Job Analysis Report Notes - Freight Conductor Job Analysis
Executive Summary
The report presents a framework for conducting systematic job analyses of safety-sensitive railroad positions and demonstrates the process through a model analysis of the freight conductor job.
A thorough job analysis provides the foundation for several major HR systems, including:
Training
Performance appraisal
Personnel selection
The main goal of job analysis is to determine the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics, or KSAOs, required for successful job performance.
Once KSAOs are identified, job analysis findings can be used to develop:
Training programs focused on relevant and measurable KSAOs
Performance appraisal systems based on job-related criteria
Personnel selection procedures that assess critical job-related characteristics
These systems are more likely to be legally defensible when they are based on systematic job analysis.
Combination Job Analysis Method, or C-JAM
The report's job analysis method is based on the Combination Job Analysis Method, or C-JAM.
C-JAM is considered a hybrid job analysis approach because it collects information about both:
The work itself
Tasks employees perform
The worker
KSAOs employees need to perform those tasks
C-JAM involves:
Developing task statements
Identifying relevant KSAOs
Rating tasks
Rating KSAOs
Linking KSAOs to job tasks
The report also expands C-JAM by collecting information about:
Job context
Physical demands
Psychological demands
Tools and equipment
The exact methodology may differ somewhat depending on why the job analysis is being conducted.
Advantages of C-JAM
The report identifies several strengths.
Flexibility
C-JAM captures both:
What employees do
What characteristics employees need
Some job analysis approaches emphasize only one of those areas.
Relatively inexpensive
Organizations do not necessarily need to purchase specialized job analysis instruments because the analyst can develop the materials.
Can use relatively small expert groups
C-JAM can be conducted using smaller groups of:
Job incumbents
Supervisors
Other subject matter experts
Some alternative techniques require responses from much larger employee samples.
Useful for training and selection
The method was particularly appropriate because the goal of the freight conductor analysis was to generate information that could inform:
Training needs
Selection procedures
These characteristics made C-JAM useful for the railroad industry.
Overall Freight Conductor Findings
Freight conductor tasks were eventually classified into five major functional areas:
Crew communication
Crew supervision
Form and record management
Train inspection, troubleshooting, and repair
Train makeup and handling
Freight conductors require many KSAOs, including:
Knowledge of operating and safety rules
Skill working on or around moving equipment
Judgment and decision-making ability
A strong orientation or "passion" for safety
They also interact with many other railroad employees and use numerous tools and types of equipment.
The position involves considerable:
Physical demands
Psychological demands
Fatigue emerged as one of the most prominent demands.
1. Introduction
The purpose of the investigation was to:
Conduct a systematic freight conductor job analysis
Develop a model that could potentially be used for other safety-sensitive railroad jobs
Provide a step-by-step description of the process
The analysis relied on:
Multiple methodologies
Multiple information sources
Subject matter experts, or SMEs
A wide variety of KSAOs are necessary for freight conductor performance, making a comprehensive analysis necessary.
2. The Job Analysis Design
The methodology was derived from C-JAM.
Panels of SMEs were used to:
Generate job task statements
Identify KSAOs required for effective performance
Link KSAOs to the tasks
Why link KSAOs to tasks?
The connection is extremely important because it demonstrates that the KSAO is job related.
In other words:
Task → Required KSAO
This gives evidence that a characteristic assessed during selection is actually necessary for performing the job.
This linkage is especially relevant to the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures.
The analysis also gathered information about:
Machines
Tools
Equipment
Physical demands
Psychological demands
Job context
2.1 Preliminary Activities
The first major step is determining:
What job is being analyzed?
and
Why is the job analysis being conducted?
Understanding the purpose determines the types of information that need to be collected.
Systematic job analysis data may inform:
Recruitment
Selection
Training and development
Performance assessment
C-JAM can be used for multiple purposes but is particularly well suited for:
Selection
Training
Collect Existing Job Information
Before meeting with SMEs, the analyst should gather as much existing information about the job as possible.
Possible sources include:
Previous job analyses
Job descriptions
O*NET
Organizational charts
Training materials
This preliminary research helps the analyst develop a general understanding of the job before asking SMEs for detailed information.
Observation
Whenever possible, the report recommends observing employees actually performing the job.
Before observation, analysts should:
Review available materials
Develop questions
Prepare to take detailed notes
During observation, employees can be asked to:
Explain what they typically do
Describe their regular workflow
Walk the analyst through normal job cycles
Observation therefore supplements written job information with firsthand evidence of actual work.
Preliminary Task and KSAO Lists
The analyst can use:
Existing documents
Observations
Prior job information
to develop draft lists of tasks and KSAOs.
These preliminary lists are optional, but they can make later SME meetings more efficient.
Importantly, the SME meetings remain the primary information source in the C-JAM process.
Constructing Good Task Statements
One of the major challenges is choosing the appropriate level of specificity.
A task should:
Describe an activity used to achieve a job objective
Have a recognizable beginning and end
The report explains that if breaking a task down further would simply describe individual physical movements, the statement has probably become sufficiently specific.
A good task statement normally contains:
An implied plural subject, such as workers or employees
A verb describing what they do
An object being acted upon
Sometimes a phrase describing why the action is performed
For example:
Freight conductors update required rule books and bulletins for all territories operated on.
Other examples include:
Calling out signals
Determining whether defective rail equipment should be moved, repaired, or set out
Identifying Important Contacts
The analyst must also identify employees and organizational contacts who should participate.
The focus is primarily on recruiting:
Experienced job incumbents
Supervisors
Potential SMEs should understand:
The purpose of the analysis
Their role in the process
2.2 Subject Matter Expert Panels
A subject matter expert, or SME, is someone who has strong knowledge of:
How the job currently operates
How the job is expected to operate in the future
SMEs may include:
Incumbents
Managers
Consultants
Other people familiar with the job
Using different types of SMEs is useful because it incorporates multiple perspectives.
The central requirement is that every SME genuinely understands the job.
Why Use SME Panels?
SME panels can gather information:
Quickly
Relatively inexpensively
They are also useful for future-oriented job analysis because multiple experts may have different but valuable views about:
How tasks will change
What future KSAOs employees will need
Recommended SME Panel Composition
The report recommends approximately:
5 to 7 employees
2 to 3 supervisors
SMEs should have:
Considerable job experience
Good job knowledge
Good written communication skills
Good oral communication skills
Panels should also be diverse.
Representation should ideally include differences in:
Gender
Ethnicity
Shift
Geographic location
The purpose is to develop a representative picture of the job, rather than letting one person's experience define it.
2.3 SME Panel Meeting 1
Job Context and Task Statement Development
The first SME meeting has two major goals:
Gather information about:
Job context
Tools/equipment
Physical demands
Psychological demands
Generate the list of tasks and organize them into functional categories
A functional category is a collection of related job tasks.
The report suggests that this meeting may take an entire day.
Resources may include:
Audio recorder or scribe
Notes and writing materials
Flip chart
Computer
Printer/copier
Accurately documenting the SME discussion is important.
Step 1: Discuss the Job Broadly
Before generating individual tasks, SMEs discuss:
Job environment
Job demands
Equipment
They should think about the job generally, not merely their own individual way of doing it.
Step 2: Generate Task Statements
The goal is approximately 30 to 100 task statements.
If preliminary task statements already exist, SMEs can begin by editing them.
SMEs first review:
Definition of a task
Examples
Proper task statement construction
They can then work:
Individually
In small groups
to generate or edit tasks.
Step 3: Edit Task Statements
SMEs review the combined task list and identify:
Redundant tasks
Poorly worded tasks
Missing tasks
The group should specifically consider:
Infrequent tasks
Seasonal tasks
Emergency tasks
This is important because frequency and importance are not the same thing.
A task can occur rarely but still be critical.
Step 4: Create Functional Categories
SMEs group related tasks together.
The goal is to reach consensus on:
Functional categories
Which tasks belong in each category
The final product of Meeting 1 is an organized and comprehensive job-task list.
2.4 Task Statement Ratings
After the task list is developed, at least 5 to 7 SMEs should independently rate the tasks.
The rating method depends on the purpose of the analysis.
At minimum, the report recommends measuring task importance.
It may also be useful to assess:
Amount of time spent on a task
For C-JAM, importance is based primarily on two dimensions:
Consequences of Error
How serious would the consequences be if this task were performed incorrectly?
Task Difficulty
How difficult is it to perform the task correctly?
These two ratings are combined:
Task Importance = Consequences of Error + Task Difficulty
The report also recommends recording SME demographic information such as:
Job title
Sex
Ethnicity
Age
Education
Job tenure
Administering Ratings
Ideally, task surveys are completed in person because:
Response rates may be higher
Instructions can be standardized
Questions can be answered immediately
SMEs can develop a shared understanding of rating scales
Other possibilities include:
Online surveys
Paper surveys
Mailed surveys
When employees complete surveys remotely, instructions need to be especially clear.
2.5 Analysis of Meeting 1 and Task Ratings
Both qualitative and quantitative information must be analyzed.
Qualitative Analysis
Information about:
Job context
Demands
Tools
should be reviewed for major themes.
The analyst should remain objective and make sure the themes accurately reflect SME statements.
Quantitative Analysis
Task ratings should be entered into a program capable of calculating statistics such as:
Mean
Standard deviation
For every SME:
Task Importance = Consequences of Error + Task Difficulty
The task importance values are then averaged across raters.
Tasks should generally be:
Organized by functional category
Ranked from highest to lowest importance within categories
The report should also include:
Consequences-of-error scores
Difficulty scores
Overall importance
Variability
SME demographic characteristics
2.6 SME Panel Meeting 2
KSAO Development
The second major SME meeting focuses on identifying the KSAOs necessary to perform the job.
SMEs first review the:
Functional categories
Task statements
They determine whether any last corrections are needed.
The group is then taught or reminded of the meaning of:
Knowledge
Skills
Abilities
Other characteristics
SMEs may then be divided into groups of 2 to 3 people.
Each subgroup is assigned several functional categories and identifies the KSAOs needed to perform those tasks.
Linking KSAOs to Tasks
This is one of the most important parts of the methodology.
The organization is not simply generating a list of desirable traits.
Instead:
Each KSAO is connected to actual job tasks.
This provides evidence that the KSAO is:
Job related
Necessary for successful performance
As many as approximately 100 KSAOs may initially be generated.
The entire SME panel eventually reviews and edits the list until members agree that it is complete and accurate.
2.7 KSAO Ratings
At least 5 to 7 SMEs should rate the KSAOs quantitatively.
The standard C-JAM procedure recommends four questions.
For each KSAO:
1. Is it necessary for newly hired employees?
Does the person need this characteristic at the time of hire?
2. Is it practical to expect it in the labor market?
Can an organization realistically expect applicants to already have it?
3. What problems would occur if the KSAO were ignored during selection?
This helps determine the importance of assessing it before hiring.
4. Does the KSAO distinguish superior workers from average workers?
This indicates whether it meaningfully separates stronger performers from typical performers.
2.8 Analysis of KSAO Ratings
For the first two questions, analysts calculate the percentage of SMEs answering yes.
For the other two questions, analysts calculate:
Means
Standard deviations
These ratings then help determine whether the KSAO should primarily be addressed through:
Selection or training.
KSAOs Appropriate for Selection
Under standard C-JAM procedures, a KSAO should be considered for selection when:
A clear majority believe new employees need it
A clear majority believe it is reasonable to expect applicants to have it
The average "problems likely" rating is at least 1.5
In other words, this is something applicants should already bring into the organization.
KSAOs Appropriate for Training
A KSAO can be considered for training when:
Most SMEs believe new hires do not necessarily need it immediately
Its ability to distinguish superior from average workers receives an average rating of at least 1.5
Higher ratings on distinguishing stronger workers suggest greater training importance.
Very important selection concept
This section addresses a fundamental question in staffing:
Should we select for this characteristic, or can we train it after hiring?
2.9 Job Analysis Report
The entire job analysis process should be formally documented.
The report should explain:
Why the analysis was conducted
Background information
Preliminary research
Observation
How tasks were developed
How KSAOs were developed
Who the SMEs were
How ratings were collected
How the information was analyzed
The resulting data
Appendices should contain supporting materials.
The final report should also be accompanied by a cleaned dataset containing quantitative results but removing information that would identify individual SMEs.
3. Application to the Freight Conductor Job
The next major section demonstrates how the methodology was actually applied.
The goals were to:
Demonstrate the job-analysis procedure
Identify practical difficulties
Determine how those challenges could be addressed
3.1 Overview
The freight conductor job analysis took place between:
June 2009 and August 2010
Researchers:
Reviewed existing information
Developed preliminary tasks and KSAOs
Held six face-to-face SME meetings
Edited tasks and KSAOs
Linked KSAOs to functional categories
Collected context, demand, and equipment information
Administered two online surveys
The surveys collected ratings for:
Tasks
KSAOs
The process eventually produced the five functional categories identified earlier.
3.2 Preliminary Work
Researchers developed preliminary task and KSAO lists from several sources.
These included:
O*NET's railroad conductor and yardmaster information
A prior conductor task analysis
A cognitive task analysis of locomotive engineers
General Code of Operating Rules
Northeast Operating Rules Advisory Committee rules
Conversations with railroad experts
Experts came from organizations including:
United Transportation Union
Federal Railroad Administration
Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
The preliminary lists were then reviewed by two railroad SMEs.
Initial Problem With Task Organization
Originally, researchers attempted to organize tasks into:
Main tasks
Subtasks
This structure proved problematic.
During the SME process, the analysts instead shifted to organizing tasks according to functional categories.
This ultimately worked better for representing freight conductor work.
3.3 SME Panel Meeting 1
Task and KSAO List Editing
The first formal panel occurred in October 2009.
Participants:
Four managers responsible for conductor field training
They had considerable railroad experience.
The three-hour meeting focused on reviewing:
Task statements
KSAOs
Task Editing
SMEs spent approximately 1.5 hours editing the preliminary task list.
They:
Added tasks
Deleted tasks
Revised wording
KSAO Editing
The second half focused on KSAOs.
Researchers reviewed the definitions of:
Knowledge
Skill
Ability
Other characteristics
The KSAO list required fewer changes than the task list.
Most changes involved wording.
Lessons From the First Meeting
Two important problems emerged.
KSAO linking occurred too early
The researchers initially tried to connect KSAOs to tasks, but the task list was still changing.
Therefore, those initial linkages were not used.
"Main tasks" were too vague
The broader main-task categories did not contribute enough useful information.
Researchers therefore moved toward functional categories.
After the meeting, the task list was reorganized again because some statements were:
Too broad
Too narrow
Written using inappropriate verbs
This revised list became the basis for Meeting 2.
3.4 SME Panel Meeting 2
Further Editing of Task List
Meeting 2 included:
Five conductors
One of whom was also a locomotive engineer
SMEs reviewed the reorganized task list individually and then discussed changes as a group.
They were specifically asked to focus on tasks already identified as problematic.
Changes were projected on a screen in real time so everyone could review them.
Afterward, researchers identified sets of tasks sharing similar functions.
This resulted in five preliminary functional categories.
3.5 SME Panel Meeting 3
Final Task List
The third panel finalized:
Individual task statements
Functional categories
SMEs were asked:
Are the categories meaningful?
Are additional categories required?
Are tasks placed in the correct category?
Are rare tasks missing?
Are emergency-related tasks missing?
Is the entire task list complete and accurate?
The explicit consideration of rare but critical tasks was important.
Only a limited number of changes were required at this stage.
3.5.1 Five Functional Categories
The final analysis identified 42 tasks grouped into five categories.
1. Crew Communication
Includes tasks involving communication with:
Train crew
Other railroad personnel
Example:
Calling out signals while operating in signal territory.
2. Crew Supervision
Includes oversight and coordination of other railroad personnel.
Example:
Conducting a job briefing with the train crew regarding:
Work to be completed
Movements
Safety hazards
3. Form and Record Management
Includes tasks involving:
Documentation
Forms
Records
Example:
Updating the signal awareness form.
4. Train Inspection, Troubleshooting, and Repair
Includes:
Inspection
Maintenance
Problem identification
Repair-related activities
Example:
Locating, inspecting, and reporting defects identified by a defect detector.
5. Train Makeup and Handling
Includes:
Preparing trains
Handling trains during operations
Example:
Inspecting and lining switches as required.
3.6 Online Task Rating Survey
Freight conductors then rated each task using two scales.
Consequences of Error
Question:
How significant are the consequences of performing the task incorrectly?
Scale:
1 = Not at all important
2 = Somewhat important
3 = Moderately important
4 = Very important
5 = Extremely important
Task Difficulty
Question:
How difficult is it to perform the task correctly compared with other tasks?
Scale:
1 = Very easy
2 = Somewhat easy
3 = Neither easy nor difficult
4 = Somewhat difficult
5 = Very difficult
Survey Participants
Twenty-four conductors were invited.
Researchers specifically wanted employees with at least:
5 years of experience
Attempts were also made to increase demographic diversity.
Seventeen conductors responded.
Response rate
71%
The group was highly experienced:
Mean job tenure = 17.5 years
Mean organizational tenure = 24.1 years
Mean experience as freight conductor = 21.9 years
Task importance was again calculated as:
Consequences of Error + Task Difficulty
Nearly every task received a high consequences-of-error score.
All except three had an average error-consequence rating of at least 4, indicating that most freight conductor tasks on the list carried serious consequences if performed incorrectly.
The largest disagreement among SMEs concerned task difficulty.
3.7 SME Meetings 4 and 5
Linking KSAOs to Functional Categories
The next major goal was connecting KSAOs with the functional task categories.
SMEs:
Reviewed task lists
Reviewed task importance values
Reviewed KSAO definitions
They then worked in small groups.
Each group determined which KSAOs were necessary for a particular functional category.
A KSAO was only assigned to a category when SMEs reached consensus.
This strengthened the evidence that the KSAOs were genuinely connected to the work.
Results of Linking
Every KSAO was connected to at least one functional category.
Many were connected to multiple categories.
For example:
Skill in performing switching activities
was required across all five functional categories.
This demonstrates that some competencies are broader and support performance across many different parts of the job.
3.8 Online KSAO Rating Survey
The purpose was to determine:
Relative KSAO importance
Whether KSAOs were better suited for:
Training
Selection
Unlike standard C-JAM, researchers used only two rating dimensions.
They reduced the number because there were many KSAOs and they were concerned that four ratings per KSAO would create respondent fatigue and incomplete data.
KSAO Importance
Question:
How important is it that freight conductors possess this KSAO?
Scale:
1 = Not at all important
2 = Somewhat important
3 = Moderately important
4 = Very important
5 = Extremely important
KSAO Trainability
Question:
Can this KSAO be taught through formal training?
Examples:
Classroom training
Simulation
Field training
Responses:
0 = No
1 = Yes
KSAO Survey Results
Eight of fifteen SMEs responded.
Response rate
53%
Mean experience:
Job tenure = 11.6 years
Organizational tenure = 14.9 years
Freight conductor experience = 11.1 years
Researchers classified a KSAO as a training candidate if more than 50% of SMEs believed it was trainable.
If the KSAO failed that criterion, it became a candidate for selection.
Importance scores helped determine which KSAOs deserved the greatest attention.
Training vs. Selection Results
Most KSAOs were considered trainable.
However, 10 KSAOs were considered better suited for selection because SMEs did not believe they were sufficiently trainable.
The report also points out some borderline cases.
For example:
Recognizing/distinguishing railroad signal colors
Situational awareness
were rated as trainable by slightly more than 50% of SMEs.
The authors suggest these characteristics could potentially also be useful in selection.
3.9 Final SME Meeting
Job Context, Tools, Demands, and Experience
The final SME meeting gathered information about:
Job context
Tools
Physical demands
Psychological demands
Experience required to develop particular KSAOs
3.9.1 Job Context
Freight conductors interact with numerous other railroad employees, including:
Brakemen
Dispatchers
Engineers
Maintainers
Emergency response personnel
Railroad police
Track foremen
Trainmasters
Yardmasters
Because of this, interpersonal KSAOs are important.
Examples include:
Giving and interpreting communication signals
Oral communication
Written communication
Active listening
Hazardous Materials
Freight conductors can also encounter hazardous substances.
Exposure may result from:
Freight being transported
Broken hoses
Leaking valves
Chemicals used near railroad tracks
This explains why important KSAOs include:
Knowledge of hazardous-material placards
Knowledge of hazardous-material regulations
Skill inspecting hazardous-material cars
3.9.2 Tools and Equipment
Conductors use many types of equipment, including:
Brake sticks
Derails
End-of-train devices
Flags
Fusees/flares
Hand tools
Power tools
Hand switches
Lanterns
Laptop computers
Personal protective equipment
Radio communication equipment
The variety of equipment is consistent with the importance of:
Inspection
Troubleshooting
Repair
Communication tasks
3.9.3 Physical and Psychological Demands
Physical demands include:
Climbing
Lifting
Walking
Throwing switches
Working on steep terrain
Working in different climates
Fatigue and sleep deprivation
Most significant physical demand
Fatigue was identified as the greatest physical demand.
Conductors may work:
Nights
Weekends
On-call schedules
Long hours
Irregular schedules
SMEs believed unpredictable schedules were one of the major causes of fatigue.
Lack of Schedule Control
Conductors may have little control over their schedules.
Scheduling uncertainty can affect:
Sleep
Fatigue
Personal obligations
Family responsibilities
Social relationships
Importantly, the ability to work nontraditional schedules was identified as:
Very important
Not easily trainable
Therefore, this characteristic may be particularly relevant to employee selection rather than training.
Psychological Demands
A major psychological risk involves accidents involving bystanders.
Crew members may have very little ability to stop an incident once a train is moving.
Examples discussed by SMEs involved:
Striking individuals
Potential suicide situations
Such experiences can be psychologically difficult because employees may feel helpless or lacking in control.
Irregular schedules may also create psychological strain by making it difficult to maintain normal social relationships.
3.9.4 Experience Needed to Acquire KSAOs
Researchers examined the amount of on-the-job training, or OJT, required to reach acceptable levels on two particularly important KSAOs.
KSAO 1: Knowledge of the Physical Territory
This means understanding the physical characteristics of the territory where the conductor operates.
SMEs estimated approximately:
3 to 6 months of OJT
The exact time depends on:
Individual employee
Number of trips
SMEs believed current training was shorter than necessary.
They recommended:
Supervised OJT
Gradually reducing supervision as employees gain competence
KSAO 2: Coordinating and Planning Train Movements
This involves the ability to coordinate and plan movements:
Safely
Efficiently
SMEs estimated approximately:
3 months of supervised OJT
They emphasized that the training should involve close supervision by an experienced trainer.
4. Challenges in Implementing the Job Analysis
The authors encountered several practical difficulties that could also occur when analyzing other safety-sensitive jobs.
4.1 Difficulty Recruiting Experts
This was identified as the biggest challenge.
SMEs:
Participated voluntarily
Participated on personal time
Received little immediate benefit
Researchers had to rely on:
Company contacts
Union contacts
Multiple railroad carriers
Recommendation
If the job analysis is being conducted within a single organization:
Allow SMEs to participate during paid work time
Consider additional compensation or a small incentive
This may substantially improve participation.
4.2 Experts Could Not Participate for Long Periods
Freight conductors operate in a:
24/7 work environment
Employees also have irregular schedules.
This made long group meetings extremely difficult.
Solution
C-JAM can be adjusted by using:
Multiple shorter meetings
Meetings lasting approximately 1 to 2 hours
Smaller groups at each session
Even when using smaller meetings, the analysis should eventually involve at least 5 to 7 SMEs at every major stage.
Documentation becomes particularly important because information is being gathered across separate meetings.
4.3 Limited Time and Resources
Organizations may not have unlimited resources for job analysis.
If time is especially limited, the authors suggest that less attention could potentially be placed on:
General job context
Demands
Tools/equipment
However, the core parts cannot be skipped:
Essential components
Developing task statements
Developing KSAOs
Linking KSAOs to tasks
A thorough preliminary review can save time later by allowing the analyst to prepare draft task and KSAO lists before involving SMEs.
However, the authors strongly warn against rushing job analysis.
The process creates fundamental information about the job, so sufficient time is needed to ensure that important features are not overlooked.
4.4 Writing Task Statements at the Correct Level of Specificity
This was another significant difficulty.
Preliminary task lists can help, but they can also create problems if they are:
Too broad
Too vague
Too specific
This is particularly likely when analysts have limited personal experience with the job.
Effective strategies included:
Reviewing the definition of a task
Showing good examples
Reminding SMEs that they are the job experts
Encouraging SMEs to critically challenge analyst-generated statements
The analysts therefore should not assume their preliminary descriptions are correct.
4.5 Keeping SMEs Focused
Group discussions can easily move away from job analysis into unrelated conversations.
The meeting coordinator needs to:
Recognize off-topic discussion
Redirect the conversation
Politely interrupt when necessary
Encourage quieter participants
Prevent one person from dominating
All SME perspectives should be heard because the purpose is to develop a representative description of the job, not simply the opinion of the most vocal participant.
5. Conclusion
The freight conductor job analysis ultimately identified five main task areas:
Crew communication
Crew supervision
Form and record management
Train inspection, troubleshooting, and repair
Train makeup and handling
Many KSAOs were necessary for successful performance.
Examples included:
Knowledge
Knowledge of procedures for handling and reporting emergencies
Skill
Skill identifying block signal aspects
Ability
Judgment and decision-making ability
Other characteristic
A strong commitment or passion for safety
Many KSAOs were determined to be trainable, including knowledge of operating and safety rules.
Those KSAOs should therefore be emphasized through employee training and development.
Other characteristics, such as the ability to work nontraditional schedules, were considered less trainable.
Those characteristics may therefore be more appropriate to evaluate during employee selection.