How to Analyze Jobs for HR Planning

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
Job Analysis
Job Description
Job Specifications
Recruiting Selection
Strategic
HR
Planning
Employee
Training
Employee
Development
Career
Development
Performance
Appraisal
Compensate
Safety and
Health
Labor Relations *DeCenzo and
Robbins, p.
145

Nuts and bolts
• What is analyzed?
– Work activities
– Working conditions
• Supervisors
• Location
• Schedule
– Machines and equipment

Nuts and Bolts
• Who is involved in the job
analysis?
– Management
– Supervisors
– Job analysts
– Job incumbent
– Unions
– Consultants

9
Job Analysis Information
Hierarchy
Element
Task
Duty
Position
Job
Job Family
Occupation
Career
Job analysis is nothing but an
accurate recording of the activities
involved. For these recording we
are simply gathering information to
specific job attributes. The
hierarchy of JA Info are shown
beside:

10
Hierarchy
• Job analysis is nothing but an accurate recording of the
activities involved. For these recording we are simply
gathering information to specific job attributes. These
attributes are as follows:
– Element: A job element is the smallest unit into which work can
be divided. Ex-Scanning picture
– Task: A Distinct work activity carried out for a distinct purpose.
Ex- preparing lecture, typing letter
– Duty: Is a number of tasks. Counseling students is a duty for
instructor
– Position: Referes to one or more duties performed by one person
in an organization. Individual employee can hold a position.
Asstt. Prof. – Business Administration

11
Hierarchy
– Job: Job is a type of position within the organization.
Example: Asstt. Professor. May be 25 Asstt. Prof. In an
organization but the job is one-Asstt. Prof.
– Job Family: Group of two or more jobs that either call for
similar worker characteristics or contain parallel work tasks.
Manager, Sales and Manager, marketing may be a job family
– Occupation: Is a group of jobs found across organization.
Accountant, Lift man etc.
– Career: Sequence of positions, jobs, or occupations that a
person has over his or her working life.

12
Nature of Job Analysis
Position Description
Qualification Standard
Resources
BQnet: http://www.apwu.org/dept/ind-rel/bqnet/bq_alpha.cfm
O*NET: http://www.onetonline.org/

13
• Identification
– Job title
– Reporting
relationships
– Department
– Location
– Date of analysis
• General Summary
– Describes the job’s
distinguishing
responsibilities and
components
• Essential Functions
and Duties
– Lists major tasks,
duties and
responsibilities
• Others:
– Signature of
approvals
– Working Condition
– Hazards

14
http://www.apwu.org/dept/ind-rel/bqnet/requirements.cfm?criteria=quals&OccCode=23016106
POSTMASTER
OCCUPATION CODE: 2301-6106
BQnet

15
• Qualification standards for occupations in the
Federal government.
1. General Schedule positions - The Office of Personnel
Management (OPM) Operating Manual for Qualification
Standards
2. Trades and Labor Occupations - Handbook X-118C Job
Qualification System

16
• Outline the necessary basic eligibility qualification
requirements for a particular occupation or a group of
occupations.
• Specifies the minimum quality level and amount of
experience required
• Often allows education to substitute for lack of experience.
•
• Used to evaluate internal and external candidates'
qualifications for positions.
• Used to eliminate those persons who are not eligible for
further consideration because they fail to meet the "basic"
requirements for the occupation.
• Does not, in and of itself, identify the criteria for
determining the "best qualified" candidate.

17
• Qualification requirements for basic eligibility may
include, but is not limited to any or a combination of
the following:
• General and/or specialized experience
• High school education
• Vocational/technical training
• College/university education (e.g., formal degrees)
• Specific major fields or courses of study
• Specific registrations, licensure, or certifications

18
• POSTMASTER
OCCUPATION CODE: 2301-6106
http://www.apwu.org/dept/ind-
rel/bqnet/requirements.cfm?criteria=posdesc&OccCode=23016106
BQnet

Methods of Job Analysis
• Observation
• Interview
– Individual
– Group
• Questionnaires
– PAQ
• Diary
• Technical Conference
• Critical Incident Technique

• Observation Method
– Analyst observes incumbent
• Directly
• Videotape
– Useful when job is fairly routine
– Workers may not perform to
expectations

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

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
8. Helping
*U.S. Department of Labor, Dictionary of
Occupational Titles, 4th ed. Revised
(Washington, D.C.: Government Printing
Office, 1991), p.xix.

• 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.

Guidelines Oriented Job
Analysis (GOJA)
Uniform Guidelines on Employee
Selection Procedures (1978)
These documents are instructions to employers regarding the legality
of practices, procedures, and tests used for hiring and promotion.
They are a joint publication of …
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (29 CFR 1607)
• Office of Personnel Management (5 CFR 300)
• U.S. Department of Justice (28 CFR, Ch. 1, Part 50),
• U.S. Treasury Department (31 CFR, Ch. 1, Part 51),
• Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (41 CFR, Ch. 60,
Part 68-3).
See www.uniformguidelines.com

Analysis (GOJA)
• The GOJA Process is a comprehensive job analysis method that
has been used by hundreds of employers since its original
development in 1975.
• Based on the requirements of the Guidelines (1978), the Principles
(2003), and the ADA
• GOJA is designed to help employers build customized job analysis
and selection procedures that are fair, valid, effective, and
defensible.
• Steps to the GOJA Process

Analysis (GOJA)
Step 1: Assemble and Train the Panel
• A panel of qualified Job Experts meeting the following criteria
(1) Represent the demographics of the employee population (with respect to
gender, age, race, years of experience, etc.) - over-sampling.
(2) Be experienced and active in the position they represent - include relatively
inexperienced Job experts for “newcomer’s perspective.” With at least one year of active
job experience.
(3) Represent the various “functional areas” and/or shifts of the position.
(4) Consist of between 10 – 20% supervisors for a given position.
• At least 7 – 10 Job Experts for providing judgments
(5) Train the Panel - Overview of what will be required of them, the KSA rating system,
information on how to write job duties, etc.

Analysis (GOJA)
• The table below provides some guidance regarding the number of
Job Experts necessary to obtain reliable and accurate information
about the job.

Analysis (GOJA)
Step 2: Write Job Duties
Job Experts complete the Job Analysis Booklet (Part 5)
a. General information (name, demographics, experience, establish credibility)
b. Job overview – informal job description, materials used
c. Supervisory responsibilities and independence of the Job Expert
d. Independently write duties (typically start with action words. (e.g., Analyze,
Coordinate, Evaluate, Repair, Arrange, Delegate))
– Frequency
– Importance
– % of time spent
– Does performance on this duty differentiate best from minimal employee
– Whether removing the duty fundamentally changes the job
– Assignable to others without fundamentally changing the job

Analysis (GOJA)
Step 3: Consolidate Duties into a Master Duty List
• After the Job Experts have independently recorded duties, a master
list is developed.
• The list reflects the majority opinion of the group.
• Using a 70% consensus rule (e.g., 7 out of 10)

Analysis (GOJA)
Step 4: Write KSAPCs, Physical Requirements, Tools &
Equipment, Other Requirements, and Standards
• Job Experts repeat the process described in Step 2, but for the KSAPCs,
Physical Requirements, Tools & Equipment, Other Requirements, and
Standards.
• Job Experts list the knowledge, skills and abilities that are needed to
accomplish each duty.

Analysis (GOJA)
Step 6: Provide Ratings (Including KSAPC to Duty Linkage
Ratings) for Duties, KSAPCs, and Physical Requirements
The Job Experts and supervisors provide ratings on the final list of
duties and KSAPCs.
All Job Experts who participated in the rating process
a. KSAPCs
Link to duties
Frequency
Importance
Minimum versus helpful qualification
Does performance on this duty differentiate best from minimal employee
Level needed for success
Level needed upon entry

Analysis (GOJA)
duties and KSAPCs.
All Job Experts who participated in the rating process
b. Physical requirements
Link to duties
Frequency
Importance
Minimum versus helpful qualification
Does performance on this duty differentiate best from minimal employee
Level needed upon entry
c. Tools and equipment

Analysis (GOJA)
duties and KSAPCs.
Evaluating inter-rater reliability and eliminating outliers
Wrg-max = 1- (Observed variance/maximum possible variance)
Alpha if rater deleted
Review for accuracy and completeness
Compute average rating for each duty and KSAPC
Level of criticality (Importance) ratings are required by section 14C(2) of the
Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures.

Analysis (GOJA)
Optional Step (for positions held by large numbers of employees):
Distribute Job Analysis Survey to Additional Job Experts for
Ratings
US Postal Service Example - Job Analysis Survey (JAS)

Analysis (GOJA)
Step 7: Have Two Supervisors Review the Completed Job
Analysis and Assign Supervisor Ratings
– Convene two supervisors for the “Supervisor Only” job analysis ratings
– Can have served as Job Experts in the first six steps of the process, or be new to the
GOJA Process
– For duty ratings, they assign: Percentage of Time, Best Worker, Fundamental, and
Assignable.
– For KSAPCs and Physical Requirements, they assign: Minimum v. Helpful
Qualification, Best Worker, Level Needed for Success (knowledges only), and Level
Needed Upon Entry.
– Supervisors meet, confer, and agree upon the final supervisor ratings for the job
duties, KSAPCs, and
– Physical Requirements.
– If consensus cannot be reached with two supervisors for any specific ratings, an
additional supervisor should be recruited to provide “tie-breaker” ratings for the
areas of disagreement.

Analysis (GOJA)
Step 8: Prepare Final Job Analysis Document, Including
Descriptive Statistics for Ratings
Descriptive statistics (e.g., means and standard deviations) for each
rated item.
The final data (e.g., duties, KSAPCs, etc.) is entered directly into the
GOJA manual, along with the means and standard deviations

Guide for Writing Functional
Competencies
Section 1: Overview of Competencies
What are Competencies?
• General Definition of a Competency
• A competency is a characteristic of an employee that
1. contributes to successful job performance
2. the achievement of organizational results.
• These include measurable or assessable knowledge, skills, and abilities
plus other characteristics such as values, motivation, initiative, and self-
control that distinguish superior performers from average performers
• (Shippmann et.al. 2000; Spencer, McClelland, & Spencer 1994)

Competencies
What are the Types of Competencies?
A. Organizational Competency – An organizational competency is an
aspect of the business believed to have the greatest strategic
value.
An organizational competency is measured at the level of the
organization rather than at the level of the individual
Organizational Competency Examples:
Organization Competency
– Wal-mart Value pricing
– Nordstrom Customer service
– McDonald’s Quick service
– Toyota Reliability

Competencies
B. Foundational Competency (Rear Wheel Competencies) – A
foundational competency represents a set of skills, knowledge,
and attitudes/attributes necessary for broad job functions. These
are supporting level competencies linked to successful
performance, and are desirable regardless of an individual’s area
of expertise or role.
Foundational Competency Examples:
– Teamwork
– Oral Communication
– Customer Focus
– Adaptability
– Initiative
– Professionalism

Competencies
C. Functional Competency (Front Wheal Competencies) – A
functional competency is a specific knowledge or skill area that
relates to successful performance in the job.
Functional Competency Examples:
– Financial Specialists need the functional competencies of financial
analysis and setting up accounting systems.
–
– Information System Analysts need the functional competencies of
programming and systems analysis.
–
– Contract specialists need the functional competencies of acquisition
planning, contract formation, and contract administration.

Competencies
How May Competencies be Used?
• Recruit - position vacancy announcements
• Select - possession of a set of competencies may be a
determining factor in who is selected for a position.
• Train & Develop – Individual Development Plans (IDPs
• Appraise
• Draft Position Descriptions (PDs)
• Assess - Assessment tools may be competency-based.

Competencies
Who Should Write Competencies?
Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) should write the functional
competencies.

Competencies
What is the Process for Writing Competencies?
Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) should write the functional
competencies.

Competencies
Section 3: Writing Task Statements & KSAPs
• What is a task?
– Task – A task is a unit of work or set of activities needed to produce
some result.
– A task is described by a statement consisting of an action verb (what
the worker does), the object of the verb (to whom or what it is done),
and a phrase explaining why and how the work is done.

Competencies
• What is a task?
– Action Verb (What the worker does)
Example: Sort
– Object of the verb (To whom or what it is done)
– Example: correspondence and reports
– Why the work is done (Expected Output)
– Example: to facilitate filing them
– How the work is done (Procedures, tools, equipment, work aids)
– Example: alphabetically.

Competencies
• What are KSAPs?
– Knowledge –an organized body of information that a person mentally
possesses as a result of formal education, training, or personal
experience.
• Example: Knowledge of transportation regulations, methods, and practices
– Skill –proficient manual, verbal, or mental manipulation of data or
things
• Examples: Skill in typing at the rate of 40 words per minute with less than 3 errors per 100
words typed.
– Ability – is the natural aptitude or acquired proficiency to perform an
observable activity; e.g., ability to write reports, ability to analyze
numerical data, ability to plan and organize work.
• Example: Ability to speak before groups

Competencies
• What are KSAPs?
Personal Characteristic/Attributes –
• A predisposition on the part of an individual to behave in a certain way.
• Personal characteristics represent what an individual wants to or will do, as
opposed to what the individual can do or has the capacity to do.
Examples: Patience, Tact, Willingness to travel

Competencies
Section 4: Step-by-Step Guide for Writing Competencies
1. Review job and organization related information
– Strategic vision, mission statement, and organizational goals
– Position descriptions, job announcements, sources of job analysis,
work flow charts, etc.
– Organization charts
– Governing rules, regulations, policies, professional standards, laws,
training manuals pertaining to the job
– Typical problems, turn-around time, internal/external customer
complaints related to the job
– Work equipment/tools – technology/computers, software necessary for
the job
2. Write major job tasks.

Competencies
Section 4: Step-by-Step Guide for Writing Competencies
3. Write Knowledge, Skill, Ability, and Personal
Characteristics/Attributes (KSAPs).
4. Group related KSAPs to form a competency category.
5. Write Functional Competencies.
Only write the functional competencies that are specific to the job under study.
Functional competencies consist of three parts:
1. a label
2. important job tasks
3. the knowledge, skills, abilities, and personal characteristics necessary for
successful job performance.
6. Develop a label for each functional competency based on related
KSAP groupings.
1. Check that each task is linked to at least one competency. Review your list
of competencies to ensure that all of the important tasks have been
recorded.
2. Review competencies using the Functional Competency Checklist and revise
if necessary

Competencies

How to Analyze Jobs for HR Planning

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