Strategic Staffing, 2e (Phillips/Gully)

Chapter 4 Strategic Job Analysis and Competency Modeling

1) Formal job descriptions are best for young organizations that need flexible employees.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 85
Skill: Concept
Objective: 1

2) Jobs performed in a consistent, predictable manner are easiest to analyze.

Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 86
Skill: Concept
Objective: 2

3) The same job analysis techniques can be used effectively for staffing, compensation, and
training purposes.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 87
Skill: Concept
Objective: 2

4) Analyzing the requirements of a job as it exists today is a future-oriented job analysis.

Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 88
Skill: Concept
Objective: 2

5) Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, if a disabled applicant can perform the essential
functions of a job with reasonable accommodation, but cannot perform some of the job's
desirable criteria, they must be considered for the position.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 88
Skill: Concept
Objective: 2

6) Desirable criteria are those that may enhance the new hire's job performance, but are not
essential to adequate job performance.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 90
Skill: Concept
Objective: 3

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7) The critical incidents technique of job analysis is a method that identifies extremely effective
and ineffective behaviors by documenting critical incidents that have occurred on the job.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 91
Skill: Concept
Objective: 4

8) Reliability and applicability are the two most important feature of any job analysis method.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 91
Skill: Concept
Objective: 4

9) In a deductive job analysis, the job duties and sometimes even the work tasks have already
been determined.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 94
Skill: Concept
Objective: 5

10) In an inductive job analysis, the main job duties and work tasks have been determined
beforehand.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 94
Skill: Concept
Objective: 5

11) A job family description provides a quick overview of the job family that contains dissimilar
jobs.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 95
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6

12) A job duty is an observable unit of work with a beginning and an end.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 100
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6

13) Competency modeling is a job analysis method that identifies the necessary worker
competencies for high performance.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 105
Skill: Concept
Objective: 4

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14) Pay is an example of an extrinsic reward.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 107
Skill: Concept
Objective: 4

15) A reward's differential refers to the uniqueness of the reward.

Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 108
Skill: Concept
Objective: 4

16) A formal group or cluster of tasks is a ________.

A) job analysis
B) job family
C) person specification
D) job
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 85
Skill: Concept
Objective: 1

17) A systematic process of identifying and describing the important aspects of a job and the
characteristic a worker needs to perform the job well is a ________.
A) legal audit
B) job analysis
C) bona fide occupational qualification
D) job specification
Answer: B
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 86
Skill: Concept
Objective: 2

18) A job analysis ________.

A) establishes hiring quotas for different protected groups
B) ensures that equal numbers of all protected groups are in a firm's workforce
C) determines a job's entry requirements
D) is generated by an affirmative action plan
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 86
Skill: Concept
Objective: 3

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19) A job analysis that produces a valid selection system identifies characteristics in candidates
that ________.
A) can be easily replaced
B) are not easily learned on the job
C) are easily manipulated
D) can ensure efficiency and low cost at the same time
Answer: B
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 87
Skill: Application
Objective: 2
AACSB: Concept

20) If the job of a loader exists to load packages on delivery trucks, the ability to safely lift and
load packages onto a truck is a(n) ________.
A) job description
B) desirable criteria
C) job grade
D) essential function
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 88
Skill: Application
Objective: 2
AACSB: Analytic skills

21) One of the components of job-worker match is matching ________.

A) current and future job tasks and responsibilities with market pay levels
B) current and future job tasks and responsibilities with worker needs, motivations, and values
C) current and future job tasks and responsibilities with worker competencies
D) current and future job tasks and responsibilities with worker availability in the job market
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 88
Skill: Concept
Objective: 2

22) A summary of the characteristics of someone able to perform the job well is a ________.
A) job requisition
B) job analysis
C) job description
D) person specification
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 90
Skill: Concept
Objective: 3

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23) Job candidate characteristics that are critical to the adequate performance of a new hire are
called ________.
A) tangential elements
B) essential criteria
C) desirable criteria
D) trainable criteria
Answer: B
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 90
Skill: Concept
Objective: 3

24) The job analysis technique that identifies behaviors that lead to extremely effective or
extremely ineffective job performance is ________.
A) task inventory method
B) job elements method
C) critical incidents method
D) structured interview method
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 91
Skill: Concept
Objective: 4

25) A job analysis tool used to identify the behaviors that differentiate extremely effective from
ineffective job performance is ________.
A) the PAQ
B) O*NET
C) critical incidents
D) job rewards analysis
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 91
Skill: Concept
Objective: 4

26) The job analysis method that uses expert brainstorming sessions to identify the
characteristics of successful workers is the ________.
A) task inventory method
B) job elements method
C) critical incidents method
D) structured interview method
Answer: B
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 91
Skill: Concept
Objective: 4

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27) Alex and Jane are the best economists that FlexMoney Inc., a consulting firm, has. However,
FlexMoney is in urgent need to hire more economists and Alex and Jane are told to come up with
all the criteria that they think will influence the ability to succeed in this field. This should give
the higher management a good idea of the nature of the job and the kind of people they should be
looking to hire. Which job analysis method is being used by FlexMoney?
A) task inventory method
B) job elements method
C) critical incidents method
D) position Analysis Questionnaire method
Answer: B
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 92
Skill: Application
Objective: 4
AACSB: Analytic skills

28) Which of the following are advantages of using structured questionnaires for job analysis?
A) speed and low reading level
B) standardization and low reading level
C) standardization and the ability to capture unique aspects of the job
D) speed and low cost
Answer: D
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 92
Skill: Concept
Objective: 4

29) Which of the following is a disadvantage of using the task inventory job analysis method?
A) inability to distinguish superior from average workers
B) lack of objectivity
C) lack the ability to fit unique needs of the organization
D) relatively small amount of data is collected
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 92
Skill: Concept
Objective: 4

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30) Which of the following arguments about job analysis is most effective in order to gain the
support of top managers?
A) Multiple approaches to job analysis can be combined to address the limitations of any single
approach.
B) The process will help identify employee characteristics that will augment the firm's business
strategy and increase the company's return on its staffing investment.
C) It is not uncommon for the job experts doing the analysis to try to color the job analyst's
interpretation of the job to suit their personal goals and needs.
D) By adequately planning and preparing for the job analysis, the results are likely to be more
accurate and useful, and the job analysis should take less time and effort.
Answer: B
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 94
Skill: Concept
Objective: 5

31) When the main job duties are established, a(n) ________ job analysis would be required.
A) inductive
B) deductive
C) reactive
D) idiosyncratic
Answer: B
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 94
Skill: Concept
Objective: 5

32) Phoebe Johnson is a senior HR executive at CarMakers Corp. She has been informed that the
company needs to five hire line workers for their Kingston plant. Phoebe decides to go down to
the plant to get a better idea of the work. She speaks to the line workers there and gets firsthand
information about the important aspects of the job involved. Phoebe is using the ________
method to collect information.
A) job family description
B) entry examination
C) job profiling
D) desk audit
Answer: D
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 95
Skill: Application
Objective: 6
AACSB: Analytic skills

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33) The first step in conducting a job analysis is to ________.
A) get the support of top management
B) communicate the purpose of the job analysis to the job experts
C) collect critical incidents
D) write the job description and person specification
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 95
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6

34) A job task is a(n)________.

A) observable unit of work with a beginning and an end
B) set of related tasks that are repeated on the job
C) set of KSAOs
D) employee characteristic related to job performance
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 96
Skill: Concept
Objective: 5

35) In staffing, O*NET is used for ________.

A) background job analysis information
B) legal research
C) job rewards analyses
D) identifying a firm's best business strategy
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 96
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6

36) Which of the following is contained in a task statement?

A) the type of people required for the job
B) how to recruit for the given job specifications
C) the physical working conditions of the job
D) identifying the changes anticipated for the position
Answer: C
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 96
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6

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37) In analyzing a job of a stenographer that is to be advertized as a vacancy, an employer found
that the ________ for the job was rapid typing skills.
A) bona fide occupational qualification
B) employee value proposition
C) desirable criteria
D) job grade
Answer: A
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 101
Skill: Application
Objective: 6
AACSB: Analytic skills

38) When Mary's Macaroons conducted a ________ on its customer service positions, it found
that 35% of the customer service employee's time was being spent on administrative duties, not
focusing on customer service.
A) job analysis
B) value chain analysis
C) job rewards analysis
D) competency analysis
Answer: A
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 102
Skill: Application
Objective: 6
AACSB: Analytic skills

39) ________ are more broadly defined components of a successful worker's repertoire of
behavior needed to do the job well.
A) Talents
B) Competencies
C) Skills
D) Abilities
Answer: B
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 105
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6

40) The balance between the intrinsic and extrinsic rewards an employee receives by working for
a particular employer in return for their job performance is the ________.
A) employee value proposition
B) job's total rewards
C) job's total compensation package
D) work-life balance
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 107
Skill: Concept
Objective: 4

41) The degree to which the composition of a reward package matches the needs and preferences
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of applicants or employees is the package's ________.
A) amount
B) differential
C) stability
D) mix
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 107
Skill: Concept
Objective: 4

42) Dana works as a financial consultant at a start-up company called MoneyCare. While some
of her friends earn more than she does working for similar positions in other companies, Dana
finds her work far more interesting and challenging than what her friends do. As MoneyCare is a
small organization, Dana has a lot of responsibilities and believes that she is actually learning far
more on the job than she thought she would. Which of the following statements is true about
Dana?
A) She thinks total rewards from her job are low.
B) She finds the intrinsic rewards from this job very satisfying.
C) She thinks the extrinsic rewards from this job are very high.
D) The extrinsic rewards account for the bulk of the total rewards she gets from this job.
Answer: B
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 107
Skill: Application
Objective: 4
AACSB: Analytic skills

43) General Stores Inc., a chain of retail stores short-listed four candidates for the two vacant
positions of store manager. They were particularly keen on Mark Evans, who had an excellent
background and impressive interpersonal skills. To lure Mark in, they offered him an extremely
lucrative package that he was unlikely to get anywhere else. They also hired Doug Pyers for the
other vacancy, although Mark got a better deal than Doug. In spite of this, General Stores was
unable to retain Mark for more than a few months. Which of the following, if true, could explain
this apparent discrepancy?
A) Mark is more concerned with the extrinsic aspects of a job than anything else.
B) The company did not accurately gauge Mark's need for intrinsic rewards.
C) Average salaries in the industry matched the remuneration Doug received.
D) Doug was unhappy about the inequity in pay that existed between him and his colleague,
Mark.
Answer: B
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 107
Skill: Critical thinking
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking skills

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44) Cybernetic Incorporated is well known for the ________ of the rewards it presents to its
employees. For example: employees are allowed to dress casually on all days of the workweek,
have the option of flexible work schedules, and can bring their dogs to work with them.
A) magnitude
B) mix
C) differential
D) distinctiveness
Answer: D
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 107-108
Skill: Application
Objective: 4
AACSB: Analytic skills

45) Which of the following types of workers would most value the reward of having different
tasks to do every day?
A) workers who desire career advancement
B) workers who value being rewarded for individual contribution
C) workers who value making individual contributions
D) workers who are seeking skill development
Answer: D
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 108
Skill: Concept
Objective: 4

46) ________ helps a company tailor its recruiting message to appeal to the needs, values, and
motivations of targeted potential applicants.
A) A task inventory
B) Competency analysis
C) Job rewards analysis
D) Job elements analysis
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 109
Skill: Concept
Objective: 4

47) Define "job description" and "person specification" and describe how they are used.
Answer: A job description is a written description of the duties and responsibilities of a job. A
person specification summarizes the characteristics of someone able to perform the job well.
Based on the job description, the person specification profiles the personal skills, qualifications,
abilities, and experiences the organization needs to evaluate in job candidates during the
recruitment and selection process.
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 89
Skill: Concept
Objective: 3

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48) Compare and contrast three different job analysis methods on the basis of their advantages
and disadvantages.
Answer: The critical incidents job analysis method uses subject matter experts to provide
examples of good and poor performance incidents on the target job. This process helps to
identify particularly effective or ineffective behaviors, but misses the day-to-day job
requirements, requires a lot of time and resources, and can be difficult to use.

The job elements job analytic technique asks a panel of job experts to identify and rate the
worker characteristics that influence success in the job. Although the process can be difficult to
explain, it is efficient, relatively fast, and results in organized documentation of the job and the
worker.

The structured interview job analytic technique requires interviewing job experts about the job
and required worker characteristics. Although the interviews can be fast, analyzing the
information generated can require a professional to minimize bias.
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 91-92
Skill: Synthesis
Objective: 4
AACSB: Analytic skills

49) Construct a scenario where a firm links core competencies, values, and experiences to job
descriptions and staffing practices.
Answer: Student answers may vary. However, a good example of linking core competencies,
values, and experiences to job descriptions and staffing practices is Dell Computer Corporation.
Dell believes that although it can teach its new executives the nuances of the computer industry,
it cannot teach them how to be effective in Dell's dynamic environment. After reviewing the
performance ratings and compensation levels of Dell vice presidents and directors hired over a
three-year period, Dell learned who had been successful, and why. Interviewing the superiors of
those executives who had left the company or who had not advanced also provided insights into
the competencies required for success at Dell.

The research resulted in the identification of five core competencies for executive hires: the
ability to learn fast, to thrive in a changing environment, to deliver results, to solve problems,
and to build teams. Dell recruiters now use these criteria in determining which candidates to
pursue.
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 106
Skill: Synthesis
Objective: 4
AACSB: Analytic skills

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50) What is a job rewards job analysis and how is it used in staffing?
Answer: A job rewards analysis is a job analysis technique that analyzes the intrinsic and
extrinsic rewards of a job. Intrinsic rewards can include the satisfaction of meeting personal
goals, continuous learning, and doing meaningful work. Extrinsic rewards include base pay,
bonuses, and benefits. Intrinsic and extrinsic rewards together comprise the total rewards offered
by a firm.

The rewards that are identified can be used in recruitment and candidate assessment to match
worker motivations to the rewards offered by the job, and also to improve the recruitment
process. Understanding the rewards a job offers can be a strategic recruiting tool. If a recruiter
learns what motivates a job candidate, she or he can identify job rewards that make the job even
more appealing to the candidate. For example, a job candidate motivated by money can be told
extensively about the company's pay-for-performance system and a job candidate motivated by
developing his or her skills can be told more about the company's training, development, and
continuing education programs.
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 107
Skill: Concept
Objective: 4

51) Define the three criteria for employee value propositions: magnitude, mix, and
distinctiveness.
Answer: Magnitude refers to a reward package that is neither too small nor too large in
economic terms. Investing too little in a reward package risks offending applicants, discouraging
them from applying or accepting job offers, and being noncompetitive. Spending too much on
rewards can negatively impact the firm's financial stability, and hurt investor's return on their
investment in the firm.

Mix refers to the composition of the reward package matching the needs and preferences of
applicants or employees. Offering stock options that vest in five years to a young, mobile
workforce that tends to turn over every 3-4 years, or free daycare to an older workforce may not
be consistent with workers' needs and preferences.

Distinctiveness refers to the uniqueness of a reward package. Rewards with no special appeal
and that do not set the organization apart as distinctive do not present a compelling value
proposition. Some Internet start-up firms in the 1990s created distinctive intrinsic rewards by
allowing employees to bring their dogs to work and to dress casually.
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 107-108
Skill: Concept
Objective: 4

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