A Psychologist Looks At Job Analysis

A Psychologist Looks at Job Analysis Michael T. Brannick ISPI Feb 8 2007

Key Points  

Job Analysis Can Provide Good Data Several Ways to Go; Choose Wisely

Background 

Goals (Outcomes) 

Effectiveness  

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More Widgets More sales

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Same widgets, fewer hours Fewer people

Well being 

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Individual safety and satisfaction Group viability

Avenues   

Efficiency 

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Design Selection Training

Far side cartoon about Zog and buddy

Traditional Job Analysis 

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JA defined – process of discovery aka front-end analysis Job is typically fixed; organization is mostly ignored Work Environment  

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Work   

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Working conditions (e.g., indoor vs outdoor) Hazards (e.g., electrical, heavy equipment) Tasks Materials Equipment

Worker 

KSAOs

Questions Driving Analysis   

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What do you do? (job goals, tasks) What is difficult? Why? What goes wrong? What happens when it does? What does it take to be good at it? What makes you happy/unhappy? What jobs connect to yours? How?

Interview/Observation 

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Watch someone working/work with Interview on or off site Tips 

Interview strategies  

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Typical day Performance cycle

On site yields context information Ask questions after tasks (what is difficult, etc.)

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Good for working conditions Good for mundane tasks Good for finding difficult tasks Good for stress/safety

Observation I removed the graphics on this page because I downloaded them From the internet and do not wish to take credit for others’ work. You can see the images that were displayed during my presentation by following the URLs below. http://www.geocities.com/ErgoWorks2000/JA.html http://www.geocities.com/ErgoWorks2000/Eval.htm

Critical Incidents 

Stories   

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Context Behavior Outcome

Tips   

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Good with groups Positive events first Other people as actors for negs Outcome as a result of specific action

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Good for errors and consequences Good for finding difficult tasks Good for KSAOs May miss mundane tasks

Critical Incidents  

Online references Here is the original: 

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This is for education, but helpful detail: 

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http://www.apa.org/psycinfo/special/cit-article.pdf

http://wvvw.tiu.edu/psychology/Twelker/critical_inci

This is commercial, but looks good: 

http://www.usabilitynet.org/tools/criticalincidents.ht

Interviews with SMEs  

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Supervisors Professionals or other job experts Tips 

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What does it take to be good at it How to pick people Performance issues Safety

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Good for KSAOs Good for context May miss mundane tasks

Prelim Answers    

Tasks completed KSAOs needed Working conditions Trouble spots 

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Difficult tasks – (perception on forming line) Needed KSAOs – (Attn detail, not color vision) Systemic issues – (circumcision)

Answers & Avenues 

Design, Selection, Training  

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Can the tasks (job) be changed? How? Are the KSAOs available in the labor pool? Can the KSAOs be trained? How?

Tips  

Consider all avenues before acting Involve stakeholders

Avenues & Outcomes   

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Design, Selection, Training Effectiveness, Efficiency, Well Being How will the change affect the outcome? How can you show (document) the improvement?

Key Points  

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Job Analysis can Provide Good Data Several Ways to Go; Choose Wisely Oh, yes, a shameless plug: Brannick, Levine, & Morgeson (2007). Job Analysis (2nd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.