Lesson Objectives:
What is job analysis?
Job analysis is the collection of information about tasks and observable work behaviors that are performed on a job and that can be verified either directly or through inference. Furthermore, job analysis includes information about the context in which work is performed (i.e., equipment, materials, relationships with others). Overall, the goal of this analysis is to describe what the worker does in performing a job.
Job analyses will vary based on the following dimensions:
• Type of information (i.e., tasks vs. KSAOs)
• Source of information (incumbents vs. supervisors)
• Method of information collection (interview, observation, questionnaire, etc.)
• Form (qualitative vs. quantitative)
• Purpose of the job analysis
Additionally, there are two general categories of job analysis:
Job-oriented
• Indicates what the worker accomplishes on the job (e.g. examines pipes, fixes motors)
• Provides very detailed descriptions of jobs
• Lack of flexibility; difficult to compare across jobs
• Types: Task Inventory, Functional Job Analysis
Worker-oriented
• Concentrates on attributes of the worker necessary to accomplish tasks (e.g. persuade, synthesize, supervise)
• General behavioral descriptors allow comparison of many different types of jobs
• Some specificity is lost in the job description
• Types: Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ), Job Element approach