Worksheet

Job Analysis Definition and Concepts

____(1)____ is a systematic way to gather and analyze information about the content and human requirements of jobs and the context in which jobs are performed. (In most cases, the best source of job analysis information in the incumbent employee population because they know what actually is done on the job; supervisors might thing, but not know, what their employees actually do on the job.)
A ____(2)____, or occupation, is a grouping of similar positions having common tasks, duties, and responsibilities.
A ____(3)____ is a grouping of jobs having similar characteristics.
A ____(4)____ is a larger work segment, or work function, composed of several tasks that are performed by individuals within their job assignments.
A ____(5)____ is a collection of tasks, duties and responsibilities performed by one person; oftentimes it is seen as a “slot” within the organizational structure.
____(6)____ are obligations to perform certain tasks and duties; oftentimes seen as the extent to which the organization depends on successful completion of the duties assigned.
____(7)____ refers to organizing the tasks, duties and responsibilities into a unit of work. (A key aim for job design is to provide individuals meaningful work that fits effectively into the organization’s workflow.)
____(8)____ state the tasks, duties and responsibilities of a job and are usually presented in written form. (There is no legal requirement to prepare or use job descriptions.)
____(9)____ present the knowledge, skills, abilities and other attributes that an individual needs to satisfactorily perform work activities.

ü Typically include such elements as: education and experience required by the job, work skill requirements, personal abilities, mental and physical requirements of the job, and any other appropriate aspects of the work environment.

____(10)____ indicate what the job accomplishes and what performance is considered “satisfactory” in each area of the job description.

Job Analysis Responsibilities

HR unit personnel usually write the actual job description, based on input from incumbent employees and supervisor(s).
Operational unit line managers (supervisors) are responsible for identifying performance standards, based on the analysis information. Managers also request new job analyses as jobs change.

Conducting the Job Analysis

Job analysis activities work best with more stable, traditional jobs. For jobs that are constantly changing because of evolving work environments, job analysis activities may be used to identify core competencies necessary to perform tasks related to job family involved. (In these circumstances, many idiosyncratic jobs may evolve in which individualized position descriptions may be more helpful than traditional job descriptions.)
Job analysis can be a threatening experience for both managers and employees, in part because job analysis activities can identify the difference between what currently is being performed in a job and what should be done.
Because job analysis information is often used for compensation purposes, employers and managers have a tendency to inflate the importance of their jobs.
One problem that occurs when conducting job analyses is that there tends to be an over-emphasis placed on the current employees. (Analysis must take into consider that the current incumbents’ job qualifications will likely exceed the minimum KASO required to perform the job satisfactorily.)
To provide management with flexibility in delegating work assignments, many job descriptions contain a miscellaneous clause, which is oftentimes called “other duties as assigned.” (This practice is fine, but, as a general rule, “other duties” should not exceed more than 20% of the work activities for more than 30 days.)
For “virtual jobs” performed by individuals shifting from project to project or working on cross-functional teams that change frequently, the job analysis must focus on the competencies required and how the KASO of the individuals are assessed and maintained.

Job Analysis Methods

Job analysis data can be gathered using several different methods; in virtually all cases multiple techniques should be used. Common methods include: observations, interviews, questionnaires, and focus groups.
The most common method for conducting job analysis is ____(11)____; however, it is limited because many jobs do not have complete and/or readily observable work cycles. (The work ____(12)____ type of observation determines the content and pace of a typical workday through statistical sampling of certain actions.)

· Focus group techniques work best when there is a moderate level of disagreement among the incumbents, making the job difficult to clearly define.

· Time/motion studies, algorithms, critical incident reports, and Delphi techniques may also be used in appropriate cases. (Delphi works best when there is a high level of disagreement among incumbents.)

The major advantage of the ____(31)____ method is that information on a large number of positions and jobs can be collected inexpensively and in a short period of time.

ü The ____(14)____ method is used by the Department of Labor (DOL) and examines data, people, and things.

o The Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) is a standardized data source provided by the DOL and is based on ___(15)___ methodology.

o The DOT is a good starting point for HR professionals when they are confronted with preparing a large number of job descriptions.

o The on-line version of the DOT is known as the O-net.

ü The ____(16)____ is a proprietary instrument that focuses on worker-oriented elements that describe behaviors necessary to do the job. The PAQ is very comprehensive and fits in most work environments, but is a little on the expensive for many organizations.

· Computerized job analyses reduce much of the time and effort involved in writing job descriptions, but are likely to require more training time and higher initial budget requirements than more traditional approaches.

Job Description Elements

The ____(17)____ section of the job descriptions provides the job title, reporting relationships, department location, job code identification numbers and date of analysis completion. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) exemption status may also be stated in this section.
The ____(18)____ provides a two or three sentence general description of the primary duties and responsibilities assigned within the job.
The ____(19)____ section contains clear and concise statements of the major duties, tasks and responsibilities performed through assigned work activities. (To the extent possible, clear work outcomes and minimal performance standards should be provided within the statements.)
The ____(20)____ section should clearly identify knowledge, skills, abilities, including physical and mental dimensions, and other attributes that an individual needs to satisfactorily perform work activities.

Legal Implications of Job Analysis

The Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures make it clear that the HR requirements used in making personnel decisions must be tied to specific job factors if employers are to defend their actions in court as being job-related (and having “content validity”); therefore, job analysis provides the foundation for most of the HR functional activities (i.e., recruiting, selection, career planning, training, compensation, labor relations, occupational safety and heath, etc.)
Pay equity issues focus on job analysis to compare male- and female- dominated jobs.
In light of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers are now placing increased emphasis on developing and maintaining current and accurate job descriptions, including the essential job functions.

ü Because of the ADA, many organizations have revised their job specifications to increase the supervisors’ flexibility in assigning work and creating “reasonable accommodations” for qualifying individuals with disabilities.

ü The job specifications section should clearly identify the physical and mental dimensions of the job if the job description is to meet ADA standards.