HRM textbook

116 PART 2 RECRUITMENT, PLACEMENT, AND TALENT MANAGEMENT
TABLE 4-1 Basic Department of Labor Worker Functions
Data People Things
Basic Activities
0 Synthesizing 0 Mentoring 0 Setting up
1 Coordinating 1 Negotiating 1 Precision working
2 Analyzing 2 Instructing 2 Operating/controlling
3 Compiling 3 Supervising 3 Driving/operating
4 Computing 4 Diverting 4 Manipulating
5 Copying 5 Persuading 5 Tending
6 Comparing 6 Speaking/signaling 6 Feeding/offbearing
7 Serving 7 Handling
8 Taking instructions/helping
Note: Determine employee s job score on data, people, and things by observing his or her job and
determining, for each of the three categories, which of the basic functions illustrates the person s job.
0 is high; 6, 8, and 7 are lows in each column. 22
to compile what was for many years the bible of job descriptions, the Dictionary of
Occupational Titles. This mammoth book contained detailed information on virtually
every job in America. We ll see in a moment that Internet-based tools have largely
replaced the Dictionary. However, the U.S. Department of Labor job analysis procedure
still offers a good example of how to quantitatively rate, classify, and compare different
jobs, based on the DOLs data, people, and things ratings.
It works as follows. As Table 4-1 shows, the DOL method uses a set of standard
basic activities called worker functions to describe what a worker must do with respect
to data, people, and things. With respect to data, for instance, the possible functions
include synthesizing, coordinating, and copying. With respect to people, they include
mentoring, negotiating, and supervising. With respect to things, the basic functions
include manipulating, tending, and handling.
Each worker function has an importance rating. Thus, coordinating is 1,
whereas copying is 5. If you were analyzing the job of a receptionist/clerk, for
example, you might label the job 5, 6, 7, to represent copying data, speaking/signaling
people, and handling things. On the other hand, you might code a psychiatric aide in
a hospital 1, 7, 5 in relation to data, people, and things. In practice, you would score
each task that the worker performed as part of his or her job in terms of data, people,
and things. Then you would use the highest combination (say 4, 6, 5) to rate the
overall job, since this is the highest level that you would expect a successful job
incumbent to attain. If you were selecting a worker for that 4, 6, 5 job, you d
expect him or her to be able to at least compute (4), speak/signal (6), and tend (5).
If you were comparing jobs for pay purposes, then a 4, 6, 5 job should rank higher
(see Table 4-1) than a 6, 8, 6 job. You can then present a summary of the job along
with its 3-digit rating on a form such as in Figure 4-5.
Internet-Based Job Analysis
Methods such as questionnaires and interviews can be time-consuming. And collecting
the information from geographically dispersed employees can be challenging. 23
Conducting the job analysis via the Internet is an obvious solution. 24 Most
simply, the human resource department can distribute standardized job analysis
questionnaires to geographically disbursed employees via their company intranets,
with instructions to complete the forms and return them by a particular date.
Of course, the instructions should be clear, and it s best to test the process first.
Without a job analyst actually sitting there with the employee or supervisor, there s
always a chance that the employees won t cover important points or that misunderstandings
will cloud the results.