work force. Thus, use of Job Analysis is a practical approach to building profits.
Mr. Lloyd M. Gordon, President of GEC Consultants, Inc. has an MBA from the University of Chicago. He has concepted more than 390 restaurants and has been consulting for more than 44 years. He helps people enter the restaurant industry, points the way to profitability, and helps keep them successful. To discuss "The Use of Job Analysis to Actually Reduce Payroll Costs" he can be reached at 847-674-6310.
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