Job Analysis Flashcards
Job Analysis (JA)
A process that determines the important
tasks of a job and the human attributes
necessary to successfully perform those
tasks.
More simply…
- The identification of criteria necessary
for successful performance in a give job. - It identifies the KSAOs for a given job.
Knowledge
Skills
Abilities
Other
Why would you want a Job analysis?
A Job Analysis (JA) provides the foundation for almost everything in HR is involved with.
▪ Job Descriptions
▪ Recruitment and Selection
▪ Training
▪ Performance Appraisals
▪ Job Classification
▪ Job Evaluation
▪ Job Design
Job Descriptions
a formal account of an employee’s responsibilities.
what is Recruitment and Selection
Recruitment: Finding candidates for vacant positions and encouraging them to apply.
Selection: Choosing the best candidate from the pool of applicants obtained during recruitment.
Training
the action of teaching a person or animal a particular skill or type of behavior.
KSAOs stand for?
- Knowledge
- Skills
- Ability
- Other characteristics
Steps in a Job Analysis
Step 1: Identify tasks performed
Step 2: Write task statements
Step 3: Rate task statements
Step 4: Determine essential KSAOs
Step 5: Select tests to tap KSAOs
what are Task statements for?
Task statements define specific actions or outcomes that must be accomplished to satisfy a requirement.
Tasks can be simple or involved, but they share key attributes: they are specific, actionable items with a clear start and end point.
Task Statement of what job is looking for.
- Handles customer complaints
- Type, files, and distributes correspondence
- Utilizes decision-making skills and abilities
- In charge of the copy machine
- Uses the computer to balance department budget
- Responsible for opening and closing the office
- Greets visitors
- Examines supervisor’s daily schedule
- Oversees the office
Steps in a Job Analysis more in depth
- Review current information about the job.
- Choose a JA method.
- Collect data (KSAO)
a) Performance Behaviours,
b) Competencies: the ability to do something successfully or efficiently
c) Levels of Performance: refers to the level of competency required to successfully perform a job while applying the required skills and characteristics - Compile, analyse and create job description.
- Have SMEs verify and have final input.
- Obtain management approval.
- Maintain & Update
Approaches to Job Analysis
- Work/Task/Job Oriented:
A statement of the tasks the worker actually performs, tools and equipment
used, and the work context. - Worker Oriented :
Focuses on the attributes and characteristics of the worker necessary to
accomplish the task that define the job.
Approaches to Job Analysis part 2( JOB AND WORKER)
Job Oriented
▪ Analysis of tasks
necessary to complete
the job
▪ More concrete
Worker Oriented
▪ Analysis of skills &
abilities required
what you might need
* Intelligent
* Self-motivated
* Able to work alone
* Able to integrate diverse
information
* Good long-term memory
* Time-management skills
example
e.g., University student
* Attend classes
* Take notes
* Read texts
* Do homework
* Write Papers
Sources of Information(hint SME)
SMEs (Subject Matter Experts)
▪ People who have in-depth knowledge of
specific under analysis, job skills and abilities.
Who are SMEs?
▪ Job Incumbents
▪ Supervisors
Sources of Information to understand worker part 2
Interviews
* Structured Questionnaire / Inventory
* Critical Incidence
* Direct Observation
* Logbooks / Diaries
* Performing the job tasks.
what is Interviews
Most commonly used method
▪ Very adaptable
- Usually conducted with
▪ Job incumbents: In a job description, the term “incumbent” refers to the person who currently holds the responsibilities the job is meant to cover (SMEs)
▪ Technical experts
▪ Supervisors
what question in a Interviews (continued)
Questions like:
▪ What are your most typical duties?
▪ How long do they take?
▪ How do you do them?
* Con: people may misrepresent / exaggerate their job.
Questionnaire / Inventory
- List of many (>200) job characteristics
▪ Rate then in terms of frequency & importance - Methods is most useful for comparing jobs
▪ D2 – measure of similarity
▪ Found job of ‘housewife’ is most similar to ‘patrolman’ - Very commonly used (especially with interviews)
PAQ(Position Analysis Questionnaire ) Example of
“Sources of Job Information”
Rate the extent to which each is used by the worker as a source of information in
performing the job:
Extent of use:
N – Does not apply
1 – Very infrequent
2 – Occasionally
3 – Moderate
4 – Considerable
5 – Very substantial
1.___ Written material (books, reports, articles).
2.___ Quantitative material (graphs, tables of numbers)
3.___ Measuring devices (callipers, tire pressure gauges, thermometers).
4.___ Features of nature (landscapes, geological samples, cloud formations).
Methods of Providing General Information( PAQ)
Job Structure Profile
* Designed as a replacement for
the PAQ
* Easier to read than the PAQ
* Good reliability
Job Elements Inventory
* 153 items
* 10th grade readability level
* Correlates highly with PAQ
Functional Job Analysis
* Data
* People
* Things
Job Components Inventory
More than 400 questions
o 5 main categories
* Tools and equipment used
* Perceptual and physical requirements
* Mathematical requirements
* Communication requirements
* Decision making and responsibility
o Good reliability
Methods of Providing
Competencies Information
Job Components Inventory
o In addition to tools and equipment
used on the job, also provides
information about skills needed for
the job, such as:
* Perceptual skills
* Physical skills
* Mathematical skills
* Communication skills
* Decision making skills
* Responsibility level
Threshold Traits Analysis
o 33 items
o 5 main categories
* Physical traits
* Mental traits
* Learned traits
* Motivational traits
* Social traits
o Reliable
o Short and quick to use
Methods of
Providing
Competencies
Information part( hint Felishman) 2
Fleishman Job Analysis Survey
o 73 abilities
o Cognitive
o Physical
o Psychomotor
o Sensory-perceptual
o Social/interpersonal
o Good reliability
o Detailed
o Commercially available
Job Adaptability Inventory
132 items
8 adaptability dimensions
Handling emergencies
Handling work stress
Solving problems creatively
Dealing with uncertainty
Learning
Interpersonal adaptability
Cultural adaptability
Physically oriented adaptability
Methods of Providing Personality &
Performance Information
Personality-Related Position Requirements Form
* 107 items
* 12 personality dimensions
- Performance Improvement Characteristics
- 48 questions
- 7 main personality traits
Direct Observation
Unobtrusive method (Camera; Video; Audio)
* Excellent for understanding and appreciating conditions under
which job is performed
- Allows analyst to experience aspects of job worker may not be
aware of - Not as good for understanding why behaviors do/do not occur
Logbook / Worker Diaries
Worker makes systematic entries in log outlining activities
- May be useful for jobs that are difficult to observe
- But, not commonly used
▪ Too much variance in writing
▪ Can exaggerate tasks performed - Can be done with beepers
Typical Approach to JA
Read any information available (re: job)
▪ Training manuals
▪ Job descriptions
▪ Equipment manuals
* Interview middle managers
▪ Pick up specialised terms and phrases
▪ Understand job importance (according to management)
▪ Develop questions for later interviews
Job Description
- A list of the tasks carried out, worker attributes, and training and
experience required.
Person Specification
Derived from the job description it identifies the qualifications, skills,
experience, knowledge and other attributes that a candidate must
possess to perform the job duties.
Typical
approach
to JA part 3
Observe 3 or 4 people doing job
* Schedule interviews with SMEs (incumbents and
supervisors)
- Distribute questionnaires/inventories
(re: job duties) - Combine compile information
(most important)
▪ Must summaries using all information
▪ No standard procedure; uses creativity
New Developments in JA
Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA) – because not all tasks are observable.
- Used to decompose job and task performance into discrete
measurable units, with specific emphasis on prompting / identifying
mental processes and knowledge content. - The focus in not on KSAOs (what is accomplished) but rather in the
cognitive operations employed (how the behavior occurs
Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA)
When to do a CTA:
1. Persistent performance problems.
2. Costly errors or accidents.
3. Training is difficult to transfer to job behavior.
4. Achieving high levels of performance tales a long time.
Why do JA
- Reduce Role Conflict and Ambiguity
- Design and Evaluation of Training
- Performance Appraisal
- Job Design
- Personnel Selection
- Job Evaluation
- Compliance with Work/Worker Legislation
Job Evaluation( hint external and Internal)
Market Perspective (External Equity)
Focuses on ensuring employee compensation is competitive with the external job market. It involves benchmarking salaries and benefits against industry standards to attract and retain talent.
- Based on Job Analysis (Internal Equity)
Ensures fair compensation within an organization by evaluating job roles, responsibilities, and qualifications to maintain consistent pay structures.
why is Compensation important
Is important because…
* Will attract and retain desired employees.
* Will motivate current employees while also providing security
* Is equitable
* Is in compliance with legal guidelines
Internal Pay Equity
refers to ensuring that employees within an organization are compensated fairly and equitably.
Step 1: Determine compensable factors
Step 2: Determine levels for each factor
Step 3: Determine factor weights
* Determine total number of points to distribute among factors
* Assign points to each factor
* Divide number of points assigned to a factor into each level
* Run regression (wage trend line) to determine how well points predict salary
midpoints
External Pay Equity
Worth based on external market
Determined through salary surveys
Information obtained
* salary range
* starting salary
* actual salaries paid
* benefits
