Assignment 3 Flashcards
1. Define and explain the rationale for job analysis. 2. Distinguish between job-based and person-based internal structures. 3. Explain the procedures that characterize the job analysis process. 4. Detail the types of information collected during a job anaylsis. 5. Discuss the importatnce of job analysis in connection with the "essential elements" of a job under the Americans with Disabilities Act. 6. Enumerate variations in job analysis methods.
Job- Based Structure
The process for constructing a work-related internal structure begins by looking at people at work. Looks at what people are doing and expected outcomes
Skill and Comptency Based Structures
Look at the person
Job Analysis (Definition)
The systematic process of collecting information that identifies similarities and differences in the work.
5 Major Issues in Designing a Job Analysis
- Why are we performing job analysis?
- What information do we need?
- How should we collect it?
- Who should be involved?
- How useful are the results?
2 Critical Functioins of a Job Analysis in Compensation:
- It establishes similarities and differences in the content of the job
2) It helps establish an interanlly fair and aligned job structure
Job Analysis data helps managers:
defend their decisions when challenged.
Job Family
A grouping of related jobs with broadly similiar content ( i.e. marketing, engineering, office support, technical)
Job
A group of tasks performed by one person that make up the total work assignment of that person ( i.e. the position of a customer support representative)
Task
Smallest unit of analysis, a specific statement of what a person does ( answers the phone)
Task Dimension
Grouping of similary tasks ( the responsibility of ensuring that accurate information is provided to the customer)
Job Analysis Procedures Developed by the U.S. federal governement:
Step 1: Develop preliminary job information
Review existing documents in order to develop an initial overview of the job, its main mission, its major duties or functions and workflow patterns.
Job Analysis Procedures Developed by the U.S. federal governement:
Step 2: Conduct initial tour of worksite
The initial tour is designed to familiarize the job analyst with the work layout, tools, and equipment used, the general conditions of the workplace and the mechanics associated with the end-to-end performance of major duties.
Job Analysis Procedures Developed by the U.S. federal governement:
Step 3: Conduct Interviews
The first interview should be conducted with the first-level supervisor who is considered to be in a better position than the jobholders to provide an overview of the job and how the major duties fit together.
Job Analysis Procedures Developed by the U.S. federal governement:
Step 4: Conduct second tour or worksite
The second tour of worksite is desiged to clarify, confirm and otherwise refine the information developed in the interviews.
Job Analysis Procedures Developed by the U.S. federal governement:
Step 5: Consolidate job information
The consolidation phase of the job study involves piecing together into one coherent and comprehesive job description the data obtained from several sources: supervisor, jobholders, on site tours, and written materials about the job.
Job Analysis Procedures Developed by the U.S. federal governement:
Step 6: Verifiy job information
The verificaiton phase involves bringing all the interviewees together for the purpose of determining if the consolidated job description is accurate and complete. The verification process is conducted in a group setting.
Information that identifies a job in the initial data collection process of a job analysis:
Job Titles
Departments
# of People who hold the job
Exempt from FLSA
What is involved in collecting job content data?
1) Identifying each task that is performed with emphasis on the objective of each task
2) Contraints on actions
3) Performance Criteria
4) Critical Incidents
5) Conflicting demands
6) Working Conditions & Roles
Employee Data is Characterized as:
1) Employee Characteristics
2) Internal Relationships
3) External Relationships
Employee Characteristics:
Can be classified as professional/technical knowledge and manual, verbal, written, quantitative, mechanical, conceptual, managerial, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
Internal Relationships
Involve behavior between the employee and his or her superiors, peers and subordinates
External Relationships
Involve behavior with suppiers, customers, regulatory personnel, professional/industry personnel, community at large and the union/employee groups
“Essential Elements” and the ADA
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that essential elements of a job, those that cannot be reassigned to other workers, must be specified for jobs. If a job applicant can perform these essential elements, it is assumed that the applicant can perform the job.
Reasonable Accomodations
Must be made to enable an otherwise qualified handicapped person to perform those elements.
Conventional Methods of Data Collection
1) Ask the people who are doing the job to complete a questionnaire
2) Interview the jobholders and their supervisors to be sure that they understand the questions and that the information is correct
3) Observe the person at work and take notes on what is being done
Quantitative Job Analysis
Directing jobholders to a website where they complete a questionnaire online. The results can then be analyzed statistcally. Asked to asses each item, rate how important it is and the amount of time spent on it
Souces of Information for a Job Analysis
Jobholder and supervisors are the primary sources of information since expertise about the work resides with them.
For key managerial/professional jobs, supervisors “two levels above” have also been suggested as valuable sources since they may have a more strategic understanding on how jobs fit in the overall organization.
Subordinates and employees in other jobs that interface with the job under study may also be involved.
Function of a Job Description
Summary of the job information gathered during the job analysis. Provides a work picture of the job.
The job is identified by title and its relationships to other jobs. Demonstrates where the job fits into the organization. Shows who are supervised by the jobholder, who supervises the job holder and the nature of an internal and external relationships.
Job Summary
Consists of a short paragraph that provides an overview of the job.
Essential Responsibilties
Elaborates on the job summary. Includes the tasks with related tasks grouped into job dimensions.
Qualifications
Job specifications that can be used as a basis for hiring- the knowledge, skills and abilities reqired to adequately perform the job.
Managerial/Professional Jobs
Often include more detaild information on the nature of the job, its scope and accountability. Must capture the relationship between the job, the person performing it, and the organization’s objecives. Focuses on the job’s accountabilites
Supply Chain Analysis
Examines how an organization does its work: actitivies pursued to accomplish specific objectives for specific customers. Customers can be internal or external to the organization.
Offshoring
The movement of jobs to locations beyond a country’s borders.
Labor Costs and Productivity in Relation to Offshoring
Because of the substantial differences in hourly compensation costs across countries for manufacturing workers, historically, manual, low-skill jobs were particularly susceptible to offshoring. However, labor costs are only part of the story. There are differences in worker productivity across various countries. In some cases, lower labor costs may be offset by productivity differences. Availability of workers with needed education and skills is another potential constraint. Proximity to customers is yet another issue.
Reliability
A measure of the consistency of results among various analysts, various methods, various souces of data, or over time.
Validity
Examines the convergence of results among sources of data and methods. If several job incumbents respond in similar ways to questionnaires, then it is considered more likely that the information they give is valid.
Acceptibility
Acceptibility of the job anaylsis by employees and managers is essesntial to have buy-in for the resulting job structure and pay rates. Information must be understood and perceived to accurately portray the job.
Currency
Refers to the timeliness and the extent to which job information is up to date. Some jobs stay relatively stable over time, while others may change in important ways, even over short time periods.
Usefullness
Refers to the practicaility of the information collected. For pay purposes, job analysis provides the work-related information to help determine how much to pay for a job. It helps determine whether the job is similar or different from other jobs.
