Module 2--Job Analysis

Question 1

What are the two elements a credible base pay structure is heavily dependent upon?

Answer 1

data collection and analysis.

Question 2

What are the two alternative job evaluation approaches

Answer 2

1. Market Data Emphasis (externally focused)
2. Job Content Emphasis (internally focused)

Question 3

Who should be involved in the Job Analysis?

Answer 3

■ Incumbents – have the most detailed information about their own duties and responsibilities

■ Analysts – can provide a more objective and consistent approach to analyzing job content

■ Supervisors – can provide important validation of incumbent input

■ Local or centralized staff – depends on company policy

■ Employee representatives – useful but not mandatory (in unionized environments). Considered to be a best practice.

■ Job Analyst person.

Question 4

What is the job Analysis Process?

Answer 4

■ Plan
* Identify what information (critical data) needs to be collected about the jobs (based on the type of job evaluation plan used)
* Determine the sources of information to be used and who will conduct the data collection
* Develop a communication plan

■ Action
* Communicate what you are doing and why
* Collect critical data on the actual nature and level of work
* Verify the data and augment it through management review
* Revise and reconcile the data as required and inform the job incumbent of any revisions

Question 5

To determine relative internal job worth, what are the two major categories of Critical Data?

Answer 5

■ Nature of work
* Duties
* Responsibilities

■ Level of work
* Skill
* Effort (mental, physical)
* Responsibility (i.e., accountability)
* Working conditions

Question 6

What are the Sources of job information

Answer 6

■ Secondary sources
* Information obtained from sources other than incumbent or supervisor

■ Primary sources
* Information obtained directly from incumbent and/or supervisor

Question 7

What are the Secondary Sources of Job Information?

Answer 7

Internal sources
■ Work flow studies may have been conducted in an attempt to analyze which jobs can be automated. Incumbents may prepare diaries or logs.

■ Policies and procedures materials of the group can sometimes be an indication of the work process, training and knowledge requirements of the various jobs in the group.

■ Organizational charts can provide some indication of the level of the job and reporting relationships.

■ Existing job documentation is an effective way to obtain background information on the job.

■ Organizational goals or objectives discuss the responsibilities and the achievements which are measured for performance purposes.

External sources
■ Industry association materials – Some associations have standard job descriptions to provide benchmark information.

■ Commercially available materials – Many books are available for purchase that include sample job descriptions.

■ Salary surveys have some generic job descriptions in the survey materials. These typically are benchmark jobs.

■ Government publications are generally inexpensive and comprehensive in sampling a large number of jobs.

Question 8

What are the Primary sources of job information

Answer 8

■ Direct observation – observing one or more cycles of work to learn where the work comes from,
what is done with it and where it goes after the operation is complete

■ Individual interviews – includes an in-depth discussion with job incumbent to provide
information about what he/she does, how and why

■ Group interviews – process of interviewing several incumbents at the same time

■ Technical consultation – process of interviewing technical experts to obtain information

■ Questionnaires – Often replace interviews as a source of gathering data when there are many jobs to be analyzed. Questionnaires attempt to capture the same information as a one-on-one
interview.
* Open-ended – Questions are structured to allow job incumbents increased latitude in responding.
* Highly structured – Questions limit responses and focus mainly on the frequency of tasks or responsibilities.

Question 9

What is the “Direct Observation” for Job Information?

Answer 9

Observing workers in order to understand job duties, responsibilities, tasks and task elements

Question 10

What is the Individual Interview method for job Information?

Answer 10

Structured, one-on-one review of job content by a job analyst with the incumbent (or supervisor, if the job is vacant)

Question 11

What is the Group Interview method for job information?

Answer 11

• A structured review of job content between a job analyst and a group of incumbents

Question 12

What is the Technical Consulatation for job information?

Answer 12

• A structured review of job content between a job analyst and several experts

Question 13

What is the Open-Ended Questionnaires for job information?

Answer 13

A written set of questions regarding job content that requires a narrative response

Question 14

What is the Highly Structured Questionnaire for job information

Answer 14

A written set of questions regarding job content that limits responses to a predetermined set of answers (e.g., behavioral and task)

Question 15

What are the guidelines for questionnaires?

Answer 15

■ Determine the job families to be covered by the questionnaire to ensure adequate comparison between jobs

■ Determine which job evaluation method will be used

■ Identify individuals responsible for developing the questionnaire (human resources, committee, other technical expertise)

■ Identify how the questionnaire results will be analyzed (code as much information as possible)

■ Design the questions to extract the information required to evaluate your jobs

■ Pilot the questionnaire(s) and modify accordingly

■ Select a distribution strategy – sample or whole population (who, when, how)

Question 16

What should the job analysis communication entail?

Answer 16

■ Audience
* Who has to be informed?

■ Media
* What media should be used?

■ Message
* What message will be communicated?

■ Timing
* When should various elements of communication take place?

■ Process
* Design a communication plan
– Who, what, where, when, why, how
– Identify responsible parties

■ Methods
* Group meetings
– Conduct group meetings with managers and supervisors
– Arrange and conduct information sessions
* Written communication
– Send a general announcement letter to employees from senior management
– Publish article(s) in employee newsletters
* Feedback
– Provide participant feedback at the appropriate intervals
– Send a letter of thanks from senior management to participants and committee members

Question 17

What are possible sources of errors in a Job Analysis

Answer 17

Content errors

■ Sampling errors – example: selecting the first ten job incumbents from a list arrayed by hire date,
so that the sample represents incumbents with the shortest tenure

■ Incumbent bias – an individual in the job may not accurately represent all facets of the work

■ Incomplete information – where incumbent leaves blank or insufficient responses to questions for a variety of reasons, particularly illiteracy (i.e. inability to understand what is written)

■ Illogical question order and sequence – where the incumbent is confused or misled by the order of the information and therefore provides inaccurate data

Process errors
■ Inadequate communication – example: failure to explain what the information will be used for

■ Misinterpretation of questions – example: failure to explain the level of responsibility associated
with “budget accountability”

■ Bias in recording or coding information – example: job analyst, incumbent or supervisor

■ Misuse of statistical procedures – example: construction of questionnaires. It is important to account for the entire job group being evaluated before constructing the questionnaire. If the questionnaire is constructed based on the input from too small a sample of the group, the questionnaire will be non-representative of the group and the results could be skewed.

Question 18

1. What best describes one of the purposes of job analysis?

A. To document work processes for training purposes
B. To define the level of coaching needed by supervisors
C. To define the scope of any follow-up studies

Answer 18

A. To document work processes for training purposes

Question 19

2. Prior to conducting a job analysis interview, where might one obtain secondary job information?

A. Organizational charts
B. Employment applications
C. The employee’s supervisor

Answer 19

A. Organizational charts

Question 20

3. Which job analysis technique is best suited to assembly line workers?
   A. Direct observation
   B. Structured interview
   C. Individual interview
   D. Open-ended questionnaire

Answer 20

A. Direct observation

Question 21

4. Which of the following would be the best source of job information for a job in a new or emerging field?
   A. Government publications
   B. Direct observation
   C. Technical consultation
   D. Structured questionnaire

Answer 21

C. Technical consultation

Question 22

5. How could sampling error affect the potential outcomes of a job analysis?
   A. The incumbents and/or supervisors may misrepresent certain aspects of the job.
   B. The results may not be representative of the entire group.
   C. The incumbent(s) may not understand some of the questions asked.
   D. The results may be coded differently and subject to different interpretations.

Answer 22

B. The results may not be representative of the entire group.

Question 23

Job Analysis plays a critical role in what two things?

Answer 23

Job Worth Heirarchy

Base Pay Structure

Question 24

What are the two phases of the Job Analysis

Answer 24

Planning Phase

Action Phase