Job Analysis, Description and Evaluation

Why Are Job Analyses Important?

CHANGE

Work PracticesLegislation

GlobalisationTechnology

Culture & Diversity

JOB ANALYSIS

“Research indicates that workers have three prime needs:

Interesting work, recognition for doing a good job, and being let

in on things that are going on in the company. ”

—Zig Ziglar

Defining Job Analysis?

Is it simply “obtaining information about jobs?”

Have jobs become extinct? Are jobs now behavioural contracts

between an employee and an organization?

What is Job Analysis?

Job analysis is an essential and pervasive human

resource technique and the starting point for other human

resource activities.

Job Analysis

Job Tasks

Job Duties

Job Responsibilities

Nature of job analysis

Job Analysis

Job analysis is the process of gathering information about

the job and evaluating such information in terms of what is

necessary and relevant. Essentially, job analysis involves

three questions:

1. What is a job?

2. What should be analyzed?

3. What methods of analysis should be used?

What Should be Analyzed?

Fundamental purpose General importance Work elements Approximate time Scope Inherent authority Working relationships Specific methods, equipments, and techniques Job conditions

Important benefits of Job Analysis

Multifaceted Nature of Job Analysis

Recruitment

Selection

Placement

Training

Counselling

Human ResourcePlanning

Job Evaluation

Job Design andRedesign

PerformanceAppraisal

Employee Safety

Types of Information Collected

Work activities

Human behaviors

Human requirements

Job context

Machines, tools, equipment, and

work aids

Performance standards

Information Collected Via Job Analysis

Classic Case

Steps in Job Analysis

1

2

3

4

5

Steps in doing a job analysis:

Review relevant background information.

Decide how you’ll use the information.

Select representative positions.

Actually analyze the job.

Verify the job analysis information.

6 Develop a job description and job specification.

Job Description and Job Specification in Job Analysis

Cont….

Job Description Job descriptions are written records of job duties and responsibilities and they provide a factual basis for job evaluation.

Job descriptions are recorded on a standard form in a uniform manner.

Writing Job Descriptions

JobIdentification

JobSummary

Responsibilities and Duties

Authority of the Incumbent

Standards of Performance

Working Conditions

JobSpecifications

Sections of a Typical Job Description

The Job Description Job Identification

Job title Preparation date Preparer

Job Summary General nature of the job Major functions/activities

Relationships Reports to: Supervises: Works with: Outside the company:

Responsibilities and Duties Major responsibilities and

duties (essential functions) Decision-making authority Direct supervision Budgetary limitations

Standards of Performance and Working Conditions What it takes to do the job

successfully

Writing Job Descriptions (cont’d)Step 1. Decide on a Plan

Step 2. Develop an Organization Chart

Step 3. Use a Job Analysis/Description Questionnaire

Step 4. Obtain Lists of Job Duties from O*NET

Step 5. Compile the Job’s Human Requirements from O*NET

Step 6. Complete Your Job Description

In addition to providing information about duties associated with job

assignments, job descriptions also outline basic specifications of the job.

Such specifications include

education or experience

special knowledge

skill sets

inter-personal skills

analytical ability

problem solving skills or decision making skill

Job Specifications

Writing Job Specifications

Specifications for Trained Versus

Untrained Personnel

Specifications Based on Statistical Analysis

“What traits and experience are required

to do this job well?”

Specifications Based on Judgment

Writing Job Specifications Steps in the Statistical Approach

Analyze the job and decide how to measure job performance.

Select personal traits that you believe should predict successful performance.

Test candidates for these traits.

Measure the candidates’ subsequent job performance.

Statistically analyze the relationship between the human traits and job performance.

Who Should Conduct the Job Analysis?

Part of the planning process involves choosing who will conduct the analysis Hire a temporary analyst from outside Employ a full-time job analyst Use supervisors, job incumbents, or a combination

Who Should Conduct the Job Analysis? Each choice has strengths and

weaknesses:Job incumbents know what work is actually being

done, rather than what is supposed to be done Involving incumbents might increase their

acceptance of any work changes resulting from the analysis

Incumbents tend to exaggerate the responsibilities and importance of their work

Who Should Conduct the Job Analysis? The choice of an analyst depends on such factors

as: The location and complexity of the jobs How receptive incumbents are to an external analyst The ultimate intended purpose of the analysis

Regardless of who collects the information, the individuals should: Thoroughly understand people, jobs, and the total

organizational system Understand how work should flow within the organization

Methods of Collecting Job Analysis Information: The Interview Information Sources

Individual employees

Groups of employees

Supervisors with knowledge of the job

Advantages Quick, direct way to find

overlooked information

Disadvantages Distorted information

Interview Formats Structured (Checklist)

Unstructured

Job Analysis: Interviewing Guidelines

Identify the workers who know the job best.

Quickly establish rapport

Follow a structured guide or checklist

Ask the worker to list his or her duties in order of importance and frequency of occurrence.

Review and verify the data.

Methods of Collecting Job Analysis Information: Questionnaires

Information Source Have employees fill out

questionnaires to describe their job-related duties and responsibilities

Questionnaire Formats Structured checklists Open-ended questions

Advantages Quick and efficient way to

gather information from large numbers of employees

Disadvantages Expense and time

consumed in preparing and testing the questionnaire

Questionnaires

To make a questionnaire easier to use: Keep it as short as possible Explain what the questionnaire is being used for Keep it simple Test the questionnaire before using it

Methods of Collecting Job Analysis Information: Observation Information Source

Observing and noting the physical activities of employees as they go about their jobs

Advantages Provides first-hand

information Reduces distortion of

information

Disadvantages Time consuming Difficulty in capturing entire

job cycle Of little use if job involves a

high level of mental activity

Observation

used for jobs that require manual, standardized, and short-job-cycle activities

Job analysts must be trained to: Observe relevant job behaviors Be as unobtrusive as possible

Methods of Collecting Job Analysis Information: Participant Diary/Logs Information Source

Workers keep a chronological diary/ log of what they do and the time spent on each activity

Advantages Produces a more complete

picture of the job

Employee participation

Disadvantages Distortion of information

Depends upon employees to accurately recall their activities

Which Method to Use? There is no agreement about which

methods of job analysis yield the best information Interviews should not be the sole data collection

method Certain methods may be better for a given situation

Most organizations base their choice on: The purpose of the analysis Time and budget constraints

Which Method to Use? Many organizations use a multi-methods job

analysis approach The analyst interviews incumbents and supervisors in

conjunction with on-site observation A task survey based on expert judgments is constructed

and administered A statistical analysis of the responses is conducted

Using a comprehensive process is relatively expensive and time-consuming The quality of information derived from a

comprehensive approach is strongly endorsed by courts

Specific Quantitative Techniques Three of the more popular quantitative

techniques: Functional job analysis Position analysis questionnaire Management position description

questionnaire

Functional Job Analysis Functional job analysis (FJA) is the result of 60

years of research on analyzing and describing jobs Conceived in the late 1940s Developed to improve job classifications in the Dictionary

of Occupational Titles (DOT)

DOT descriptions helped job analysts learn what was involved in a particular job FJA could then be used to elaborate and more thoroughly

describe the content of a job The goal was creating a common language for accurately

describing jobs

Functional Job Analysis FJA assumes jobs can be described in terms of

three basic relationships the worker has with the work: Physically relating to things Using mental resources to process data Interacting with people

Using behavioral terms, each relationship can be organized along a continuum of complexity Lowest to highest

Each job has a quantitative score Jobs with similar ratings can be assumed to be similar

Functional Job Analysis The Occupational Information Network

(O*NET) is replacing the DOT An internet accessible database It describes occupations, worker KSAOs, and

workplace requirements Is more user-friendly than the DOTReduced 12,000 occupations to just over 1,000Categorizes data into six groups known as the

O*NET Content Model

Functional Job AnalysisExperience Requirements Training Experience L icensing

•••

Worker Requirements Basic skills C ross-functional skills General knowledge Education

••••

Worker C haracteristics A bilities Interests and work values Work styles

•••

O c c u p a ti o n a l C h a r a c te r i st i c s L abor market information Occupational outlook Wages

•••

Occupational Requirements Generalized work activities Work context Organizational context

•••

Occupational Specific Requirements Occupational skills, tasks, and knowledge M achines, tools, and equipment

•

•

O * NET

Fig 6-4

Functional Job Analysis

Typical users of O*NET:Human resource professionals Career counselorsRecruitersTrainers and educators

Position Analysis Questionnaire The position analysis questionnaire (PAQ):

Was developed by researchers at Purdue University

Contains 195 items Requires considerable experience and a high

level of reading comprehension to complete properly

Is often filled out by a trained job analyst, who must decide whether each item applies to a particular job

Position Analysis Questionnaire

PAQ items are divided into six major sections: Information input Mental processesWork outputJob contextOther job characteristics

Position Analysis Questionnaire Computerized scoring of the PAQ is based on

seven dimensions: Decision making Communication Social responsibilities Performing skilled activities Being physically active Operating vehicles or equipment Processing information

The scores permit development of job profiles and job comparisons

Position Analysis Questionnaire

PAQ advantages: Has been widely used and researched Is an effective tool for a variety of purposes Is reliable, with little variance among job analysts’

ratings of the same jobs Is an effective way to establish differences in the

abilities required for jobs Is valid; jobs rated higher with the PAQ prove to be

those compensated at higher rates

Position Analysis Questionnaire PAQ disadvantages:

Requires time and patience to complete No specific work activities are described, so

behavioral activities performed in jobs may distort actual work task differences

Example: A typist and a ballet dancer may have similar profiles because both require fine motor skills

Ratings might represent the job analyst’s stereotype about the work, rather than actual differences among jobs

Management Position Description Questionnaire Conducting a job analysis for managerial jobs

is challenging because of: The disparity across positions Levels in the hierarchy The type of industry

An attempt to systematically analyze managerial jobs was conducted at Control Data Corporation The result is the management position description

questionnaire (MPDQ)

Management Position Description Questionnaire

The MPDQ is: A checklist of 208 items related to the

concerns and responsibilities of managers A comprehensive description of managerial

work Intended for use across most industrial

settings

Management Position Description Questionnaire

The latest version of the MPDQ has 15 sections:

General information Decision making

Planning, organizing Administering

Controlling Supervising

Consulting, innovating Contacts

Coordinating Representing

Monitoring business indicators

Overall ratings

Knowledge, skills, abilities Organization chart

Comments, reactions

Management Position Description Questionnaire

The common metric questionnaire (CMQ) is another method of quantitative job analysis It is completed by a job incumbent Questionnaire items require a lower reading level It is more behaviorally concrete, making it easier for

incumbents to rate their jobs It is applicable to exempt and nonexempt positions

Much research on job analysis is being conducted in Europe, focusing on alternative quantitative methods

Job Analysis in a “Jobless” World

JobEnlargement

Job Enrichment

Job Design:Specialization and

Efficiency?

Job Rotation

Job Analysis in a “Jobless” World (cont’d)

Flattening the Organization

Reengineering Business

Processes

Dejobbing the Organization

Using Self-Managed Work

Teams

Competency-Based Job Analysis Competencies

Demonstrable characteristics of a person that enable performance of a job.

Reasons for Competency-Based Job Analysis To support a high-performance work system. To create strategically-focused job descriptions. To support the performance management process in

fostering, measuring, and rewarding: General competencies Leadership competencies Technical competencies

Competency-Based Job Analysis (cont’d) How to Write Job Competencies-Based Job

Descriptions

Interview job incumbents and their supervisors

Ask open-ended questions about job responsibilities and activities.

Identify critical incidents that pinpoint success on the job.

Use off-the-shelf competencies databanks

Job Analysis

Job Descriptions

Job Specifications

CompensationDesigning

IndustrialRelations

PerformanceAppraisal

Setting Safetyand HealthStandards

Skills andCompetency

Mapping

Recruitment

HumanResourcePlanning

Selection

Training &Development

ManagementDevelopment

and Succession

Career Planningand

Development

Setting PerformanceStandards

(KRA/KPAs)

A central peripheral relational model of job analysis is given below:

The Vocabulary of Job Analysis

Definitions provided by the federal government: Job analysis: a purposeful, systematic process for

collecting information on the important work-related aspects of a job

Job description: the principal product of a job analysis. It represents a written summary of the job as an identifiable organizational unit

The Vocabulary of Job Analysis Job specification: a written explanation of the knowledge, skills,

abilities, traits, and other characteristics (KSAOs) necessary for effective performance on a given job

Tasks: Coordinated and aggregated series of work elements used to produce an output

Position: the responsibilities and duties performed by an individual. There are as many positions in an organization as there are employees

Job: group of positions that are similar in their duties, such as computer programmer

Job family: group of two or more jobs that have similar duties