JOB ANALYSIS and
HR PLANNING
Week 2
________________________
Agata Mirowska
DeGroote School of Business
McMaster University
1
Human Resource Strategies
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Planning HR
Attracting HR
Placing, Developing & Evaluating HR
Motivating and Rewarding HR
Maintaning high performance
What is a job?
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Job
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Tasks
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Group of related activities and duties
Made up of tasks
Basic elements of jobs
“what gets done”
Position
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Tasks and responsibilities performed by one
individual
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What is Job Analysis?

Job analysis (JA) systematically collects,
evaluates, and organizes information about
jobs
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JA identifies behaviours, knowledge, skills,
and abilities (KSAs) that are critical to a job
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In-Class Discussion
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Why is JA Important
What HR systems use JA Information
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What is the purpose of JA?
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JA lays the foundation for HRM systems:
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Selection
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Selection system developed to assess key KSAs
Ensures that it is job-related
Training
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Gaps in KSAs of new hires represent training needs
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What is the purpose of JA?
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Performance Appraisal
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Job analysis establishes performance standards
Compensation
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Relative worth of jobs measured via job evaluation
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What is the purpose of JA?
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JA helps you to select the right employee,
evaluate the employee fairly, compensate, and
train the appropriate skills to the appropriate
employees (in theory)

JA also ensures your system is legally
defensible and perceived as fair (procedural
justice)
Job Analysis Process
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Prepare for JA
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Collection of JA information
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Use of JA information
Steps in Job Analysis Process
Phase 1: Preparation for job analysis
1.
2.
3.
Familiarization with the organization and its jobs
Determine the uses of the JA information (selection,
training?)
Identify what jobs need to be analyzed
•
•
•
Critical to success of the organization
Difficult to learn
New technology
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Steps in Job Analysis Process
Phase 2: Collection of Information
1. Determine sources of job data

Human and nonhuman
2. Data collection instrument design
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Job analysis schedules
3. Choice of method for data collection
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Interviews
Mailed questionnaires
Employee log
Observation
Combinations
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Existing JA Methods(Instruments)
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Functional Job Analysis (FJA)
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Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)
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Critical Incident Technique (CIT)
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Functional Job Analysis (FJA)
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Fine & Wiley (1971)
Focuses on task statements
Task statements include:
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What? - What gets done (the action/behaviour)
To whom or what? - The object of the action
Why? - Purpose of the action
How? - What facilitates the action?
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Functional Job Analysis

Tasks are rated on scales reflecting varying
degrees of involvement with Things, Data,
and People as well as math, language, etc.
requirements
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Each scale is arranged hierarchically

E.g., People scale ranges from “taking
instructions” to “leadership”
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Position Analysis Questionnaire
(PAQ)
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McCormick (1972)
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Developed because of criticism that JA
relied on observation – not quantifiable
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Detailed questionnaire (194 tasks)
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Determines extent to which each task is
applicable to target job
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Using a 5-point scale
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Critical Incident Technique
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Flanagan (1949)
Identifies behaviours that indicate success or failure
on the job
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Effective vs ineffective behaviours
Critical Incidents include:
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Context - in which the incident occurred
Behaviour - exactly what the individual did that was
effective or ineffective
Consequences - of the behaviour and whether or not
consequences were in the employee’s control
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Developing Critical Incidents
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Interview those who are familiar with the job
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E.g., supervisors, subordinates, customers
Ask them to describe specific incidents of effective /
ineffective behaviour by incumbents of target job
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Incident context – What led up to the incident
(background)? What was the situation?
Behaviour – What exactly did the person do that was
effective / ineffective?
Consequence - What was the outcome of the behaviour?
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In-Class Exercise
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In groups, develop critical incidents for a
specific job with which you are familiar.
(Non-managerial preferred)
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Generate at least:
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3 incidents of effective behaviour and
3 incidents of ineffective behaviour
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Critical Incident Technique
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•
•
•
Think of someone who has been (in)effective in this
specific job.
Think of a specific incident that you saw occur that made
you think they were (in)effective
What were the circumstances surrounding the incident?
What was the situation?
What exactly did they do that was (in)effective?
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•
•
Make sure you are describing observable behaviour
What were the consequences of the behaviour?
Were the consequences due to the person’s behaviour?
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Phase 3: Use of Information
Job
Descriptions
Job
Specifications
Job Analysis
Information
Job
Design
Job
Performance
Standards
Phase 3: Use of Information
1. Job descriptions—Task requirements
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Statement that explains duties working conditions, etc. of a
job
2.Job specifications—Person requirements

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Statement of what a job demands of the incumbent
E.g., knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs) and other
characteristics required to perform job
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Phase 3: Use of Information
3.
Performance standards
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4.
Job Design
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What is expected of workers
JA may provide performance standards for job
Identify job duties, characteristics, and competences
Consider organizational, employee, environmental and
ergonomic factors
All of these uses become the foundation for various
HRM systems
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Job Characteristic Model
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Jobs that provide:
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Autonomy
Variety
Task identity
Feedback
Task significance
Lead to meaningfulness, responsibility and
knowledge of outcomes, leading to higher
motivation, job satisfaction and productivity
Job Specialization
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As work force becomes more educated and
affluent, seek accomplishment, recognition
and psychological growth
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Job rotation
Job enlargement
Job enrichment
Employee involvement and work teams
Competency-Based Alternative
 Alternative
to traditional job analysis
 Competencies
 Many
different definitions exist
 Any
knowledge, skills, trait, motive, attitude, value,
or other personal characteristic that is essential to
perform the job and that contributes to superior
performance and organizational success
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Competency Architecture
 Core
Competencies
 Apply
to all jobs in the organization
 Support organization’s mission
 E.g., trust, communication, team orientation, adaptability
 Functional
Competencies
 Apply
to a group of similar jobs
 E.g., customer service orientation
 Job-Specific
Competencies
 Apply
to all employees in the same job
 E.g., ability to operate cash register
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Why / When use Competency Models?
 Describe
job requirements in ways that extend
beyond the job itself
 More
future-oriented, more organization-focused
 Describe
and measure an organization’s
workforce in more general and comparable terms
 Increase
flexibility in staffing and job
assignments
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Competency: Team Orientation
INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR (behaviours)
• Recognizes that own success is linked to team success
• Supports team roles, norms, and decisions
• Speaks up when he/she feels the team is heading in the
wrong direction
• Seeks and maintains positive relationships with teams
and others outside of own group
• Keeps other informed of decisions and information that
may impact them
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Competency: Team Orientation
MANAGER (behaviours)
 Creates and monitors teams appropriate to meet
business objectives
 Sets clear expectations for teams
 Works to build commitment toward common goals
 Provides resources for team projects
 Recognizes team for contributions to goal
accomplishment
 Measures own success by team’s success
Break
Human Resource Planning

HR Planning systematically forecasts an
organization’s future demand for and supply of
employees and matches supply with demand.
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Involves
-Forecasting demand
-Forecasting supply
-Addressing labour shortages and surpluses
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HR Demand and Supply
Forecasting Demand
Forecasting Supply
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External
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Socio-political-legal
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Economic; Technological
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Competition
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External;
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Labour market analysis
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Community attitudes
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Demographic trends
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Organizational
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Organizational strategy
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Budgets; Sales forecasts
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New ventures; org/job
design
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Internal
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HR audit/Current
employees’ KSAs
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Succession planning
replacement charts
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Management inventories
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Workforce
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Retirements, resignations,
terminations, leaves of
absence
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Forecasting Techniques used to
Predict HR Demand
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Expert Forecasts
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Trend Projection Forecasts
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E.g. Informal and formal survey
E.g. Statistical analysis
Other Forecasting Methods
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Budget and planning analysis
New-venture analysis
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When is there a mismatch between
Supply and Demand?
Strategies to Match Supply and
Demand for HR
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Strategies for a Loose Labour Market
(Oversupply)
- hiring freeze
- job sharing/job splitting
- internal transfers
- layoffs, terminations, outplacements
- leave without pay
- loaning or flexforce
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Matching Strategies cont…
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Strategies for a Tight Labour Market
(Shortage)
- overtime
- PT, contingent, contract workers
- temporary employment agencies
- employee leasing
- transfers
- hiring FT workers
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Emerging Work Options &
Arrangements
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Shorter work week
Flextime
Flexiplace
Telecommuting
Virtual organizations
Just-in-Time Employees
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Strategic Issues re: HR Planning
1.
Must know organization’s short and longterm goals
2.
Different organizational strategies require
different human resource plans
3.
Human resource planning facilitates
proactive response to environmental and
legal challenges
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Strategic Issues re: HR Planning
4.
5.
An organization’s tactical plans must be
aligned with HR plans
Alignment between organizational and HR
plans provides basis for timely and effective
recruitment and selection.
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Questions / Comments ?
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