Job Analysis Lecture #2. Fall 2008Management 412 | Job AnalysisPage 2 Job Analysis Why analyze jobs? What is a job? Job analysis The end result: the job

Job Analysis

Lecture #2

Fall 2008Management 412 | Job AnalysisPage 2

Job Analysis

• Why analyze jobs?• What is a job?• Job analysis• The end result: the job description


Why Analyze Jobs?

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PayPay

Performance

Management

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TrainingTraining

PlanningPlanningJobAnalysis


What is Job Analysis?

• “The systematic process of collecting relevant, work-related information related to the nature of a specific job”

• Job analysis includes information about:• Tasks• Job skills or KSAOs• Physical setting and job demands• Performance behaviors


Job Analysis: Purpose

• Describe the job as it is• Focus on “standard” or “adequate” level of job

performance

• Designed to support HR functions• Level of analysis

• Focus is on describing each job, one by one• Some aggregation to job families, but not necessary

• Type of information gathered• Can range from very general to very specific• Normally quite specific


Job Analysis: Procedures

• Information gathered• Job tasks• Job skills (KSAO’s)• Performance behaviors (possibly)

• How gathered (by HR staff or operating managers)• Observation• Interview• Questionnaire• Other documentation (industry materials, procedure

manuals, etc.)• O*Net


Sample Job Tasks

• Provides information to patient or patient family members regarding diagnostic or care procedures or surgery.

• Maintains and repairs warehouse equipment, such as forklifts and pallet jacks.

• Determines caller needs and refers call to the appropriate department.

• Makes work assignments to employees and follows up to ensure work is completed on a timely basis.


KSAOsKnowledge: “An organized body of information, usually of a factual or procedural nature, which, if applied, makes job performance possible.”

Knowledge of rules of spelling, grammar and punctuation as might be acquired through graduation from high school.

Skills: “The proficient manual, verbal, or mental manipulation of people, ideas, or things”

Skill in operating computer peripherals such as printers.

Abilities: “The present power to perform a job function, to carry through with the activity while applying or using the associated knowledge”

Ability to lift and move patients up to 250 pounds.

Other: Physical abilities, traits, miscellaneous requirements.

Color vision; possession of a valid driver’s license


What is a Job?

• Position• The collection of duties and responsibilities

held by a single incumbent

• Job• A group of positions with generally similar

duties and responsibilities

• Job families• Aggregations or groups of similar jobs or

occupations


Job Families: Example

S ecretaria land R ecep tion

Teller

Susan Sm ithPurchasing

D eterm ine tota l am ount of m onthly insurance prem ium s

Verify and pay invoicesfrom tem porary agencies

C alculate em ployeewages from tim ecards

Ann G reenH um an R esources

Ed JonesMaintenance

B ookkeeper B udg et C lerk

A ccounting andB ookkeep ing

S hipp ing andW arehouse

C lerica l Job s


Job Analysis: End Results

• Narrative job descriptions• Typically filed away and referred

to only as needed• Rarely updated or revised

• Statistical display (less frequently)


Writing Job Descriptions

• Organizational information• Job summary• Job tasks• Required KSAOs or minimum

qualifications


Organizational Information

• Identifying information useful for the organization:• Position and / or job

title• Job family• Job code, salary grade• Supervisor’s title• Unit, department,

location• Date of description,

approval

• Other information for HR purposes:• Interpersonal

demands• Supervision given

/received• Scope of

responsibilities• Physical demands


The RN is responsible for providing nursing care to patients admitted to the unit, utilizing the nursing processes of assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation, in accordance with professional standards and hospital standards of patient care.

Job Summary

• A brief statement giving the purpose of the job and its major responsibilities. It should be, at most, one to two sentences long, but should include enough information to distinguish this job from other jobs. The job summary should tell the reader the job's purpose; that is, why the job exists.


Job Tasks

• A terse, direct style, using the present tense, should be used.

• The statement should start with an action verb which describes an action required of the individual.

• Task statements normally should not include multiple action verbs unless the several actions are invariably performed together.

• Each item should refer to a "whole" task which "makes sense.”

• Statement terminology and vocabulary should be at the level of the intended users.


Looking at Task Statements

• To clarify and evaluate task statements you should ask:• Who is doing this action?• What is the action?• Who or what is the object of the action?• Why is it being done?• How is the action done?

What is the action?What is the object?Why is it being done?How is the action done?

Sortscorrespondence, forms, and reportsto facilitate filing themalphabetically.


Moving From Tasks to Job Skills

• What is the difference between a good and a poor employee?

• Why can some employees perform the task better than others?

• Think of examples of good and poor performance; what made the difference?

• What does a person need to know to perform the task?

• If you were to hire an employee to perform the task, what would you look for?


Writing Job Skill Statements

• Avoid simply restating the task statement• Each statement must describe a separate skill• When describing the degree of possession

needed, be specific• Avoid trait references• Skills must be measurable• Balance specificity and generality• Avoid trivial skills• Include the source of the skill when possible


Job Skills vs. Minimum Qualifications

• Job skills• All KSAOs needed to perform job• Some knowledge or skill may be

acquired after incumbent begins job

• Minimum qualifications (MQs)• Only those KSAOs necessary to begin

the job• Typically part of selection specifications


Competency Modeling

• What is “competency modeling”?• Why does it matter?• Competency modeling vs.

traditional job analysis• Examples


Competency Modeling

• Development of sets or groups of competencies

• Applied to all HRM activities• In order to increase organizational

effectiveness


Roots and Origins

• Traditional job analysis• Viewed by most as an unwanted stepchild• Typically “owned” by HR• Necessary for HR activities, but no linkage

to overall organizational effectiveness• Competency modeling

• Idea of “core competencies”• More pressure on organizations to develop

HR tools to increase effectiveness• Linkage between people and performance


Competency Models: Purpose

• Collect information on knowledge, skills, and personal characteristics associated with high levels of performance

• Use information to support management of people (not just traditional HR functions)


Defining Competencies

• “A knowledge, skill, ability, or characteristic associated with high performance on a job” (Mirabile, 1997)

• “A cluster of related knowledge, attitudes and skills that affect a major part of one’s job” (Parry, 1998)

• “A description of measurable work habits and personal skills used to achieve a work objective” (Green, 1999)

• “Measurable, occupationally relevant, and behaviorally based characteristics or capabilities of people” (Schippmann, 1999)


Behaviors: 3M Example

Competency: Global Perspective.• Respects, values, and leverages other customs, cultures and

values. Uses a global management team to better understand and grow the total business; bale to leverage the benefits from working in multicultural environments.

• Optimizes and integrates resources on a global basis, including manufacturing, research, and business across countries, and functions to increase 3M’s growth and profitability.

• Satisfies global customers and markets from anywhere in the world.

• Actively stays current on world economies, trade issues, international market trends and opportunities.


Competency Models: General Approach

• Research based• Based on what is actually done now• Closest to traditional job analysis

• Strategy based• Where are we going and how do we get

there?• Linked to business strategy

• Values based• Based on intangibles• Danger of falling into vague traits and styles


Competency Models: Procedures

• Often begin with a pre-packaged or off-the-shelf package

• In some cases, it stops there……• Better to begin with existing

knowledge, then involve broad range of organization members in tailoring to the organization


Competency Models: End Results

• Types of competencies• “Can-do” (time management)• “Will-do” (learning to say “No”)

• Information for:• Selection• Employee development (individual

and bench-strength)• Performance management


Good Competency Models….

• Are used• Rooted in company mission and values

(but are still measurable)• Linked to core competencies• Use language and terms understood

throughout the organization• Generalizable across occupational

groups, yet specific enough to satisfy legal requirements


Examples

3M Inspiring Others

Positively affects the behavior of others, motivating them to achieve personal satisfaction and high performance through a sense of purpose and spirit of cooperation. Leads by example

AT & T Adaptability Keeps current in areas important to the business; is open to and invites ideas, new information, and diverse perspectives

FedEx Interaction Able to communicate with customers in a timely and helpful manner; give priority to the customers needs over all other aspects of work; thanks customer for the opportunity to serve


Linkage to Organization Strategy and Core Competencies

Competencies(Required)

Work Activities Work Context

OrganizationalVision

Competitive Strategy(Core Competencies)

Strategic BusinessInitiatives

Source: Schippmann, 1999


The Future….

• Metacompetencies (Briscoe & Hall, 1999)• The competencies that allow a person to learn

and acquire more competencies• “Adaptability,“ or the ability to learn and

change• “Self-Awareness”, or willingness to internalize

and use learning• Increased methodological rigor and detail

• For example, competencies by business unit• Expert systems• Nowhere….

Documents

Job Analysis Lecture #2. Fall 2008Management 412 | Job AnalysisPage 2 Job Analysis Why analyze jobs? What is a job? Job analysis The end result: the job