Module 2- Job Analysis & Design Flashcards
Job Analysis & Design
Job Analysis (JA)
JA is the process of collecting (a lot) of information about specific jobs
JA provides the underlying information for job descriptions
Analysis vs Descriptions
JOB ANALYSIS
The systematic process of collecting information about the nature of specific jobs
JOB DESCRIPTIONS
Summary reports that identify, define and describe the job as it is actually performed
JA is also used for:
1) Job Specifications – indicating knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics to do a job
2)Performance Standards – define acceptable performance criteria and serve as basis for performance assessments
In which HR disciplines do we need JA? Can you think of at least 3 examples?
JA
Collect info then forms the basis for job descriptions
-job descriptions are the end result of job analysis
Job analysis - important in HR e.g. training/development, recruitment, performance management
JA Terminology
Job Family:
Broadly similar jobs make up one job family, e.g. HR, Legal, Procurement, Marketing,
Job:
Entirety of tasks performed by one employee that make up all work assignments, e.g. Compensation Specialist, HR Manager, Global Mobility Representative
Task:
Smallest unit of JA outlining what an employee does, e.g. prepare an annual report on external market developments
Terminology cont
Perform job analysis at the level of the job (still consider individual tasks)
Job family- joins different jobs that are similar (e.g. lawyers- have different sectors “legal” individual jobs slightly different – litigation vs job matters
What is the difference between a job and a position?
Difference between job and position **important to know
-job; is a group of related activities and duties
-A position: is still a collection of tasks and duties but it is performed by one single individual
-e.g. if there is a department with 10 people in it, they all do exactly the same work, then we have 10 positions but only one job
Typical Data Collected in JA – related to the Job
JOB IDENTIFICATION:
-Title
-Department in which job is located
-Number of people who hold job
JOB CONTENT:
-Tasks and activities
-Effort (physical, mental, emotional)
-Constraints on actions
-Performance criteria
-Critical incidents
-Conflicting demands
-Working conditions
-Roles (e.g. negotiator, monitor, leader)
-Responsibility
To get started on job analysis
-have to identify data, that you have to collect
-start with job data –identify job (title, etc.)
-Once identify job move to core of job analysis = job content
-e.g. responsibility- is responsible of money, or people
-working conditions ? Warm cozy office downtown vs someone outside building houses (very different)
-effort put in = mental/emotional effort- suicide help line? Physical?
-conflict/demand – management sandwiched between employee who want higher salary/bonus (might deserve it) but manager faces constraints from higher ups (nope no budget for it) – so stuck in middle of conflicting demand
Typical Data Collected in JA – related to the Employee
EMPLOYEE CHARACTERISTICS:
-Professional & technical knowledge
-Manual skills
-Verbal skills
-Written skills
-Quantitative skills
-Mechanical skills
-Conceptual skills
-Managerial skills
-Leadership skills
-Interpersonal skills
INTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS:
-Boss and other superiors
-Peers
-Subordinates
EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS:
-Suppliers
-Customers
-Regulatory bodies
-Professional & industry
-Community
-Union/employee groups
After look at job – shift to employee related info
1.The skills needed to perform the job (characteristics)
-not every job requites each of these skills – dependent on job
2.Internal relations (these are easy)
-where in heirarchery job is positioned (people reporting to and you reporting)- who is boss
3.External relations
-customers important – but some roles have no interaction
-community members – where employee Is located
-e.g. interact regularly with regulatory bodies of a pension plan
Data Collection Process
How to collect JA Data:
-By conventional questionnaire to employee/manager
-Observation
-Interview
-Focus groups (rarer)
-Employee log (rare)
-By using quantitative methods based on specifically designed proprietary questionnaires that allow arithmetical analysis
-Combination of the above
Typical issues in Data Collection
Who collects the data and who provides it?
Disagreement between any stakeholders in the process
Biases and subjectivity
Costs and administrative efforts associated with data collection
Different methods for collecting data
-reguardless of method- always involve the employee (never rely on managers assessment)
-questionnaire most common – if info not clear- want to do an interview
-rare- focus group (group all do same job and interview them together about job)
-rare- employee log- ask them to write down what they are doing
-most sophisticated but not cheap - quantitative methods arithmetical analysis
Who should collect data?
-often given to very new people (junior)- help them learn about the company/jobs (is the idea) BUT should never be given to a newcomer, they should be familiar with organization- can be time consuming and boring –if done by single person- there can be biases
if any disagreement:
Have to go back and resolve that- needs to be as accurate as possible (if employee disagrees- go back and check)
-never every should job analysis be done on the input of a manager only
–managers may not know every little detail
-may do if need for layoffs- see the impact – manager would have to measure impact (might not have complete knowledge of it)– employee might have specific technical skills /customer needs- job analysis –ALWAYS involve employees who are doing the job
What can go wrong in JA?
A LOT!
The result may turn out to be:
-Unreliable (i.e. not consistent)
-Invalid (i.e. not accurate)
-Not accepted by the employee, his/her manager or other stakeholders in the process
-Out of date
-Not useful
Highlight;
-unreliability ; e.g. 2 analyst’s analyze joes job and come up with 2 different results , means not consistent , not very useful
-invalid; e.g. amy does analysist of joe’s job but at end its not even his jobs description but is of franks or one that doesn’t exist
– just b/c employee and manager sign off on description doesn’t mean its valid – could just mean they are frustrated with process just want you to go away (might not understand negative consequences)
-if key stakeholders disagree- go back to drawing board b/c any lack of support undermine you in other HR fields based on job descriptions (compensation, etc.)
Out of date
Very common
1.cumbersome, expensive, long, boring- only do when have to (if problem e.g. attrition is high in department want to get to bottom in HR)
2.environment changes so quickly (maybe every 6 months to keep up)- changes to external environment
The Outcome of Data Collection: Job Descriptions (JD)
Job Specification:
-Lists the qualifications required to do a job, often part of the JD
Job Description:
-Comprehensive summary of job responsibilities, qualifications and relationships
National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Update:
-Excellent source by Employment and Social Development and Statistics Canada of JD for over 30.000 occupations.
The Outcome
The outcome of every job analysis is a job description
Separate document called job specification –usually part of job description
-where do you need to find a general job description ?
-NOC- 1992 og , reviews every 10 yrs
-2021 brought some big changes – mindful descriptions very generic not tailored to needs of orgs.
Competency Model
Broadly applicable knowledge, skills and behaviours essential for being successful in a given job
Can be defined at individual, group or organisational level
Competency sets translate core competencies into more specific action
Behavioural descriptors are observable behaviour indicating a given level of a competency
BUT, there are major challenges with competency models:
-lack of clear definition of competencies
-harder to objectively assess (unlike skills)
-potential legal exposure (e.g. if pay is based on competency)
Examples of Competencies
-Team leadership
-Interpersonal understanding
-Influence and Impact
-Self-control
-Analytical thinking
-Flexibility
-Business orientation
-Networking
-Organizational awareness
