Job analysis & work flow Flashcards
competency
a measurable pattern of knowledge, skills, abilities, behaviors, and other characteristics
that an individual needs to perform work roles or occupational functions successfully.
Competency inventory
a detailed file maintained for each employee that documents the person’s
competencies
-general information (education level, job title)
Competency modeling
a listing of the competencies a successful employee will need to advance through a series or progression of several jobs- skills, abilities, interests, knowledge, values, personality.
Customized task inventory
a listing of tasks, work behaviors, or worker characteristics (called items)
created specifically for the jobs or group of jobs being analyzed
-employees are observed, interviewed, asked to respond to questionnaires, requires complex statistical analysis, used in organizations where many people do same job
Ergonomic analysis
study designed to minimize the amount of stress and fatigue experienced as a
result of doing work; the focus is on understanding how job tasks affect physical movements and
physiological responses
Job
one of a number of positions within an organization that are functionally interchangeable
Job analysis
a systematic process of describing and recording information about job behaviors,
activities, and worker specifications
-purposes of a job, major duties, conditions under which job is performed, competencies
Job description
the definition of a job’s essential functions or duties, including a description of the
conditions in which the job is performed, the competencies needed to perform the job, and any
special training or certification requirements for the job
Job enrichment
the revision of a job to broaden and add challenge to the tasks required
Job incumbents
the people who are currently doing a job
Management position description questionnaire (MPDQ)
standardized questionnaire for
analyzing the concerns, responsibilities, demands, restrictions, and miscellaneous characteristics of
managerial jobs
-use: develop selection procedures & performance appraisal forms, determine training needs of employees, design managerial pay system.
O*Net
a comprehensive database system for collecting, organizing, describing, and disseminating data
on job characteristics and worker attributes
-describes organizational/economic contexts (labor market conditions, future occupational outlook), provides wealth of info at low cost
Occupation
group of jobs that involve similar work and require similar competencies, training, and
credentials.
Organizational redesign
the process by which an organization realigns departments, changing who
makes decisions, and merging or reorganizing departments.
Personality-related position requirements form (PPRF)
a form designed to measure the important
12 personality characteristics for job performance, including: general leadership, interest in
negotiation, achievement striving, friendly disposition, sensitivity to others, cooperative or
collaborative work tendency, general trustworthiness, adherence to a work ethic, thoroughness and
attentiveness to details, emotional stability, desire to generate ideas, tendency to think things
Position
in HR, the activities carried out by any single person
Position analysis questionnaire (PAQ)
a widely used questionnaire that measures the work
behaviors required by a job and relates them to worker characteristics
-assumes small set of work behaviors common to all jobs
Reengineering
radical redesign of an organization’s functions and business processes
Subject matter experts (SMES)
people used as sources of information about specific jobs
Task-focused job analysis
a description of what a job involves in terms of work activities and
outcomes
Time-and-motion study
a study designed to identify and measure a worker’s physical movements
when performing tasks and then analyze the results to determine whether some motions can be
eliminated or performed more efficiently.
Work sampling
the process of taking instantaneous samples of the work activities of individuals or
groups of individuals
Worker-focused job analysis
focus on identification of required characteristics required of job incumbents to
perform a job well, focus on who can do the job
strategic importance of job analysis & competency modeling
they’re the systematic procedures that provide the foundation for all HRM activities- info about jobs/requirements is necessary for fair and effective HRM decision making
facilitating radical change
new technologies, organizational redesign (reeingineering, job enrichment), mergers & acquisitions
HR Triad in job analysis
- line managers: work with HR managers to determine whether jobs need to be reanalyzed
- HR Professionals: ensure job analysis information is up to date, legal considerations, update job descriptions, up to date on new techniques/trends
- employees: help line managers recognize major changes, provide accurate information for job analysis
Uses of job description
- document employment relationship
- inform applicants
- guide job behavior
- evaluate performance
- guide for writing references/resumes
elements of job description
- job title
- department or division
- date job was analyzed
- job summary
- supervision
- work performed
- job context
sources of information
job incumbents, line managers, trained job analysts, customers = subject matter experts
methods of collecting info
observations (work sampling), individual and group interviews, questionnaires, diaries
standardized approach to job analysis- Job and Motion Study
identifies & measures a worker’s physical
movements when performing tasks & then
analyzing the results to determine whether
some motions can be eliminated or performed
more efficiently- best for repetitive/routine tasks
standardized approach to job analysis- ergonomic analysis
Aims to minimize stress and fatigue at work, focuses on how job tasks affect physical
movements & physiological responses
Six divisions for organizing work behaviors according to PAQ
mental processes, work output, job context, other job characteristics, relationships with other people, information input
standardized approach for analyzing needed competencies
PPRF, standard taxonomies, perform job analysis used to collect competency information using standardized procedures
customized approach for analyzing needed competencies
Subject matter experts (incumbents, supervisors) identify
competencies, rate the competencies, and complete the
questionnaire.
career paths
group jobs into families based on similar competencies required, similar tasks, similar value to the organization
problems w/ Job description
- If they are poorly written, using vague rather than specific
terms, they provide little guidance to the jobholder. - They are sometimes not updated as job duties or
specifications change. - They may violate the law by containing specifications
not related to job success. - They can limit the scope of activities of the jobholder,
reducing organizational flexibility.
current issues of job analysis
trends inconsistent with traditional job analysis- increased job sharing, decreased work specialization, work teams
“my job” vs “my role”
flexibility- emphasizes results over procedures
teamwork: team based cultures, competency modeling helps identifying core competencies and behaviors
job enrichment
Increasing the level of difficulty & responsibility of the job.
• Allowing employees to retain more authority & control
over work outcomes.
• Providing unit or individual job performance reports
directly to employees.
• Adding new tasks to the job that require training & growth.
• Assigning individuals specific tasks, enabling them to use
their particular competencies or skills.
Job Design
An outgrowth of job analysis that improves jobs through
technological & human considerations to enhance
organization efficiency and employee job satisfaction
job characteristics model
meaninful work increases performance and internal motivation- designed to increase job satisfaction of employees
Employee Involvement Groups/Quality Circles
Groups of employees who meet to resolve problems or
offer suggestions for organizational improvement.
Success requires: comprehensive training for group members, recognition of group’s contributions, continued input/encouragement by management, use of participative leadership style
characteristic of successful team
A commitment to shared goals & objectives.
• Motivated & energetic team members.
• Open & honest communication.
• Shared leadership.
• Clear role assignments.
• A climate of cooperation, collaboration, trust, &
accountability.
• The recognition of conflict & its positive resolution.
benefits of employee teams
Increased integration of individual skills. • Better performance (quality & quantity) solutions to unique & complex problems. • Reduced delivery time. • Reduced turnover & absenteeism. • Accomplishments among team members.
compressed workweek
Shortening the number of days in the workweek by
lengthening the number of hours worked per day
Flextime
Working hours that permit employees the option of
choosing daily starting and quitting times, provided
that they work a set number of hours per day or week
Job Sharing
arrangement whereby two part-time employees
perform a job that otherwise would be held by one
full-time employee
Telecommuting
The use of personal computers, networks, and other
communications technology to do work in the home
that is traditionally done in the workplace.
