Job Analysis and Competency Models

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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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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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Chapter Learning Outcomes

(continued)
Understand the need to validate competencybased 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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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

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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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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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Class Activity
1.

Do you have a current job description in

your full-time, part-time or contract
position?

2.

Why are job descriptions important in the

recruiting process?

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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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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

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Job Analysis Methods

Three criteria in choosing a method:

1. Goal of job analysis includes the description
of observable work behaviours and analysis
of their products
2. Results of a job analysis should describe the
work behaviour, not the personal
characteristics of the individual
3. Any job analysis must produce outcomes
that are verifiable and replicable

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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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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

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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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Survey of Work-Oriented Job

Analysis Methods
Interviews
Direct Observation
Self-Monitoring Data
Rating Task Statements and KSAOs

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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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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

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Recruitment and Selection

Notebook 4.1

Guidelines for a Job Analysis

Interview
1. Announce the job analysis well ahead of the
interview date
2. Participation in interviews should be voluntary,
and job incumbents should be interviewed only
with the permission of their supervisors
3. Interviews should be conducted in a private
location free from the trappings of status

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Recruitment and Selection

Notebook 4.1(continued)
4. Open the interview by establishing rapport
and explaining the purpose of the interview
5. Ask open-ended questions, using language
that is easy to understand, and allow ample
time for the employees responses
6. Guide the session without being authoritative
or overbearing
7. Explain that records of the interviews will
identify them only by confidential codes

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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

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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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Employee Specifications for a

Job
Knowledge
Skill
Ability
Other Attributes

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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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Structured Job Analysis

Questionnaires and
Require workers and other SMEs to
Inventories

respond to written questions about their

jobs
Respondents are asked to make
judgments (e.g., activities, tasks, tools,
equipment, working conditions)

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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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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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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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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)

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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

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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 organizations strategy
and vision

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Competency Profile

Competency profile: a set of proficiency

ratings related to a function, job, or
employee

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Recruitment and Selection

Notebook 4.4

Steps in Developing a CompetencyBased Management Framework

1. Obtain executive-level support, including
sufficient human and financial resources
2. Review the organizations mission, vision, and
values statements
3. Adopt a competency definition that meets the
needs of the organization

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Recruitment and Selection

Notebook 4.4 (continued)
4. Determine the HR functions for which
competencies will be used
5. Determine the architecture of the competency
model
6. Develop the competency dictionary
7. Define the profiling methodology
8. Identify reliable and valid assessment
strategies to determine employee competency
profiles

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Recruitment and Selection

Notebook 4.4 (continued)
9. Document all steps in the development and
implementation of the system
10.Evaluate the system on an ongoing basis to
ensure that the competency profiles continue
to predict successful job performance

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Great Eight Competencies and Their

Definitions and Likely Predictors
(continued)

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Great Eight Competencies and Their

Definitions and Likely Predictors
(continued)

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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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Discussion Questions
1.

What are the major differences between

a competency-based selection system
and one developed through job analysis?

2.

What is a competency? Defend your

answer.

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Discussion Questions
(continued)
3.

Discuss why you might not wish to fly in

an airplane if the pilot was selected on
the basis of only core competencies.

4.

What is the difference, or similarity,

between a proficiency level and a skill?

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