Minnesota State University Moorhead



Job Analysis

Job analysis is the systematic study of a job's tasks, duties, and responsibilities, and the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the job. (Text)

General Purpose of JA

• Understand what the important tasks of the job are

• How are they are carried out

• What human attributes are necessary to carry them out successfully

Tasks are basic units of work that are directed toward specific job objectives. (Muchinsky, 2003) (Teaching, Research, Advising)

A Position is a set of tasks performed by a single employee. (I/O Psychology professor)

A Job is a set of similar positions in an organization. (Psychology professors)

A Job Family is a grouping of similar jobs in an organizations (Social Science Professors)

Key Job Analysis Products

• Job description - A detailed accounting of job tasks, procedures, responsibilities, and output.

• Job specification - Information about the physical, educational, and experiential qualities required to perform the job.

• Job evaluation - An assessment of the relative value of jobs for determining compensation.

• Performance criteria - Work and performance outcomes required by the job that serve as a basis for appraising successful job performance.

Other personnel uses of job analysis information

Typical Job Description Sections

• Job Title

• Brief summary

• Work activities or tasks

• Tools and equipment used

• Work context

• Work performance

• Compensation information

• Job Competencies or specifications

Job Title

• Describes the nature of the job

• Assists in employee selection and recruitment

• Affects perceptions of job worth and status

o Job evaluation results

o Employees feelings of personal worth

• Affects clarity of resumes

Brief Summary

• Useful for recruitment advertising

• Should be written in an easy to understand style

• Jargon and abbreviations should not be used

Work Activities

• Organize by dimensions

o Similar activities (teaching, research, advising)

o Similar KSAOs

o Temporal order

• Task statements

o List only one activity per statement

o Statements should be able to “stand alone”

o Should be written in an easy to understand style

o Use precise rather than general words

Tools and Equipment Used

Work Context

• Work schedule (ex. 9 to 5 M-F)

• Degree of supervision

• Ergonomic information

o Physical and Psychological Stress

o Indoors v. outdoors

o Lighting/heat/noise/physical space

o Clean v. dirty environment

o Standing/sitting/bending/lifting

Work Performance

• Describes how performance is evaluated

Compensation Information

Job Competencies or Specifications

• Common Names for this sections

o Job competencies

o Knowledge, skill, ability, and other characteristics (KSAOs)

o Job specifications

o Job qualifications

• Competencies should be separated

o Those needed before hire

o Those that can be learned after hire

General Job Analysis Methods

Job analysis methods include

• observation

• participation

• the use of existing data

• interviews

• surveys

• job diaries

Each method has strengths and weaknesses.

Specific Job Analysis Techniques

Job Elements Method – Primoff (1975)

• A broad approach to job analysis that focuses on the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) required to perform a particular job.

• Relies on subject matter experts (SMEs)

• Develop a list of key KSAO’s and rate them on several scales

• Useful for developing training programs and job descriptions

Functional Job Analysis developed by Sidney Fine in the 1950’s

Basis of the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (D.O.T) and now (O*Net)

Premise: all jobs can be described based on 3 dimensions or functions

• Data (information, knowledge, and ideas)

• People (clients, customers, co-workers)

• Things (machines, tools and equipment)

Functional job analysis is helpful when the job analyst must create job descriptions for a large number of positions.

Occupational Information Network (O*Net)

Electronic database system of occupational information

Six Major Database of information

Goals

• Identify occupational skill standards common to jobs

• Facilitate school-to-work transitions by linking educational programs to occupational standards

• Assisting laid-off workers in finding work and training

• Assisting employers in building high performance workplaces

Six Major Database of information

Experience Requirements (Training, Experience, Licensure)

• Worker Requirements (skills, knowledge, education)

• Worker Characteristics (abilities, values, interests, styles)

• Occupational Requirements (work context, org. context)

• Occupation-Specific Requirements (tasks, duties, occupational knowledge and skill, machine, tools and equipment)

• Occupational Characteristics (labor market outlook, wages)

Position Analysis Questionnaire (McCormick et al. 1969)

Widely used method and thoroughly researched

6 main dimensions (187 Items)

1. Information input (where and how the worker obtains information)

2. Mental processes (the kind of thinking and reasoning required)

3. Work output (the tasks and the tools needed)

4. Relationships with others (the kind of relationships and contacts needed)

5. Job context (the physical and/or social context)

6. Other (other relevant activities, conditions etc.)

Position Analysis Questionnaire

• Easy to use

• Cost effective

• Standardized

• Difficult to read for average employee

• Useful in job evaluation studies

The Critical incidents technique (CIT) records specific worker behaviors that have led to particularly successful or unsuccessful instances of job performance (Flanagan, 1954)

Job incumbents usually provide examples of critical incidents.

Useful for analyzing complex jobs (Anderson & Wilson, 1997)

Conclusions about Job Analysis

• Different methods are more useful for different purposes

• No one method is superior to all others

• A combination of methods leads to a more detailed, reliable and better analysis than using only one methods

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