JOB ANALYSIS
and
HR PLANNING
________________________
Dr. Teal McAteer-Early
Michael G. DeGroote School of Business
McMaster University
Week 2
1
What is a job?
• Job
– Group of related activities and duties
– Made up of tasks
• Tasks
– Basic elements of jobs
– “what gets done”
2
What is Job Analysis?
• Job analysis (JA) systematically collects,
evaluates, and organizes information
about jobs
• JA identifies behaviours, knowledge, skills,
and abilities (KSAs) that are critical to a
job
3
What is the purpose of JA?
• JA lays the foundation for HRM systems:
– Selection
• Selection system developed to assess key KSAs
• Ensures that it is job-related
– Training
• Gaps in KSAs of new hires represent training
needs
– Performance Appraisal
• Job analysis establishes performance standards
4
What is the purpose of JA?
– Compensation
• Relative worth of jobs measured via job evaluation
• JA helps you to select the right ee, evaluate the
ee fairly, compensate, and train the appropriate
skills to the appropriate ees
• JA also ensures your system is legally
defensible and perceived as fair (procedural
justice)
5
Steps in Job Analysis Process
• Phase 1: Preparation for job analysis
1. Familiarization with the organization and its
jobs
2. Determine the uses of the JA information
(selection, training?)
3. Identify what jobs need to be analyzed
•
•
•
Critical to success of the organization
Difficult to learn
New technology
6
Steps in Job Analysis Process
Phase 2: Collection of JA
information
1. Source of Job Data
– Job incumbents, supervisors, subordinates,
customers
– Existing job descriptions
– Manuals, publications
– National Occupational Classification
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Steps in Job Analysis Process
Phase 2: Collection of JA
information
2. Data collection instrument design
–
–
–
–
Gather information systematically
Often involves questionnaire, checklist
Use same questionnaire for similar jobs
Different jobs may require different
instrument
• Information gathered:
– Status, key duties/tasks, KSAs, working
conditions, performance standards
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Steps in Job Analysis Process
Phase 2: Collection of JA
information
3. Data collection method
–
–
–
–
–
–
Face-to-face interviews
Questionnaires
Employee log/diary
Observation
Combination of above
No “best” approach
• Trade-offs re: accuracy, time, and cost
9
Existing JA Methods
• Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)
• Functional Job Analysis (FJA)
• Critical Incident Technique (CIT)
10
Position Analysis Questionnaire
(PAQ)
• McCormick (1972)
• Developed because of criticism that JA
relied on observation – not quantifiable
• Detailed questionnaire (194 tasks)
• Determines extent to which each task is
applicable to target job
– Using a 5-point scale
11
Functional Job Analysis (FJA)
• Fine & Wiley (1971)
• Focuses on task statements
• Task statements include:
– 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
• Each scale is arranged hierarchically
– E.g., People scale ranges from “taking
instructions” to “leadership”
13
Critical Incident Technique
• Flanagan (1949)
• Identifies behaviours that indicate success or
failure on the job
– Effective vs ineffective behaviours
• Critical Incidents include:
– 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
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consequences were in the employee’s control
Developing Critical Incidents
• Interview with people familiar with the job
– E.g., supervisors, subordinates, customers
• Ask them to describe specific incidents of
effective / ineffective behaviour by incumbents of
target job
– 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
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behaviour?
Using Critical Incidents
• Critical incidents are collected
• Critical incidents that are similar in
context are grouped into a behavioural
item
– 2 critical incidents
1. Rewarding employees for good performance
2. Publicly praising for good performance
• Could be grouped into a behavioural item
“Praise/reward subordinates for effective
performance”
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Using Critical Incidents
• Similar behavioural items are grouped
into a meaningful behavioural criterion
– 2 behavioural items
1. “Praise/reward employees…”
2. “Counselling, giving advice to subordinates”
• Combine to form the behavioural criterion
“Interactions with subordinates”
• These form basis of selection system
(e.g., interview), performance appraisal
instrument, etc.
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Steps in Job Analysis Process
Phase 3: Uses of JA information
1. Job descriptions—Task requirements
– Statement that explains duties working conditions,
etc. of a job
2. Job specifications—Person requirements
– 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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Steps in Job Analysis Process
Phase 3: Uses of JA information
3. Performance standards
– What is expected of workers
– JA may provide performance standards for job
where performance is readily quantified,
measurable, etc.
– May need to be augmented – e.g., participative goalsetting
•
All of these uses form foundation for various
HRM systems
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In-Class Exercise
• In groups, develop critical incidents for
university instructors
• Generate at least:
– 3 incidents of effective behaviour and
– 3 incidents of ineffective behaviour
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Critical Incident Technique
• Think about instructors you have had over the
last 12 months:
– Without telling me the name, think of someone who
has been (in)effective in the role of instructor.
– 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?
• 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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Human Resource Planning
• HR Planning systematically forecasts an
organization’s future demand for and supply of
employees and matches supply with demand.
• Involves
-Forecasting demand
-Forecasting supply
-Addressing labour shortages and surpluses
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HR Demand and Supply
Forecasting Demand
Forecasting Supply
• External
• External;
– Socio-political
– Competition
• Organizational
– Organizational strategy
– Sales forecast
• Workforce
– Labour market analysis
– Demographics
• Internal
– HR audit/Current
employees KSAs
– Succession planning
replacement charts
– Retirements, resignations,
terminations
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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. An organization’s tactical plans must be
aligned with HR plans
5. Alignment between organizational and HR
plans provides basis for timely and
effective recruitment and selection.
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