Chapter 4: Job Analysis

• What is a job analysis (JA)?

“The procedure for determining the
duties and skill requirements of a job
and the kind of person who should be
hired for it”
 JA Example
• One way to conduct a JA…
• Tasks - Importance, frequency, time
spent (criticality)
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other
qualifications = “KSAOs”
 What is a Job
Description?
• It is one product* of a job analysis

• “A list of a job’s duties,

responsibilities, reporting
relationships, working conditions, and
supervisory responsibilities”
*JA does not ≠ a Job Description*
 What Is JA?
• The Process of Defining the Job
– Backbone of HRM practices (e.g., selection,
training, performance appraisals)
• Defining KSAOs Required for the Job
– All About the Job not About the Incumbent
• Identifies Competencies Required for the
Incumbent Holding the Job
– All About the Person-In-Job
 Timing of JA
• Continual Process
– Begins With Creation of New Job
• Periodic Updates
– Watch for Job Shift
– Respond to Market Shift
• Keep Old Jobs Off of the Books
– Time Prohibitive Process…Don’t Add to It
 “How To” Conduct JA
• Decide on the Use of JA
• Chart the Job
– Organization and Process
• Find Key or Benchmark Jobs
• Collect Data
– Multiple Methods Preferred
• Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
• Write Job Descriptions/Specifications
 Choosing the Data
• Weigh the Collection Method
Costs/Benefits
– Each Organization • Position Analysis
Differs Questionnaire (PAQ)
– Info-Laden and
• Interviews, Employee
Quantifiable
Surveys, and Employee
Diaries – Copyrighted and
Expensive
– Timely, Relatively
• O*Net
Cheap
– Replaced the Dictionary
– Social Desirability
of Occupational Titles
• Time and Motion – Internet-Ready and
Studies Available
– Thorough Yet Cost
Prohibitive
 Why Conduct and Re-
Evaluate JA?
• All HRM Practices • Legally Defensible
Flow From JA – Challenges to:
– Recruiting • Discriminatory Hiring
• Whom do We Recruit? • Compensable Factors of
Pay
– Interviews • Promotion and Raise
• What Questions do Challenges
We As? • Collective Bargaining
– Performance • Choice: Pay Upfront or
Evaluation
Settle Lawsuits
• What Factors are
Relevant?
 Challenges of JA in the
Modern Workplace
• Does JA Limit Organizations…
– Job Enlargement?
– Job Enrichment?
– Job Rotation?
– A “Boundaryless” Organization?
• Is JA Feasible in Modern Organizations?
• Should we use competency based JA?