Question 1

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using interviews to collect job analysis data?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are the advantages and disadvantages of...

Question 2

Some employers collecting job analysis information provide employees with pocket dictating machines and pagers to record activities at random times of the work day.

Accepted Answer

In the past, diary/logs required employees to write down their activities at the end of the day, which was problematic due to forgetfulness. However, pagers can now be used to remind employees to speak into their pocket dictating machines about the work activities in which they are currently involved.

Question 3

Observation as a job analysis data collection method is most appropriate for jobs that involve physical activities.

Accepted Answer

Observation is an appropriate method for collecting job analysis information when a job involves physical rather than mental activities. Jobs like assembly-line worker, mechanic, and accounting clerk can be directly observed by an HR manager. Lawyers and design engineers spend more time with mental activities, so it would be less appropriate to use observation in these types of positions.

Question 4

The Department of Labor procedure uses a set of standard basic activities known as ________ to describe what a worker must do with respect to data, people, and things.
A)worker functions
B)employee duties
C)job procedures
D)job requirements

Accepted Answer

A)With the DOL procedure, standard basic activities known as worker functions are used to describe what a worker must do in a specific job with respect to three main categories-data, people, and things. Each worker function is given an importance rating for coding purposes.

Question 5

Informal interviews provide quantitative job analysis information, which is why they are frequently used by managers who need to determine the relative worth of a job for pay purposes.

Accepted Answer

Informal interviews with open ended questions provide qualitative rather than quantitative information for a job analysis. Position analysis questionnaires are best for quantifying a job's worth for pay purposes. The two methods are often used together to gather a well-rounded amount of information about a job.

Question 6

The immediate supervisor of a group of workers being interviewed for job analysis purposes is not allowed to attend the session due to concerns about workers failing to provide honest responses to questions.

Accepted Answer

As a rule, the immediate supervisor of a group of workers should attend an interview session for job analysis purposes. If the supervisor is unable to attend, then he or she must be interviewed separately so that the interviewer can gather that person's perspective on the job's duties and responsibilities.

Question 7

A(n)________ is used to collect quantifiable data concerning the duties and responsibilities of various jobs.
A)electronic diary/log
B)group interview
C)position analysis questionnaire
D)Internet-based survey

Accepted Answer

C)A position analysis questionnaire is used to collect quantifiable data concerning the duties and responsibilities of various jobs. A PAQ contains 194 items that are based on five PAQ basic activities: having decision-making/communication/social responsibilities, performing skilled activities, being physically active, operating vehicles/equipment, and processing information.

Question 8

Experts at the ________ performed the earliest form of job analysis and published the Dictionary of Occupational Titles.
A)EEOC
B)DOL
C)BLS
D)DHS

Accepted Answer

B)The Department of Labor performed the earliest work in job analysis which resulted in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. The book contained detailed information on nearly every job in America based on ratings of data, people, and things. The DOL work eventually led to the development of position analysis questionnaires (PAQ).

Question 9

Quantitative approaches for collecting job analysis data are more appropriate than qualitative approaches when a manager seeks to compare jobs for pay purposes.

Accepted Answer

Quantitative ratings as generated by the position analysis questionnaire and the Department of Labor approach are the best tools to use when assessing the monetary value of a job.

Question 10

What type of information is contained in the job identification section of a job description?
A)job title
B)job summary
C)major functions or activities
D)standards of performance

Accepted Answer

A)The job identification section of a job description includes the job title, FLSA status, and date the job description was approved.

Question 11

What are the three main categories used in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles to rate, classify, and compare different jobs?
A)reasoning, language, mathematics
B)skills, communication, education
C)data, people, things
D)people, skills, reasoning

Accepted Answer

C)Data, people, and things are the three worker function categories used in the Department of Labor procedure that was compiled into the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. The DOL method describes what a worker must do with respect to data, people, and things.

Question 12

What is the primary benefit of using a position analysis questionnaire to gather data for a job analysis?
A)providing the opportunity for employees to vent job frustrations
B)sorting information for government statistics and records
C)classifying jobs for the purpose of assigning salaries
D)uncovering important yet infrequent job tasks

Accepted Answer

C)The primary benefit of using a PAQ is classifying jobs based on scores in the five different categories. With this data, a manager can quantitatively compare jobs relative to one another and then assign pay for each job.

Question 13

Most job descriptions contain sections that cover all of the following EXCEPT ________.
A)performance standards
B)working conditions
C)responsibilities
D)required overtime

Accepted Answer

D)Most job descriptions contain sections that cover job identification, job summary, responsibilities and duties, authority of incumbent, performance standards, working conditions, and job specifications. Although information regarding salary and/or pay scale may be included, it is less likely that the amount of overtime required in the position will be included.

Question 14

Studies suggest that employees are more likely to describe their job duties in the form of simple task statements instead of as ability statements during job analysis interviews.

Accepted Answer

During job analysis interviews, employees are more likely to describe their job duties in the form of ability-based statements, such as "ability to record phone messages" rather than as simple task statements like "record phone messages." The most likely reason is that employees exaggerate their duties and responsibilities during interviews, especially if they believe the interview is for the purpose of a compensation change.

Question 15

What time-saving options are available to a busy manager who needs to conduct a job analysis and write job descriptions? Explain your answer in a brief essay.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What time-saving options are available to a...

Question 16

Purrfect Pets is a local pet supply store with a following of loyal customers who appreciate the personal service the store's employees provide. After a very profitable year, Purrfect Pets is expanding by opening two more stores. Before hiring employees for the new stores, the manager is considering the idea of conducting a job analysis for each position. Which of the following, if true, undermines the argument that the Purrfect Pets manager should observe workers in order to gather job analysis information?
A)Purrfect Pets lacks the technology to perform quantitative job assessments.
B)Part-time and seasonal workers fill most of the positions at Purrfect Pets.
C)The tasks of most Purrfect Pets employees vary widely from day to day.
D)During the morning, business at Purrfect Pets typically slows down.

Accepted Answer

C)Observation is an inappropriate tool for collecting job analysis information if employees only occasionally participate in certain tasks. If the tasks vary on a daily basis, one day of observation would fail to gather the necessary information. An interview might be the best way to find out what an employee does in this situation.

Question 17

The most important consideration when developing an online job analysis is to ________.
A)make questions and the process as clear as possible
B)provide monetary rewards for timely completion
C)limit the number of questions to less than twenty
D)ask open-ended questions to ensure honest responses

Accepted Answer

A)Removing the ambiguity from both questions and the job analysis process will greatly improve the validity of online results. The purpose of collecting data online is to save time and money, so minimal intervention and guidance should be necessary.

Question 18

What has been the most significant impact of modern technology on job analysis methods?
A)Extensive use of the Internet by HR managers enables more people to telecommute from locations far from corporate headquarters.
B)Corporate use of the Internet and intranet has enabled HR managers to distribute and collect job analysis surveys to employees in multiple geographic locations.
C)Worker functions have changed as a result of modern technology, so the DOL procedure for data collection has been modified and categories have been altered.
D)The ability to falsify information on Internet surveys has led to an increase in interviews and observations by HR managers to collect accurate job analysis information.

Accepted Answer

B)The greatest impact of modern technology on job analysis methods has been the ability of HR managers to use the Internet and intranet to distribute and collect job analysis data to geographically dispersed employees. Face-to-face interviews and observations are difficult and time consuming, especially for a global firm, so questionnaires distributed online are more frequently used.

Question 19

Questionnaires developed for the purpose of job analysis are always structured in the form of checklists so that the information can easily be entered into a database.

Accepted Answer

Questionnaires range from being highly structured to open-ended, and most fall between the two extremes. Most questionnaires include several open-ended questions as well as structured questions.

Question 20

Purrfect Pets is a local pet supply store with a following of loyal customers who appreciate the personal service the store's employees provide. After a very profitable year, Purrfect Pets is expanding by opening two more stores. Before hiring employees for the new stores, the manager is considering the idea of conducting a job analysis for each position. Which of the following, if true, would best support the argument that the manager should use a position analysis questionnaire to collect job analysis information?
A)Compliance with EEO laws requires businesses to compile quantitative data.
B)Management wants to develop a pay scale for all employees at Purrfect Pets.
C)Purrfect Pets managers are unfamiliar with the typical routines of most employees.
D)Managers believe that some Purrfect Pets employees are overlooking important daily tasks.

Accepted Answer

B)The primary reason to use a position analysis questionnaire is to gather quantitative data that enables managers to compare jobs for pay purposes. Although a PAQ provides quantitative data, businesses are not required by EEO laws to use them. Interviews or observations would be more appropriate for uncovering overlooked tasks or becoming familiar with an employee's duties.

Quiz 4: Job Analysis and the Talent Management Process

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using interviews to collect job analysis data?

Some employers collecting job analysis information provide employees with pocket dictating machines and pagers to record activities at random times of the work day.

Observation as a job analysis data collection method is most appropriate for jobs that involve physical activities.

The Department of Labor procedure uses a set of standard basic activities known as ________ to describe what a worker must do with respect to data, people, and things.

Informal interviews provide quantitative job analysis information, which is why they are frequently used by managers who need to determine the relative worth of a job for pay purposes.

The immediate supervisor of a group of workers being interviewed for job analysis purposes is not allowed to attend the session due to concerns about workers failing to provide honest responses to questions.

A(n) ________ is used to collect quantifiable data concerning the duties and responsibilities of various jobs.

Experts at the ________ performed the earliest form of job analysis and published the Dictionary of Occupational Titles.

Quantitative approaches for collecting job analysis data are more appropriate than qualitative approaches when a manager seeks to compare jobs for pay purposes.

What type of information is contained in the job identification section of a job description?

What are the three main categories used in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles to rate, classify, and compare different jobs?

What is the primary benefit of using a position analysis questionnaire to gather data for a job analysis?

Most job descriptions contain sections that cover all of the following EXCEPT ________.

Studies suggest that employees are more likely to describe their job duties in the form of simple task statements instead of as ability statements during job analysis interviews.

What time-saving options are available to a busy manager who needs to conduct a job analysis and write job descriptions? Explain your answer in a brief essay.

The most important consideration when developing an online job analysis is to ________.

What has been the most significant impact of modern technology on job analysis methods?

Questionnaires developed for the purpose of job analysis are always structured in the form of checklists so that the information can easily be entered into a database.