Job Analysis Guide
Introduction 3
Valid Job Analysis 3
Job Analysis Process, Step by Step 5
Legal & Professional Standards for Selection Procedures 9
Forms and Resources
Quick Reference – Job Analysis 11
Useful Descriptors for Writing Work Activity Statements 13
Terms and Definitions 14
Job Analysis and Subject Matter Specialist (SMS) Role 15
Subject Matter Specialist Background Information and Confidentiality Statement 16
Job Analysis Record Form 17
Introduction
Job analysis is the process of gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing information about a position in order to identify the position’s tasks, functions, and roles, as well as the competencies required to perform the work of the position.
The key purpose in conducting a job analysis is to describe a job as it is actually performed and understand the job well enough to reliably and accurately define worker requirements. Done well, job analysis provides the most relevant position-specific information, which may then be used in a variety of human resource functions, including recruitment, assessment, selection, performance management, and more.
Job analysis helps to create a shared view of a job, fostering greater acceptance among interested parties as to the job’s actual description. It also provides documentation that allows the employer to chronicle and defend processes and decisions, should they be challenged.
Valid job analysis
A valid job analysis:
? Describes the key work activities – what, why, and how work is done.
? Identifies the essential functions of the position.
? Describes the competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors) needed to perform the key work activities, and documents these in terms of objective, observable, and measurable elements.
? Describes job readiness factors as they relate to the context of the work – the environment, mental and physical demands, willingness and interest required, etc.
? Imparts the relative importance of the position’s components (work activities, competencies, etc.).
? Notes the sources of information, as well as the date of the analysis.
To begin:
Collect information currently available regarding the position or job in question. This may include the position description, recruitment information, and current exams.
Identify at least one Subject Matter Specialist (SMS); if possible, collect a group of SMSs. A SMS could be a top performer in the job, the supervisor or hiring manager, or an employee who worked in the job previously and was promoted to a higher level job in the same series or category. A good SMS has direct knowledge of the job and knows what is required to succeed in the job. Direct involvement of such a person is important to validating the product.
If necessary, briefly explain job analysis and the role of the SMSs in the process (for more information, see Job Analysis and Subject Matter Specialist Role). Remind the SMSs that any information used to create a selection procedure is confidential and should not be discussed with others (see SMS Background Information and Confidentiality Statement). It may also be beneficial to pass out a short questionnaire as a prelude to the job analysis meeting (for sample questions, see Quick Reference – Job Analysis).
Tips for conducting a productive job analysis meeting:
? Build rapport with SMSs by conversing with them and making them feel welcome and comfortable.
? Explain the job analysis process and its purpose, and answer questions.
? Be aware of the SMSs’ time. Encourage creativity and thinking, but refocus them if they digress.
? Gently remind SMSs to think in terms of the level of knowledge or skill a qualified candidate, not an expert in the job, might possess.
? Rephrase and clarify what the they say to ensure understanding. Write statements on an easel or white board where everyone can see – this may spark new ideas.
? Facilitate the group so that everyone has opportunity to provide input.
? Thank them for their time and input.
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Job Interview Tips
An interview gives you the opportunity to showcase your qualifications to an employer, so it pays to be well prepared. The following information provides some helpful hints.
Preparation:
Learn about the organization.
Have a specific job or jobs in mind.
Review your qualifications for the job.
Be ready to briefly describe your experience, showing how it relates it the job.
Be ready to answer broad questions, such as “Why should I hire you?” “Why do you want this job?” “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
Practice an interview with a friend or relative.
More....
Evaluating a Job Offer
Once you receive a job offer, you must decide if you want the job. Fortunately, most organizations will give you a few days to accept or reject an offer.
There are many issues to consider when assessing a job offer. Will the organization be a good place to work? Will the job be interesting? Are there opportunities for advancement? Is the salary fair? Does the employer offer good benefits? Now is the time to ask the potential employer about these issues—and to do some checking on your own.
The organization. Background information on an organization can help you to decide whether it is a good place for you to work. Factors to consider include the organization’s business or activity, financial condition, age, size, and location.
You generally can get background information on an organization, particularly a large organization, on its Internet site or by telephoning its public relations office. A public company’s annual report to the stockholders tells about its corporate philosophy, history, products or services, goals, and financial status. Most government agencies can furnish reports that describe their programs and missions. Press releases, company newsletters or magazines, and recruitment brochures also can be useful. Ask the organization for any other items that might interest a prospective employee. If possible, speak to current or former employees of the organization.
Background information on the organization may be available at your public or school library. If you cannot get an annual report, check the library for reference directories that may provide basic facts about the company, such as earnings, products and services, and number of employees. Some directories widely available in libraries either in print or as online databases include:
Dun & Bradstreet’s Million Dollar Directory
Standard and Poor’s Register of Corporations
Mergent’s Industrial Review (formerly Moody’s Industrial Manual)
Thomas Register of American Manufacturers
Ward’s Business Directory
Stories about an organization in magazines and newspapers can tell a great deal about its successes, failures, and plans for the future. You can identify articles on a company by looking under its name in periodical or computerized indexes in libraries, or by using one of the Internet’s search engines. However, it probably will not be useful to look back more than 2 or 3 years.
The library also may have government publications that present projections of growth for the industry in which the organization is classified. Long-term projections of employment and output for detailed industries, covering the entire U.S. economy, are developed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and revised every 2 years. Trade magazines also may include articles on the trends for specific industries.
Career centers at colleges and universities often have information on employers that is not available in libraries. Ask a career center representative how to find out about a particular organization.
During your research consider the following questions:
Does the organization’s business or activity match your own interests and beliefs?
It is easier to apply yourself to the work if you are enthusiastic about what the organization does.
How will the size of the organization affect you?
Large firms generally offer a greater variety of training programs and career paths, more managerial levels for advancement, and better employee benefits than do small firms. Large employers also may have more advanced technologies. However, many jobs in large firms tend to be highly specialized.
Jobs in small firms may offer broader authority and responsibility, a closer working relationship with top management, and a chance to clearly see your contribution to the success of the organization.
Should you work for a relatively new organization or one that is well established?
New businesses have a high failure rate, but for many people, the excitement of helping to create a company and the potential for sharing in its success more than offset the risk of job loss. However, it may be just as exciting and rewarding to work for a young firm that already has a foothold on success.
The job. Even if everything else about the job is attractive, you will be unhappy if you dislike the day-to-day work. Determining in advance whether you will like the work may be difficult. However, the more you find out about the job before accepting or rejecting the offer, the more likely you are to make the right choice. Consider the following questions:
Where is the job located?
If the job is in another section of the country, you need to consider the cost of living, the availability of housing and transportation, and the quality of educational and recreational facilities in that section of the country. Even if the job location is in your area, you should consider the time and expense of commuting.
Does the work match your interests and make good use of your skills?
The duties and responsibilities of the job should be explained in enough detail to answer this question.
How important is the job to the company or organization?
An explanation of where you fit in the organization and how you are supposed to contribute to its overall goals should give you an idea of the job’s importance.
What will the hours be?
Most jobs involve regular hours—for example, 40 hours a week, during the day, Monday through Friday. Other jobs require night, weekend, or holiday work. In addition, some jobs routinely require overtime to meet deadlines or sales or production goals, or to better serve customers. Consider the effect that the work hours will have on your personal life.
How long do most people who enter this job stay with the company?
High turnover can mean dissatisfaction with the nature of the work or something else about the job.
Opportunities offered by employers. A good job offers you opportunities to learn new skills, increase your earnings, and rise to positions of greater authority, responsibility, and prestige. A lack of opportunities can dampen interest in the work and result in frustration and boredom.
The company should have a training plan for you. What valuable new skills does the company plan to teach you?
The employer should give you some idea of promotion possibilities within the organization. What is the next step on the career ladder? If you have to wait for a job to become vacant before you can be promoted, how long does this usually take? When opportunities for advancement do arise, will you compete with applicants from outside the company? Can you apply for jobs for which you qualify elsewhere within the organization, or is mobility within the firm limited?
Salaries and benefits. When an employer makes a job offer, information about earnings and benefits are usually included. You will want to research to determine if the offer is fair. If you choose to negotiate for higher pay and better benefits, objective research will help you strengthen your case.
You may have to go to several sources for information. One of the best places to start is the information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
You should also look for additional information, specifically tailored to your job offer and circumstances. Try to find family, friends, or acquaintances who recently were hired in similar jobs. Ask your teachers and the staff in placement offices about starting pay for graduates with your qualifications. Help-wanted ads in newspapers sometimes give salary ranges for similar positions. Check the library or your school’s career center for salary surveys such as those conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers or various professional associations.
If you are considering the salary and benefits for a job in another geographic area, make allowances for differences in the cost of living, which may be significantly higher in a large metropolitan area than in a smaller city, town, or rural area.
You also should learn the organization’s policy regarding overtime. Depending on the job, you may or may not be exempt from laws requiring the employer to compensate you for overtime. Find out how many hours you will be expected to work each week and whether you receive overtime pay or compensatory time off for working more than the specified number of hours in a week.
Also take into account that the starting salary is just that—the start. Your salary should be reviewed on a regular basis; many organizations do it every year. How much can you expect to earn after 1, 2, or 3 or more years? An employer cannot be specific about the amount of pay if it includes commissions and bonuses.
Benefits also can add a lot to your base pay, but they vary widely. Find out exactly what the benefit package includes and how much of the cost you must bear.
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