1. Job Analysis and Competency Models
Chapter 4
Job Analysis and Competency Models
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2. Chapter Learning Outcomes
After reading this chapter you should:
Understand the importance of job analysis and the role it plays in recruitment and selection
Be able to describe guidelines for conducting analyses employing a variety of job analysis techniques
Be able to use standard tools and techniques to conduct a job analysis
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3. Chapter Learning Outcomes (continued)
Recognize processes for identifying job specifications to be used in recruitment and selection of human resources
Understand what competencies are
Understand the role competencies play in recruitment and selection
Know how to identify competencies
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4. Chapter Learning Outcomes (continued)
Understand the need to validate competency- based systems
Be able to distinguish competency-based HR models from those based on job analysis
Recognize best practices in competency modelling
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5. What is Work and Job Analysis?
Work analysis: any systematic gathering, documenting, and analyzing of information about the content of work performed
Job analysis: the process of collecting information about jobs “by any method for any purpose”
Analysis Data: includes a description of the duties of the job, including job responsibilities and working conditions, information about the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other attributes required in its performance. Job analysis data support several HR activities (e.g., recruitment, selection, training and development, performance management).
HR activities are concerned with matching people to jobs within a specific organizational context.
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6. Work and Job Analysis – Key Terms
Job description: a written description of what job occupants are required to do; how they are supposed to do it; and the rationale for any required job procedures
Job specification: the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other attributes or competences that are needed by a job incumbent to perform well on the job
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7. Work and Job Analysis – Key Terms
Job: a collection of positions that are similar in their significant duties
Position: a collection of duties assigned to individuals in an organization at a given time
Job family: a set of different, but related jobs that rely on the same set of KSAOs
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8. Class Activity
Do you have a current job description in your full-time, part-time or contract position?
Why are job descriptions important in the recruiting process?
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9. Subject-Matter Experts
Subject-matter experts (SMEs): people who are most knowledgeable about a job and how it is currently performed
Data collected from job incumbents and their immediate supervisors
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10. Job Analysis and Employment Law – A Reprise
Employment decisions must be based on job-related information
Job analysis: a legally acceptable way of determining job-relatedness
A good job analysis ensures that accurate information on skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions is specified, reducing the likelihood of job analysis-impediments to equitable employment access for all Canadians.
It provides objective evidence of the skills and abilities required for effective performance on the job, involved in the selection of the candidates.
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11. Job Analysis Methods Three criteria in choosing a method:
Goal of job analysis includes the description of observable work behaviours and analysis of their products
Results of a job analysis should describe the work behaviour, not the personal characteristics of the individual
Any job analysis must produce outcomes that are verifiable and replicable
Job analysis methods: positions in an organization exist independently of the incumbents who fill those positions; in job analysis, it is the job that is being analyzed, not the performance of the individual incumbents.
Any job analysis must produce outcomes that are verifiable and replicable; the organization must be able to produce evidence of both the validity and the reliability of each step in the job analysis process.
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12. KSAOs
KSAOs: the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other attributes necessary for a new incumbent to do well on the job
Also referred to as a job, employment, or worker specifications
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13. National Occupational Classification (NOC) System
National Occupational Classification System: systematically describes occupations in the Canadian labour market based on extensive occupational research
A NOC profile presents both a description and specification of the job or occupation
Human Resources and Social Development Canada website:
Each occupation or job is given a four-digit code that provides the analyst with a more extensive description related to the KSAOs associated with the job
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14. Work- and Worker-Oriented Job Analysis
Work-oriented job analysis: techniques that emphasize work outcomes and descriptions of tasks performed to accomplish those outcomes
Worker-oriented job analysis: techniques that emphasize general aspects of jobs; describes perceptual, interpersonal, sensory, cognitive, and physical activities
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15. Survey of Work-Oriented Job Analysis Methods
Interviews
Direct Observation
Self-Monitoring Data
Rating Task Statements and KSAOs
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16. Survey of Work-Oriented Job Analysis Methods (continued)
Structured Job Analysis Questionnaires and Inventories
Task Inventories
Functional Job Analysis
Critical Incident Technique
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17. Interviews
Interview: involves questioning individuals, small groups, and/or supervisors; designed to ask all interviewees the same job-related questions
Most common technique used
May be structured or unstructured
Should be well planned and carefully conducted
Job analyst should record the job incumbent’s or supervisor’s responses by taking notes or by taping-recording the interview; this ensures accuracy regarding the job duties/responsibilities
Interview outlines ensures consistency, asking the appropriate questions
Disadvantages to the interview process:
1. expensive and time consuming; impractical for jobs with a large number of incumbents;
2. workers may be prone to distorting the information they provide about their jobs;
3. more time consuming and more expensive to conduct than group interviews
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18. Recruitment and Selection Notebook 4.1
Guidelines for a Job Analysis Interview
Announce the job analysis well ahead of the interview date
Participation in interviews should be voluntary, and job incumbents should be interviewed only with the permission of their supervisors
Interviews should be conducted in a private location free from the trappings of status
Recruitment and Selection Notebook 4.1 (page 121) discusses how the interview should be well planned and carefully conducted. Guidelines for conducting interviews are summarized.
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19. Recruitment and Selection Notebook 4.1(continued)
Open the interview by establishing rapport and explaining the purpose of the interview
Ask open-ended questions, using language that is easy to understand, and allow ample time for the employee’s responses
Guide the session without being authoritative or overbearing
Explain that records of the interviews will identify them only by confidential codes
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20. Direct Observation
Direct observation: a job analyst watches employees as they carry out their job activities (or job shadowing)
This method is most useful when the job analysis involves easily observable activities
Direct observation: depends if the type of job is observable (e.g., a landscaper job can be observed).
Systematic observations of employee activities can be recorded either in narrative format or using a customized checklist/worksheet.
Different jobs and environments will require different observation methods.
A variety of technological aids are available to the observer (e.g., audio and video recordings).
Regardless of the observation technique employed, their presence may change the behaviour of the employees.
In addition to direct observation, the job analyst may ask incumbents to monitor their own work behaviour.
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21. Self-Monitoring
Self-monitoring: a job analyst may ask incumbents to monitor their own work behaviour
Advantages:
Less time consuming and less expensive
Can be used when the conditions of work do not easily facilitate direct observation by another person
Can provide information on otherwise unobservable cognitive and intellectual processes involved in the job
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22. Employee Specifications for a Job
Knowledge
Skill
Ability
Other Attributes
Knowledge: a body of information, usually of a factual or procedural nature, that makes for successful performance of a task.
Skill: an individual’s level of proficiency or competency in performing a specific task. Level of competency is typically expressed in numerical terms.
Ability: a more general, enduring trait or capability an individual possesses at the time he first begins to perform a task.
Other Attributes: includes personality traits and other individual characteristics that are integral to job performance.
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23. Rating Task Statements and KSAOs
All tasks are not equal
Some are performed more frequently
Some are more important
Some require a degree of difficulty to perform
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24. Structured Job Analysis Questionnaires and Inventories
Require workers and other SMEs to respond to written questions about their jobs
Respondents are asked to make judgments (e.g., activities, tasks, tools, equipment, working conditions)
Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ): off-the-shelf questionnaires and inventories that can be used for a variety of jobs or they can be developed by the analyst for the specific job and organization in question using the critical incident technique, functional job analysis or other inventory methods.
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25. Task Inventories
Work-oriented surveys: break down jobs into their component tasks
Inventory: comprises task statements that are objectively based descriptions of what gets done on a job
Tasks: worker activities that result in an outcome that serves some specified purpose
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26. Functional Job Analysis
Functional job analysis: defines task statements as verbal descriptions of activities that workers do; it is what gets done on the job to facilitate recruitment, selection, and compensation
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27. Critical Incident Technique
Critical incident technique: highlights examples of effective and ineffective work behaviours
Related to superior or inferior performance
Generates behaviourally focused descriptions of work activities
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28. Worker-Oriented Job Analysis Methods
Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)
Common-Metric Questionnaire (CMQ)
Work Profiling System (WPS)
Threshold Traits Analysis System
Fleishman Job Analysis Survey (F-JAS)
Job Element Method (JEM)
Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA)
PAQ: structured job analysis questionnaire that focuses on the general behaviours that make up a job.
CMQ: structured, off-the-shelf job analysis questionnaire that captures important context variables.
WPS: a job analysis method that consists of three versions applicable to managerial, service, and technical occupations.
Threshold Traits Analysis System: designed to identify worker traits that are relevant to the target job. This method assumes that work behaviours encompass the position functions, the worker traits and the resulting job performance.
F-JAS: developed as a system for identifying employee characteristics that influence job performance. It assumes that job tasks differ with respect to the abilities required to perform them successfully, and that all jobs can be classified according to ability requirements.
JEM: attempts to distinguish between superior and inferior workers on the basis of job-related abilities.
CTA: the term is used in relation to a class of methods that are similar on their approach to understanding the cognitive processes used by experts to complete tasks.
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29. Part II: The Role of Competencies in Recruitment and Selection
Competencies: groups of related behaviours that are needed for successful job performance in an organization; measurable attributes that distinguish outstanding performers from others
Competencies contain three elements:
1. KSAOs that underlie effective and successful job performance;
2. the KSAOs must be observable or measurable;
3. the KSAOs must distinguish between superior and other performers
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30. Competency Model
Competency model: a collection of competencies that are relevant to performance in a particular job, job family, or functional area
Usually developed as a three-tiered competency framework based on an organization’s strategy and vision
Core competencies: characteristics that every member of an organization, regardless of position, function, job, or level of responsibility within the organization, is expected to possess.
Functional competencies: characteristics shared by different positions within an organization. Only those members of an organization in these positions are expected to possess these competencies.
Job-specific competencies: characteristics that apply only to specific positions within the organization. Only those people in the position are expected to possess these competencies.
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31. Figure 4.6 (p. 143)
Competency dictionary: a listing of all of the competencies required by an organization to achieve its mandate, along with the proficiency level required to perform successfully in different functional groups or positions.
Proficiency level: the level at which competency must be performed to ensure success in a given functional group or position.
Proficiency scale: a series of behavioural indicators expected at specific levels of a competency
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32. Figure 4.7 (p. 144) is a sample of competency dictionary entry and its associated proficiency scale. It discusses communication at the basic, proficient, very proficient and mastery levels.
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33. Competency Profile
Competency profile: a set of proficiency ratings related to a function, job, or employee
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34. Figure 4.8 (p. 145) presents a competency profile developed by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) for its citizen service agents. The number in parentheses following each competency represents the proficiency level required for that competency for successful job performance.
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35. Recruitment and Selection Notebook 4.4
Steps in Developing a Competency-Based Management Framework
Obtain executive-level support, including sufficient human and financial resources
Review the organization’s mission, vision, and values statements
Adopt a competency definition that meets the needs of the organization
Recruitment and Selection Notebook 4.4 (p. 147) presents a methodology that should meet the standards of a competency-based management framework.
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36. Recruitment and Selection Notebook 4.4 (continued)
Determine the HR functions for which competencies will be used
Determine the architecture of the competency model
Develop the competency dictionary
Define the profiling methodology
Identify reliable and valid assessment strategies to determine employee competency profiles
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37. Recruitment and Selection Notebook 4.4 (continued)
Document all steps in the development and implementation of the system
Evaluate the system on an ongoing basis to ensure that the competency profiles continue to predict successful job performance
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38. Table 4.4 (p. 150) illustrates eight generic factors and their definitions, along with likely predictors of those competencies.
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39. Great Eight Competencies and Their Definitions and Likely Predictors (continued)
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40. Great Eight Competencies and Their Definitions and Likely Predictors (continued)
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41. Summary
An understanding of job analysis and its relevance to employee recruitment and selection is crucial
There are several job analysis methodologies
Competency-based models are increasing in importance
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42. Discussion Questions
What are the major differences between a competency-based selection system and one developed through job analysis?
What is a competency? Defend your answer.
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43. Discussion Questions (continued)
Discuss why you might not wish to fly in an airplane if the pilot was selected on the basis of only core competencies.
What is the difference, or similarity, between a proficiency level and a skill?
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