Chapter 4 - Job Analysis

Alternative work arrangements

Work setups that differ from the traditional arrangement of working full-time, with a standard fixed schedule, in a fixed location such as an office[cite: 2]

Autonomy

The degree to which a job provides employees with freedom, independence, and discretion in scheduling their work and determining how to perform it[cite: 2]

Behavioral competencies

The observable behaviors, attitudes, and interpersonal characteristics that contribute to effective performance[cite: 2]

Competencies

Individual capabilities that enable an employee to perform their job effectively and achieve desired results[cite: 2]

Competency-based job analysis

A job analysis approach that focuses on identifying the competencies employees need to perform a job successfully[cite: 2]

Compressed workweek

A work arrangement in which employees work their usual number of weekly hours over few workdays[cite: 2]

Coworking spaces

A flexible workspace or shared work environments where people from different organizations work in the same physical space[cite: 2]

Current incumbent emphasis

An issue in job analysis where there is a risk of focusing too heavily on what the current job incumbent does and the incumbent’s particular qualifications, rather than analyzing the job itself[cite: 2]

Duty

A group of related tasks that make up a broader area of work[cite: 2]

Employee diary

A type of observation in which an employee records their own activities over a period of time, including tasks performed, time spent, frequency, and difficulty[cite: 2]

Essential job functions

Fundamental job duties that an employee must be able to perform[cite: 2]

Experienced meaningfulness of work

The degree to which an employee perceives their work as meaningful, valuable, and worthwhile[cite: 2]

Experienced responsibility for outcomes

The degree to which an employee feels personally responsible and accountable for the results of their work[cite: 2]

Feedback

The degree to which carrying out job activities provides employees with clear and direct information about the effectiveness of their performance[cite: 2]

Flexible work arrangements

A type of alternative work arrangement that give employees some flexibility in when, where, or how they work[cite: 2]

Flexible workspaces

Work environments that allow employees to choose or change where and/or how they work within a workplace[cite: 2]

Flextime

A work arrangement that allows employees to choose or adjust their starting and ending times within certain limits, while still working the required number of hours[cite: 2]

Hard skills

Technical or job-related skills that can be learned, demonstrated, and measured[cite: 2]

Hot desking

A flexible workspace where employees do not have assigned desks and use whatever desk is available[cite: 2]

Interviews

A job analysis method in which a job analyst collects information about a job by asking job incumbents, managers, or other SMEs structured and open-ended questions about the job[cite: 2]

Knowledge of results

The degree to which an employee knows how effectively they are performing their job[cite: 2]

Job

A set of tasks, duties, and responsibilities that constitutes the total work assignment for an employee[cite: 2]

Job analysis

The systematic process of collecting and examining information about a job to determine what the job involves and what is required to perform it successfully[cite: 2]

Job analyst

An individual who collects, analyzes, and documents information about jobs as part of the job analysis process[cite: 2]

Job characteristics model

A framework of job design that explains how certain core features of a job affect employee’s psychological states, which in turn influence employee outcomes[cite: 2]

Job description

A written statement that describes the tasks, duties, responsibilities, and other characteristics of a particular job[cite: 2]

Job design

The process of determining and organizing the tasks, duties, responsibilities, and methods involved in a job so that the work is performed effectively and efficiently[cite: 2]

Job enlargement

Expanding the number of tasks an employee performs at the same level of responsibility[cite: 2]

Job enrichment

Redesigning jobs to increase an employee’s responsibility, autonomy, and opportunities for growth and achievement[cite: 2]

Job incumbent

An individual currently working in the job[cite: 2]

Job inflation

Refers to exaggerating the importance, complexity, responsibilities, or status of a job[cite: 2]

Job redesign

The process of changing or restructuring an existing job’s tasks, duties, responsibilities, or methods of performing the work to improve effectiveness, efficiency, or performance[cite: 2]

Job rotation

The periodic movement of employees between different jobs or tasks[cite: 2]

Job sharing

A work arrangement in which two or more employees share the responsibilities and workload of one full-time position[cite: 2]

Job simplification

Designing jobs so employees perform a small number of simple, repetitive tasks[cite: 2]

Job specifications

A written statement describing the qualifications and characteristics an individual needs to perform a job successfully[cite: 2]

Job-title inflation

Refers to giving a job a more prestigious or senior-sounding title than its actual responsibilities warrant[cite: 2]

Labor force participation rate

The percentage of the working-age population that is working or actively seeking work[cite: 2]

Marginal job functions

Job duties that are secondary, incidental, or less important to the job[cite: 2]

O*NET

A database developed by and for the U.S. DOL that provides standardized occupational data about jobs according to the Standard Occupational Classification[cite: 2]

Observation

A job analysis method in which a trained source directly watches and records employees performing their work to collect information about the job[cite: 2]

Open-plan offices

A flexible workspace where employees work in shared areas rather than individual offices[cite: 2]

Part-time schedules

Work that is less than full-time employees[cite: 2]

Performance standards

The specific, measurable criteria that describe how well an employee is expected to perform the duties or functions of a job[cite: 2]

Questionnaires

A job analysis method in which job incumbents, managers, or other SMEs complete a structured set of questions about the job to provide info about the job[cite: 2]

Responsibility

A broad area of accountability or obligation for which an employee is expected to achieve or maintain a particular outcome[cite: 2]

Self-directed team

A group that manages its own work and makes many of its own decisions while being held accountable for results[cite: 2]

Shared workspaces

A flexible workspace where employees share desks, offices, or work areas[cite: 2]

Shift differential

Additional or premium pay given to employees who work less desirable or unusual hours[cite: 2]

Shift work

A work setup in which employees work at different times of the day or night[cite: 2]

Skill gaps

The difference between the skills employees currently have and the skills needed to perform their jobs effectively[cite: 2]

Skill variety

The degree to which a job requires an employee to use a variety of different skills, abilities, or talents[cite: 2]

Soft skills

Personal, interpersonal, and communication skills that affect how an individual interacts with others and performs in the workplace[cite: 2]

Special-purpose team

A group formed to accomplish a specific objective or task, solve a particular problem, or complete a defined project that falls outside the members’ normal job responsibilities[cite: 2]

Subject matter experts

Individuals who have detailed knowledge and experience with the job being analyzed[cite: 2]

Task

A specific work activity or piece of work that an employee performs[cite: 2]

Task identity

The degree to which a job involves completing a whole, identifiable piece of work from beginning to end and results in a visible outcome[cite: 2]

Task significance

The degree to which a job has a substantial impact on the lives or work of others, inside or outside the organization[cite: 2]

Task-based job analysis

A job analysis approach that focuses on identifying and examining the specific tasks, duties, and activities that make up a job[cite: 2]

Technical competencies

The job-specific knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors needed to perform particular tasks or functions effectively[cite: 2]

Technical expert

An individual who has specialized knowledge, skills, and experience in a particular area who can provide expertise about the technical aspects or requirements of a job across multiple organizations or work settings[cite: 2]

Telework

A work arrangement in which employees perform their job away from their organization’s traditional workplace, using technology to communicate and complete their work[cite: 2]

Triangulation

The process of using multiple sources or methods of information to analyze the same job and compare the results[cite: 2]

Virtual team

A group that works together toward a common goal but are physically located in different places and rely primarily on technology to communicate and collaborate[cite: 2]

Work

Physical or mental effort performed to accomplish a task, provide a service, or achieve a goal[cite: 2]

Work readiness

The knowledge, skills, behaviors, and personal qualities needed to obtain and successfully maintain employment[cite: 2]

Work sampling

A type of observation in which a job analyst observes and records employees performing their work at selected or random points in time[cite: 2]

Workflow analysis

The process of examining how work moves through an organization, including the sequence of tasks, who performs them, and how information, materials, or resources move from one step to the next[cite: 2]

Workforce profile

A description of the characteristics, demographics, and employment patterns of the labor force or an organization’s workforce[cite: 2]

Work-life balance

The ability to effectively manage work and personal responsibilities so that one area does not excessively interfere with the other[cite: 2]

Work-life integration

The blending and coordinating of work and personal responsibilities so that they can be managed together throughout the day[cite: 2]