Job Analysis
Kelly Quirin
Penn State University
February 19, 2001
Overview
• What is job analysis?
• How can you use this tool in your
organization?
• Methods of job analysis
• How it works
• Real world example
• An exercise
• Summary
What is job analysis?
• A systematic approach to
collect information about a job
such as tasks, responsibilities
and the skills required to
perform those tasks
• An important part of Human
Resources (HR) planning
How can it be used in
your organization?
• Job analysis assists HR in
determining:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Necessity of the job
Equipment needed
Skills required
Supervision
Working conditions
Management/employee interaction
How can it be used in
your organization?
• Recruiting
– Keyword searches on resumes that
match job requirements
•
•
•
•
Selection
Appraisal
Salaries and Incentives
Training and Development
The Multifaceted Nature
of the Job Analysis
Labor Relations
Safety and
Health
Recruiting
Job Analysis
Job Description
Compensate
Performance
Appraisal
Job Specifications
Career
Development
Selection
*DeCenzo and
Robbins, p.
145
Strategic
HR
Planning
Employee
Training
Employee
Development
How can it be used in
your organization?
• Job analysis can also:
– Help the company remain profitable
and competitive
– Help the company keep up with
technology
– Prevent employees from being
overworked
– Help the company stay
in compliance with
government regulations
Nuts and bolts
• What is analyzed?
– Work activities
– Working conditions
• Supervisors
• Location
• Schedule
– Machines and equipment
Nuts and bolts
• What is analyzed? (cntd.)
– Job performance
• Operations
• Standards
• Time
– Experience, training, and skills
– Supervision and promotion
patterns
– Products/services completed
Nuts and Bolts
• Who is involved in the job
analysis?
–
–
–
–
–
–
Management
Supervisors
Job analysts
Job incumbent
Unions
Consultants
Methods of Job Analysis
• Observation
• Interview
– Individual
– Group
• Questionnaires
– PAQ
• Diary
• Technical Conference
• Critical Incident Technique
Methods of Job Analysis
• Observation Method
– Analyst observes incumbent
• Directly
• Videotape
– Useful when job is fairly routine
– Workers may not perform to
expectations
Methods of Job Analysis
• Interview Method
– Individual
• Several workers are interviewed
individually
• The answers are consolidated into a
single job analysis
– Group
• Employees are interviewed
simultaneously
• Group conflict may cause this method
to be ineffective
Methods of Job Analysis
• Questionnaires
– Employees answer questions about
the job’s tasks and responsibilities
– Each question is answered using a
scale that rates the importance of
each task
Methods of Job Analysis
• Questionnaires (ctnd.)
– Position Analysis Questionnaire
(PAQ)
• A structured, behavioral questionnaire
• 194 items in 6 categories
–
–
–
–
–
–
Information input
Mental processes
Work output
Relationships
Job context
Other characteristics
Methods of Job Analysis
• Diary Method
– Employees record information into
diaries of their daily tasks
• Record the time it takes to complete
tasks
– Must be over a period of several
weeks or months
Methods of Job Analysis
• Technical Conference Method
– Uses experts to gather information
about job characteristics
Methods of Job Analysis
• Critical Incident Technique (CIT)
– Takes past incidents of good and
bad behavior
– Organizes incidents into categories
that match the job they are related
to
• Involves 4 steps
Methods of Job Analysis
• CIT steps
– Brainstorm and create lists of
dimensions of job behaviors
– List examples of effective and
ineffective behavior for each
dimension
– Form a group consensus on
whether each incident is
appropriately categorized
– Rate each incident according to its
value to the company
How It Works
• Conducting the job analysis
– Know the purpose
– Gather Information about jobs to
be analyzed
• Books
• Charts
• Trade union literature
• Government agency literature
– Use employee input
How It Works
• Conducting the job analysis
(ctnd.)
– Choose an efficient method of
collecting information
– Gather information from
employee/supervisor about the job
– Draft a job description
– Obtain supervisor approval
A Real World Example
• The Department of Labor
– Job analyst uses observation and
interview methods to gather
information about an employee
– Information organized into 3
categories
• Data
• People
• Things
A Real World Example
Work Functions
Data
People
Things
0.
Synthesizing
0. Mentoring
0. Setting up
•
Coordinating
1. Negotiating
1. Precision work
•
Analyzing
2. Instructing
2. Operating
•
Compiling
3. Supervision
3. Driving
•
Computing
4. Diverting
4. Manipulating
•
Copying
5. Persuading
5. Tending
•
Comparing
6. Speaking
6. Feeding
7. Serving
7. Handling
*U.S. Department of Labor, Dictionary of
Occupational Titles, 4th ed. Revised
(Washington, D.C.: Government Printing
Office, 1991), p.xix.
8. Helping
A Real World Example
• Job titles are listed in the
Dictionary of Occupational Titles
• Each job is given a code
– Ex. A recruiter might be assigned
the code 2, 6, 7 if the job entails
analyzing data (2), speaking to
people (6), and handling different
things (7)
• See previous table
An Exercise
• Bruce Spuhler, customer service
manager at BGS Sports, wants
to conduct a job analysis on how
his employees interact with
customers and other employees.
• What steps should Bruce take to
implement a successful job
analysis, and what method
should he use to analyze his
employees?
An Exercise
• Possible Answer:
1. Determine the Purpose- to
reinforce good behavior among
employees and provide better
customer service
2. Gather as much information as
possible about retail and
customer service, including past
experiences with customers
An Exercise
3. Choose best method of job
analysis
-Critical Incident Technique
-This would allow Bruce to
discuss with his employees past
incidents and whether they were
effective or not
-Assign values of effectiveness
4. Gather information from workers
and other managers about the job
An Exercise
5. Draft a behavioral job
description
6. Identify areas that need
improvement, and implement
training programs to improve
those areas
Summary
• Job analysis is an effective
approach to gathering
information about jobs
• There are 6 popular techniques
to conducting job analyses
• Job analysis is directly related
to nearly every function of
Human Resource departments in
organizations
References
Cascio, Wayne F. Managing Human Resources. New
York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1992.
DeCenzo, David A. and Stephen P. Robbins. Human
Resource Management. New York: John Wiley & Sons,
1999.
Gomez-Mejia, Luis R. and David B. Balkin. Managing
Human Resources. Upper Saddle River: Prentice- Hall,
Inc., 2001.
U.S. Department of Labor. Dictionary of Occupational
Titles, 4th ed. Revised (Washington, D.C.: Government
Printing Office, 1991), p. xix.