JOB ANALYSIS

CHRISTINE FLYNN, NICOLA LARKIN, CLAIRE-SUZANNE BORG, EMMA DUANE

INTRODUCTION

Functional
Job Quality and What we
Analysis Standards already
Manager know
PURPOSE AND EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

General Deliverables of a work analysis

• The content of the work performed by people in an organisation (tasks, responsibilities, outputs)
• The worker attributes related to its performance (KSAO’s)
• The context in which such work is performed (Pearlman and Sanchez, 2010)
• For the purpose of selection broadly speaking work analysis is to ensure that selection systems are
work or job oriented and hence valid, and thereby have value or utility to the organisation, as well as
being legally defensible.(Pearlman and Sanchez, 2010)
INFORMATION ALREADY AVAILABLE ABOUT THE JOB

Job Description

Initial discussion O*NET

Quality and Standards

Manager

Organisational Chart Standards Manuals

Training
JOB ANALYSIS METHOD USED - FUNCTIONAL JOB
ANALYSIS
1) Combination of worker-orientated approach (The Worker functions), the work-oriented approach
(Task Inventory) and the qualitative approach (Description of tasks)
2) Highly systematic procedure using qualitative and quantitative data gathering processes
3) In depth analysis, well rounded information on task orientation and level of involvement with
people, data, and things, The Worker Scales
4) Training time required for a job is operationalised within other scales?
5) Specific attention to what a worker does and the environment they do it in
6) One of the premiere job analysis methods in industrial/organisational Psychology and HR (Cronshaw,
Best, Zugec, Warner, Hysong and Pugh, 2007)

BUT
1) Can be costly, time consuming and labour intensive, as well as requiring special training for
appropriate application (Pearlman and Sanchez, 2010)
2) Central problem in validation is to link in some way a list of job duties or work behaviours with human
attributes (the KSAO’s for certain positions) (Wernimont, 1988)
 What is Functional Job Analysis
Functional Job Analysis (Fine, 1955) is:
The definition of functional job analysis
1. a conceptual system which defines
“Functional Job Analysis (FJA) analyzes jobs by dimensions of work activity, eg, data, people
studying tasks. The decision to do so was a practical and things and domains of human
one that developed out of job family research performance, ie, cognitive, affective, and
carried out in the late 1930s to establish psychomotor, and interrelates the two;
transferability among jobs. What was found was
that job titles were unrealistic, unstable, and 2. an observational method and thus a way of
ultimately inaccurate and non-descriptive. What looking at and recording people at work; and
was stable were tasks. The same tasks showed up
repeatedly in different jobs, and essentially it was 3. a method of analysis which relates all work
task elements that were the basis of job output to the goals and objectives of the work
relationships.” (Fine, 1989) organization and to the skills, knowledge and
attitudes of the workers.
FUNCTIONAL JOB ANALYSIS - OVERVIEW

Task Statements/Task
Bank

Validation
Knowledge , skills
Abilities
FJA Scale Scoring

Tasks
Functional Job Analysis
 Methods used to collect data
Data Collection
1. Interview as per traditional FJA protocol:

• What do you get paid for? (outputs)

• What do you need to know to do what you get paid
for? (knowledge)
• What skills/abilities do you need to apply your
knowledge? (skills and abilities)
• What do you do to get work done? (tasks)
• What standards do you work towards, yours and your
Candidate Details organization’s? (performance standards) (Hysong, Best,
Moore, 2007)
➢ 11 years in sector, almost 3 years in current area.
2. Reviewing Records - Job Description, O*NET
➢ Degree qualified to post graduate level
Output
➢ In-house training completed
3. Reviewing Literature - Training manual, Standards
Manual
➢ Skills acquired in current role:
➢ Collaborative working
 Summary of findings from work analysis
Tasks Performed on a Day-to-Day Basis
- Chair meetings across the - Review all organizational policies and
organization to present actions that procedures and initiate internal training
need to be carried out in order to programs where necessary
conform to quality standards
- Coordinate the annual input plan to gather
feedback from clients which are then used for
- Monitor and make changes to future performance improvement activities
actions for progress
- Maintain contact with a resource specialist on
any queries and best implementation
- Meet and engage with teams on practices regarding standards
their current quality standards - Administer and record all proceedings to be
presented to CARF

Rating scales applied to these allow an analyst to empirically describe a task in relation to
People, Data and things and other characteristics, but using a standard format and language
TASK STATEMENTS AND RATING SCALES
“A task statement is based upon actual observation of the task, so it should be an
accurate description of the actions being performed to achieve the specific outcome or
result. There should be little room misinterpretation about what the worker should be
doing if there is a task-based job description.”

•Example from our analysis:

•Organises a suitable time and location to chair meetings with management

across the organisation and presents changes and actions which need to be
implemented - IN ORDER to conform to quality standards.
Area Function Level Orientation

Data Coordinating 5B 30%

People Consulting 4A 60%

Things Handling 1A 10%

Levels based on (Fine & Cronshaw, 1999, p. 38; Fine & Wiley, 1974)
 ADDITIONAL SCALES
1 Worker Instruction Scale - indicates the level of supervision imposed

Area Level High scores indicate high task

discretion
)
Worker Instructions 8

3 Scales that measure the general education requirements: reasoning, Mathematics and
language. These are specific to task.

Reasoning Development 6 (Gatewood, Field,

& Barrick, 2008)
Mathematical Development 1

Language Development 6
 KSAO’s DERIVED FROM FJA OUTPUT

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & ABILITIES

- Knowledge in relation to Law and Government
- Knowledge of Administration and Management - Critical Thinking
- Understanding of the specified standards - Monitoring
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Knowledgeable of the process for pursuing
- Communication Skills
accreditation (including restrictions and
- Social Perceptiveness
requirements)
- Problem Solving Sensitivity
- Knowledge of client background and needs - Deductive and Inductive Reasoning
- Information Ordering
- Knowledge of the sector, legislative and
- Leadership
regulatory requirements
- Team work
- Knowledge of the funding environment
- Knowledge of competitors
FROM FJA DATA
KSAO’s DERIVED FROM FJA OUTPUT: OTHER
● Risk Management Plans
OUTPUTS ● Strategic Planning
● Training and development Plan
● Performance improvement places

PERFORMANCE ● High standards

STANDARDS ● Goal Attainment
● Ethical Practice

● Bachelors Degree
Education ● Work related skill, knowledge and experience
● On the job training/vocational training

● Attention to detail Self-Control

● Persistence Self- Tolerance
Work Styles ● Dependability Adaptability/Flexibility
● Integrity Concern for others
● Analytical Thinking Leadership

● Achievement , Support, Independence

Work Values
COMPETENCIES
Competencies -KSAO’s
that correlate with
successful performance
on the job, can be
measured against well
accepted standards, can
be improved through
training
COMPETENCIES FOR ROLE
Informed by Boyatzis’ 21 competencies for effective managers. Relevant competencies highlighted.

Goal and Action Management Cluster Directing subordinates cluster

● Efficiency orientation ● Developing others
● Productivity ● Use of unilateral power
● Diagnostic use of concepts ● Spontaneity
● Concern with Impact Focus on other clusters
Leadership Cluster ● Self Control
● Self Confidence ● Perceptual Objectivity
● Use of oral presentation ● Stamina and Adaptability
● Logical thought ● Concern with Close relationship
● Conceptualisation Specialised knowledge
Human Resource Cluster ● Memory
● Use of Socialised power ● Specialised knowledge
● Positive regard
● Managing group process
● Accurate self assessment
Comparison from FJA results and predefined job
specifications
FJA Findings O*Net Findings

• Maintain documentation of compliance activities, such as

- Chair meetings across the organization to present complaints received or investigation outcomes.
actions that need to be carried out in order to conform
to quality standards • File appropriate compliance reports with regulatory agencies.

- Monitor and make changes to actions for progress • Conduct or direct the internal investigation of compliance
issues.
- Meet and engage with teams on their current quality
• Identify compliance issues that require follow-up or
standards investigation.
- Review all organizational policies and procedures and • Report violations of compliance or regulatory standards to duly
initiate internal training programs where necessary authorized enforcement agencies as appropriate or required.
- Coordinate the annual input plan to gather feedback • Disseminate written policies and procedures related to
from clients which are then used for future performance compliance activities.
improvement activities • Conduct periodic internal reviews or audits to ensure that
- Maintain contact with a resource specialist on any compliance procedures are followed.
queries and best implementation practices regarding • Serve as a confidential point of contact for employees to
standards communicate with management, seek clarification on issues or
dilemmas, or report irregularities.
- Administer and record all proceedings to be presented
to CARF • Provide employee training on compliance related topics,
policies, or procedures.
• Verify that all firm and regulatory policies and procedures have
been documented, implemented, and communicated.
SCOPE OF THE WORK ANALYSIS
• The analysis was sufficient to indicate Tasks, KSAO’s and Competencies

● More modern approach to analysis?

•A job analysis provides the raw material that can be used to develop a job description and a
person specification (Garavan and O’ Shea, 2012).

•Hough and Oswald (2000) - Many researchers now conduct analysis that focus on tasks and
cross functional skills of workers rather than traditional job analysis with its focus on more
stable aspects of the job
 What will the information from FJA be used for?

FJA can be use for:

1) Workforce planning to create developed workforce

2) Recruitment and retention

3) Training, educating and directing employees

4) Supervision and performance appraisal

5) ROI
PRACTICAL ISSUES

• Levin, Ash, Hall and Sistrunk (1983) in Gutman and DunLeavy (2012) cite 11 practical issues to
consider ranging from standardisation, off the shelf and reliability.
• FJA has high practicality rating for occupational versatility/suitability and quality of outcome second
only to Task Inventory
• Most methods differ on 4 of the practicality issues:
• Standardisation – Third highest after PAQ and TI
• Time to completion –Mid range
• Off shelf – Very practical in this regard second only to PAQ
EVALUATION – VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF WORK
ANALYSIS
• Accuracy and Bias – Job analysis is potentially subject to various sources of inaccuracy or bias.
Morgeson and Campion (1997) in Gutman and Dunleavy (2012) cite 16 distinct potential areas of
inaccuracy from social and cognitive sources such as social influence processes and limitations in
information processes.
• 6 likely effects on job analysis sources referring to different aspects of validity
- Interater reliability - Dimensionality of factor structures
- Interater agreement - Mean ratings
- Discriminability between jobs - Completeness of job info

• Sanchez and Levin (2000) argue it has consequential validity – but this cannot replace other forms of
validity
• Reliability – Third highest for reliability after PAQ and the Task Inventory (Gutman and DunLeavy,
2012)
• Draws attention to the fact that job analysis data may be affected by factors that are unrelated to what
is done on the job of the KSAO’s needed to effectively perform the job ( Gutman and Dunleavy, 2012)
LIMITATIONS

1) Query the degree this analysis is legally defensible - the method and process were clearly
documented but the analyst should have had days of training on the method and additional
experience
2) The worker-oriented scales allow for cross job comparison but the job specific scales do not. O*NET
for example is particularly focused on cross job comparisons.
3) We only interviewed one candidate of this role . Very specific organisation - query if the output is
transferable.
4) Non representative behaviour query - Relationship between when performance is being monitored
versus when one is unmonitored is very weak, may not be representative of the much broader
performance domain and the context in which on the job behaviour occurs (Cascio, 2008)
LIMITATIONS
5) In assuming that the purpose was for selection and recruitment - there are outstanding tasks in terms
of the selection process. A competency model was not developed -When applied to the context of
selection and assessment, this model allows a more complete picture of the individual to be assessed
(Garavan and O’ Shea 2012).
6 )‘The paucity of empirical research on task analysis would imply either that the area is unimportant or
we have reached a satisfactory state of knowledge in the area’(Robertson and Smith, 2001 pp 444)
7) Many contemporary practitioners go straight to the KSAO’s by asking subject matter experts to identify
the competencies required for the job (Robertson and Smith, 2001).
IN CONCLUSION

- Rates well in terms of practicality

- Reliability – Third highest for reliability after PAQ and the Task Inventory (Gutman and DunLeavy, 2012)
- Provides a solid method to contribute to recruitment and selection but as seen from our limitations etc is
not an absolute science
- The area of personnel selection that has developed the least and seems increasingly problematic.
- Tries to provide a fixed starting point for all subsequent steps in the process – but jobs are nowhere near
as stable as they once were
- This means that in many selection situations the requirement to understand the job is made particularly
complex and difficult, because the job in question is likely to be very difficult to predict within as little as 5
-10 years, (Robertson and Smith, 2001, pp 444)
- Sanchez and Levine (1999) propagated the use of the term work analysis to indicate that analysis is not
limited to a fixed set of tasks
- There rarely exists a gold standards or true score in job analysis
 References
Cascio, W, F. and Aguinis, H. (2008). Staffing Twenty - first- century Organisations. The Academy of
Management Annals, 2, (1), 133-165.
Cronshaw, S. F., Best, R., Zugec, L,, Warner, M.A, Hysong, S., & Pugh, J. A. (2007). A five component
validiation model for functional job analysis as used in job redesign. Ergometrika, 4,12-
31.
Frank I. Moore, PhD- Functional Job Analysis.

Fine, S.A., & Cronshaw, S. F. (1999). Functional Job Analysis: A foundation for Human Resource
Management. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Garavan, T. & O’Shea, D. (2012). Selection and Assessment. In A. Mansi & M. Ashleigh (Eds.), The
Psychology of People in Organizations [Ch. 6]. London: Pearson.
Gatewoood, R. d., Field, H. S. & Barrick, M.R. (2008). Human Resources Selection (6th Edition). Mason, OH:
Thompson High Education.
 References

Gutman, A., & Dunleavy, E., M. (2012). Documenting Work Analysis Projects: A review of strategy and
Legal Defensibility for Personnel Selection. In Wilson, M., A., Bennett, W., Gibson, S., G. &
Alliger, G., E. The Handbook of Work Analysis: Methods, Systems, Applications and Science of Work
Measurement in Organisations. London. Routledge.

Hysong, S. J., Best, R. G. & Moore, F. I. (2007). Are we under-utilizing the talents of primary care
personnel? A job analytic examination. Implementation Science, 2(10),

Hough, L. M., & Oswald, F. L. (2000). Personnel selection: Looking toward the future--Remembering the
past. Annual review of psychology, 51(1), 631-664.
WHO. (1999). Funtional job analysis: Guidelines for task analysis and job design. San Antonio: World health
organisation.
 References

Pearlman, K. and Sanchez, J. I. (2010). Work Analysis in Farr, J.L., & Tippins, N.T. (Eds.). Handbook of
employee selection. London. Routledge.
Sons.
Robertson, I. T, & Smith, M. (2001). Personnel Selection. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 74, 441-472.
Roe, R. A. (2002). What makes a competent psychologist?. European Psychologist, 7(3), 192.
Sanchez, J. I., & Levine, E., L. (2000). Accuracy or consequential validity; which is better in standardising for
job analysis data? Journal of Organizational Behaviour, 21, 809 - 818.
Wernimont, P. F. (1988). Recruitment Selection and Placement. In Gael, S. The job analysis
handbook for business, industry, and government (Vol. 1). pp 193-204). New
York. John Wiley &
 Appendices
TASK STATEMENTS - EXAMPLES
• Monitors, guides and provides feedback using effective communication and
leadership skills -IN ORDER to oversee current changes in conformity with quality
standards.
Area Function Level Orientation

Data Synthesising 6 45%

People Leading 8 45%

Things Handling 1A 10%

Levels based on (Fine & Cronshaw, 1999, p. 38; Fine & Wiley,
1974)
TASK STATEMENTS AND RATING SCALES - EXAMPLES

Reads, reviews and researches organisational procedures and policies - IN ORDER

to initiate internal training programs where necessary.

Area Function Level Orientatation

Data Analyzing 4 60%

People Instructing 4B 30%

Things Handling 1A 10%

Levels based on (Fine & Cronshaw, 1999, p. 38; Fine & Wiley, 1974)