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JOB ANALYSIS and

HR PLANNING________________________

Dr. Teal McAteer-EarlyMichael G. DeGroote School of Business

McMaster University

Week 2

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What is a job?

• Job– Group of related activities and duties– Made up of tasks

• Tasks– Basic elements of jobs– “what gets done”

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What is Job Analysis?

• Job analysis (JA) systematically collects, evaluates, and organizes information about jobs

• JA identifies behaviours, knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that are critical to a job

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What is the purpose of JA?

• JA lays the foundation for HRM systems:

– Selection• Selection system developed to assess key KSAs

• Ensures that it is job-related

– Training• Gaps in KSAs of new hires represent training needs

– Performance Appraisal• Job analysis establishes performance standards

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What is the purpose of JA?

– Compensation• Relative worth of jobs measured via job evaluation

• JA helps you to select the right ee, evaluate the ee fairly, compensate, and train the appropriate skills to the appropriate ees

• JA also ensures your system is legally defensible and perceived as fair (procedural justice)

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Steps in Job Analysis Process

• Phase 1: Preparation for job analysis

1. Familiarization with the organization and its jobs

2. Determine the uses of the JA information (selection, training?)

3. Identify what jobs need to be analyzed• Critical to success of the organization• Difficult to learn• New technology

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Steps in Job Analysis Process

Phase 2: Collection of JA information

1. Source of Job Data– Job incumbents, supervisors, subordinates,

customers– Existing job descriptions– Manuals, publications– National Occupational Classification

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Steps in Job Analysis Process

Phase 2: Collection of JA information2. Data collection instrument design

– Gather information systematically– Often involves questionnaire, checklist– Use same questionnaire for similar jobs– Different jobs may require different instrument

• Information gathered:– Status, key duties/tasks, KSAs, working

conditions, performance standards

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Steps in Job Analysis Process

Phase 2: Collection of JA information3. Data collection method

– Face-to-face interviews– Questionnaires– Employee log/diary– Observation– Combination of above– No “best” approach

• Trade-offs re: accuracy, time, and cost

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Existing JA Methods

• Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)

• Functional Job Analysis (FJA)

• Critical Incident Technique (CIT)

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Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)

• McCormick (1972)

• Developed because of criticism that JA relied on observation – not quantifiable

• Detailed questionnaire (194 tasks)

• Determines extent to which each task is applicable to target job– Using a 5-point scale

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Functional Job Analysis (FJA)

• Fine & Wiley (1971)

• Focuses on task statements

• Task statements include:– What? - What gets done (the action/behaviour)– To whom or what? - The object of the action– Why? - Purpose of the action– How? - What facilitates the action?

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Functional Job Analysis

• Tasks are rated on scales reflecting varying degrees of involvement with Things, Data, and People as well as math, language, etc. requirements

• Each scale is arranged hierarchically– E.g., People scale ranges from “taking

instructions” to “leadership”

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Critical Incident Technique

• Flanagan (1949)

• Identifies behaviours that indicate success or failure on the job– Effective vs ineffective behaviours

• Critical Incidents include:– Context - in which the incident occurred– Behaviour - exactly what the individual did that was

effective or ineffective– Consequences - of the behaviour and whether or not

consequences were in the employee’s control

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Developing Critical Incidents

• Interview with people familiar with the job– E.g., supervisors, subordinates, customers

• Ask them to describe specific incidents of effective / ineffective behaviour by incumbents of target job– Incident context – What led up to the incident

(background)? What was the situation?

– Behaviour – What exactly did the person do that was effective / ineffective?

– Consequence - What was the outcome of the behaviour?

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Using Critical Incidents

• Critical incidents are collected

• Critical incidents that are similar in context are grouped into a behavioural item– 2 critical incidents

1. Rewarding employees for good performance

2. Publicly praising for good performance• Could be grouped into a behavioural item

“Praise/reward subordinates for effective performance”

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Using Critical Incidents

• Similar behavioural items are grouped into a meaningful behavioural criterion– 2 behavioural items

1. “Praise/reward employees…” 2. “Counselling, giving advice to subordinates” • Combine to form the behavioural criterion

“Interactions with subordinates”

• These form basis of selection system (e.g., interview), performance appraisal instrument, etc.

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Steps in Job Analysis Process

Phase 3: Uses of JA information

1. Job descriptions—Task requirements– Statement that explains duties working conditions,

etc. of a job

2. Job specifications—Person requirements– Statement of what a job demands of the incumbent– E.g., knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs) and other

characteristics required to perform job

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Steps in Job Analysis Process

Phase 3: Uses of JA information

3. Performance standards– What is expected of workers– JA may provide performance standards for job where

performance is readily quantified, measurable, etc.– May need to be augmented – e.g., participative goal-

setting

• All of these uses form foundation for various HRM systems

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In-Class Exercise

• In groups, develop critical incidents for university instructors

• Generate at least:– 3 incidents of effective behaviour and – 3 incidents of ineffective behaviour

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Critical Incident Technique

• Think about instructors you have had over the last 12 months:– Without telling me the name, think of someone who has

been (in)effective in the role of instructor. – Think of a specific incident that you saw occur that made

you think they were (in)effective– What were the circumstances surrounding the incident?

What was the situation?– What exactly did they do that was (in)effective?

• Make sure you are describing observable behaviour

– What were the consequences of the behaviour? Were the consequences due to the person’s behaviour?

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Human Resource Planning

• HR Planning systematically forecasts an organization’s future demand for and supply of employees and matches supply with demand.

• Involves

-Forecasting demand

-Forecasting supply

-Addressing labour shortages and surpluses

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HR Demand and Supply

Forecasting Demand

• External– Socio-political– Competition

• Organizational– Organizational strategy– Sales forecast

• Workforce– Retirements, resignations,

terminations

Forecasting Supply

• External;– Labour market analysis– Demographics

• Internal– HR audit/Current

employees KSAs– Succession planning

replacement charts

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Strategic Issues re: HR Planning

1. Must know organization’s short and long- term goals

2. Different organizational strategies require different human resource plans

3. Human resource planning facilitates proactive response to environmental and legal challenges

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Strategic Issues re: HR Planning

4. An organization’s tactical plans must be aligned with HR plans

5. Alignment between organizational and HR plans provides basis for timely and effective recruitment and selection.