MODULE 3 –RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION 1

MODULE 3 – Identification of Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

INTRODUCTION

When we come to this section of the book, several authors are accustomed to
hearing a common refrain from many of our students (and even from some of our
academic colleagues, for that matter!). That refrain goes something like this: “Job
analysis! That is the most boring topic in selection. Cannot we do something that’s more
interesting, like watching paint dry or grass grow?” We have to admit that our discussion
of job analysis may not be life changing event for you. If you think it might put you to
sleep, do not read this chapter while lying down, before driving a car, or before
operating heavy equipment. But trust us; job analysis is important in selection. We hope
to persuade you of its importance in this chapter. Hang in there; the fun is just
beginning! Now, tighten your safety belt so you do not fall out of your chair when you
read the following sections.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

After reading this module, the learner should be able to:

1. To explore the role of job analysis

2. To describe various techniques used in collecting job information
3. To examine how job information can be used to identify employee specifications
(such as knowledge, skills, and abilities, or KSAs) necessary for successful job
performance
4. To examine how these specifications can be translated into the content of
selection measures including predictors (such as tests, employment interviews,
and application forms) as well as criterion measures (such as performance
appraisal rating forms and objective measures of productivity)

TIME:

The time allotted for this module is 6 hours.

LEARNER DESCRIPTION

The participants in this module are HRDM Students.

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MODULE CONTENTS:

LESSON 1: Job Analysis: A definition and Role in HR Selection

• Job Analysis Defined

 A purposeful, systematic process for collecting information on the
important work-related aspects of a job
 Work activities—what a worker does; how, why, and when these
activities are conducted
 Tools and equipment used in performing work activities
 Context of the work environment, such as work schedule or
physical working conditions
 Requirements of personnel performing the job, such as knowledge,
skills, abilities (KSAs), or other personal characteristics (like
physical characteristics, interests, or personality)
Job Analysis: Role in HR Selection

• Uses of Job Analysis Data

 Identify employee specifications (KSAs) necessary for success on a job.
 Select or develop predictors that assess important KSAs and can be
administered to job applicants and used to forecast those employees who
are likely to be successful on the job.
 Develop criteria or standards of performance that employees must meet in
order to be considered successful on a job.

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FIGURE 3.1 Role of Job Analysis in Human Resource Selection

Growth in Job Analysis

Need for current, Federal guidelines and professional

accurate job data standards

Job Analysis

Litigation involving discrimination in

selection

Legal Issues in Job Analysis

• Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act

 It is illegal for an organization to refuse to select an individual or to
discriminate against a person with respect to compensation, terms,
conditions, or privileges of employment because of the person’s race, sex,
color, religion, or national origin.

Court Cases Involving Job Analysis

• Griggs v. Duke Power Co.
 Validation of a selection device involves an analysis of the job for which
the device is used.
 Selection standards must reflect a meaningful study of their
relationship to job-performance ability
• Albemarle Paper Co. v. Moody

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 Supreme Court supported EEOC Guidelines on Employee Selection

Procedures requiring job analysis as part of a validation study.
• Legal Standards for Job Analysis Job analysis must be performed and must be
for the job for which the selection instrument is to be utilized.
• Analysis of the job should be in writing.
• The job analyst(s) should describe in detail the procedures used.
• Job data should be collected from a variety of current sources and by (a)
knowledgeable job analyst(s).
• Sample size of individuals serving as subject matter experts should be large and
representative of the jobs for which the device will be used.
• Tasks, duties, and activities should be included in the analysis.
• The most important tasks should be represented in the selection device.
• Competency levels of job performance for entry-level jobs should be specified.
• KSAs should be specified, particularly if a content validation model is followed.

Federal Guidelines on Employee Selection

 Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures
 Represent a joint agreement among the EEOC, Department of Justice,
Department of Labor, and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management on
guidelines for employers to follow in their selection procedures.
 Courts give deference to the EEOC guidelines that discuss job analysis.
 Inferential Leaps
 Points where human judgment is involved in the use of job analysis
information in personnel selection.

FIGURE 3.2 Points of Inference in The Job Analysis → Employee Specifications

→ Selection Measure Development Process

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Job Analysis Methods and Techniques

• Job Analysis Methods

 Job analysis interviews
 Job analysis questionnaires (including task analysis inventories and the
Position Analysis Questionnaire, or PAQ)
 Subject Matter Expert (SME) or job expert workshops

• Job Analysis Techniques

 Critical-Incidents Technique
 Fleishman Job Analysis Survey (F-JAS)
 Functional Job Analysis (FJA)
 Job Element Method (JEM)

Activity 1.1

Please refer to UBian LMS

LESSON 2: Job Analysis Interviews

• Description

 Job analysis data is collected from incumbents or supervisors by a trained

analyst asking questions about the duties and responsibilities, KSAs
required, and equipment and/or conditions of employment for a job or
class of jobs.

• Purposes
 To collect job information on job tasks that will serve as a basis
for developing other job analysis measures, such as a job
analysis questionnaire
 To serve as a means for clarifying or verifying information
collected previously through other job analysis methods
 To serve as a method, perhaps as one of several used, for
collecting relevant job data for developing a selection system

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FIGURE 3.2
An Example of a Job Analysis Interview Schedule for Use with an Incumbent

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FIGURE 3.2
An Example
of a Job
Analysis
Interview
Schedule for
Use with an
Incumbent
(cont’d)

Writing Task Statements

• Task statements are written so that each shows the following:

1. What the worker does, by using a specific action verb that introduces the
task statement
2. To whom or what he or she does it, by stating the object of the verb
3. What is produced, by expressing the expected output of the action
4. What materials, tools, procedures, or equipment are used

TABLE 3.3 Classification of Interview Content for the Purpose of Developing a

Task Statement

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SOURCE: U.S. Civil Service Commission, Job Analysis: Developing and Documenting Data (Washington, DC: U.S.
Government Printing Office, 1973), 6.

FIGURE 3.4
Example

Characterization of a Selected Job Task: The Job of Welfare Eligibility Examiner

SOURCE: U.S. Civil Service

Commission, Job Analysis:
Developing and Documenting
Data (Washington, DC: U.S.
Government Printing Office,
1973), 13–14.

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Guidelines for Conducting a Job Analysis Interview

Opening the Interview

1. Put the worker at ease by learning his or her name in advance, introducing
yourself, and discussing general and pleasant topics long enough to establish
rapport. Be at ease.
2. Make the purpose of the interview clear by explaining why the interview was
scheduled, what is expected to be accomplished, and how the worker’s
cooperation will help in the production of tools for use in personnel selection.
3. Encourage the worker to talk by always being courteous and showing a sincere
interest in what he or she says.

Steering the Interview

1. Help the worker to think and talk according to the logical sequence of the
duties performed. If duties are not performed in a regular order, ask the
worker to describe the functional aspects of the duties by taking the most
important activity first, the second-most important next, and so forth. Request
the worker to describe the infrequent duties of his or her job—duties that are
not part of the worker’s regular activities, such as the occasional setup of a
machine, occasional repairs, or infrequent reports.
2. Allow the worker sufficient time to answer each question and to formulate an
answer.
3. Phrase questions carefully, so that the answers will be more than “yes” or
“no.”
4. Avoid the use of leading questions.

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5. Conduct the interview in plain, easily understood language.

6. Control the interview with respect to the economic use of time and adherence
to subject matter. For example, when the interviewee strays from the subject,
a good technique for bringing him or her back to the point is to summarize the
data collected up to that point.

Closing the Interview

1. Summarize the information obtained from the worker, indicating the major
duties performed and the details concerning each of the duties.
2. Close the interview on a friendly note.

Miscellaneous Dos and Don’ts for Interviews

1. Do not take issue with the worker’s statements.

2. Do not show any partiality to grievances or conflicts concerning the employer-
employee relations.
3. Do not show any interest in the wage classification of the job.
4. Do not talk down to the worker.
5. Do not permit yourself to be influenced by your personal likes and dislikes.
6. Be impersonal. Do not be critical or attempt to suggest any changes or
improvements in the organization or methods of work.
7. Talk to the worker only with permission of her or his supervisor.
8. Verify completed job analysis interview with an appropriate individual—such
as a supervisor.

SOURCE: Based on U.S. Department of Labor, Manpower Administration, Handbook for Analyzing Jobs (Washington,
DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1972), 12–13.

Limitations of the Job Analysis Interview

• Lack of standardization in collection process

• Limited possibilities for covering large numbers of respondents
• Documentation for each individual interview
• Time requirements to conduct individual interviews
• Costs of individually interviewing respondents
• Variations in interviewer skills
• Distortions in the information collected from interviewees

Activity 2.1:

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Please refer to UBian LMS

LESSON 3: Job Analysis Questionnaires

• Description

 Respondents are asked to make judgments (e.g., via rating scales) to indicate
the degree to which various aspects of job information listed on the questionnaire
apply to their jobs
 Activities or tasks
 Tools and equipment used to perform the job
 Working conditions in which the job is performed
 KSAs or other characteristics incumbents need to perform the job
successfully

Types of Job Analysis Questionnaires

• Tailored Questionnaires
 Are measures developed by an organization (or its consultants) for a
specific purpose or for application to a specific job
• Prefabricated or Existing Questionnaires
 Are generic measures developed for use with a variety of jobs that usually
consist of a preestablished set of items describing aspects of a job that
respondents judge using a rating scale

The Task Analysis Inventory

• Description

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 A questionnaire composed of a listing of tasks for which respondents

make judgments using a task rating scale, such as frequency of task
performance.
• Use/Purpose
 Many employers have adopted a content validation strategy for selection
measures, for which the inventories are particularly helpful.

• The Content of Task Inventories

 Background information on respondents
• Name, gender, ethnicity, tenure on the job being rated, tenure with
the employing organization, job location, and title of the job being
rated
 A listing of the job tasks with associated rating scales
 Other or miscellaneous information

The Nature of Task Inventories

• In content validation studies, the following task-rating categories should be
considered:
 Frequency of task performance
 Task importance or critical
 Task difficulty
 Whether the task can be learned on the job relatively quickly

Summary of Steps and Guidelines for Developing Task Analysis Inventories

 Sequential Steps for Developing Content of Task Inventories

1. Technical manuals, previous job analyses, and other job-related reports are
reviewed for possible task-item content.
2. Technical job experts (consultants, selected incumbents/supervisors) prepare
lists of job tasks known to be performed.
3. Interviews are held with job incumbents and supervisors in order to identify
additional tasks.
4. Tasks identified are reviewed for duplication, edited, and incorporated into an
initial version of the inventory. Tasks are described according to task-writing
guidelines.
5. First draft is prepared and submitted to a panel of experts (or incumbents and/or
supervisors) for review.
6. Panel of reviewers adds, deletes, or modifies tasks for the development of
another draft of the inventory.
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7. Steps 5 and 6 are repeated, using the same or a similar panel, until an
acceptable draft has been developed.
8. Task inventory is then pilot-tested on a sample of respondents to whom the final
version will be given.
9. Appropriate modifications are made as needed.
10. Steps 8 and 9 are repeated until a final, acceptable version is developed.

Guidelines for Writing Task Statements

 When task statements are identified, they should

1. Characterize activities, not skills or knowledge.

2. Have an identifiable beginning and ending.
3. Represent activities performed by an individual worker, not activities
performed by different individuals.
4. Have an identifiable output or consequence.
5. Avoid extremes in the phrasing of activities; statements should not be too
broad or too specific.
6. Be developed by full-time inventory writers (preferably);
supervisors/incumbents should serve as technical advisers.

 When task statements are written, they should

1. Mean the same thing to all respondents.
2. Be stated so that the rating scale to be used makes sense.
3. Be stated so that the incumbent is understood to be the subject of the
statement.
The pronoun “I” should be implied. For example “(I) number all card
boxes.”
4. Be stated so that an action verb is in the present tense.
5. Be stated so that the action verb has an object.
6. Use terms that are specific, familiar, and unambiguous.

Application of Task Inventories

• Collect respondents’ names and other identifying information

 Helps ensure high-quality information
 Is needed for follow-up studies
 Is useful when combined with personal data
• Distribute inventory to larger numbers of incumbents to improve data reliability
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• Use optical scanning sheets or Internet-based forms to minimize time, cost, and
data errors

Task Analysis Inventories

• Advantages
 Offer an efficient means for collecting data from large numbers of
incumbents in geographically dispersed locations.
 Provide data that is readily quantifiable.

• Disadvantages
 Development can be expensive and time-consuming
 Length and complexity can create respondent motivation problems
 Ambiguities and respondent questions are not readily addressable during
administration

Activity 3.1:

Please refer to UBian LMS

LESSON 4: Critical-Incidents Technique

• Purpose
 To generate a work-oriented list of observed good and poor (critical) job
performance behaviors (incidents) of job incumbents to be grouped into
job dimensions

• Critical Incident Characteristics

 Focuses on a specific (single) observable behavior that has been, or could
be, exhibited on the job
 Briefly describes the context in which the behavior occurred
 Indicates the consequences of the behavior

• Application
 To generate a list of job-related behaviors on which to base inferences
regarding worker specifications
 To determine how to measure worker specifications that are consistent
with what occurs on the job.

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• Implementation
 Selecting the method for critical-incidents collection
 Selecting a panel of job experts
 Gathering critical incidents
 Rating and classifying critical incidents into job dimensions

• Advantages
 Creates a large amount of specific, job related behavioral (not trait-based)
information
 Identifies “critical” incidents that are important aspect of the job

• Disadvantages

 Incidents may not represent full scope of the job

 Analysts’ judgments affect the stability of dimensions
 Developmental process is labor intensive
 Results are situation specific

Subject Matter Expert (SME) Workshops

• Description
 Groups or panels of 10 to 20 job incumbents who work with a group leader
to produce a job analysis
 Because participants are selected for their knowledge of the job,
they are referred to as subject matter experts or SMEs

• Workshop Steps
 Selecting and preparing SMEs to participate in the workshop
 Identifying and rating job tasks
 Identifying and rating KSAs associated with job tasks
 Judging selection measure—job content measure relevance.

Identification of Employee Specifications

• Specifications
 Rely on accurate and complete inferences for their usefulness

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 Help avoid adverse impact and the hiring of unqualified employees

• Determining Specifications
 Task Analysis Approach
 Uses subject matter experts’ (SMEs) judgments concerning the
KSAs required for the job
 PAQ Approach
 Based on the Position Analysis Questionnaire

The Task Analysis Approach

• Determination of Employee Specifications

1. Identifying job tasks/work behaviors
2. Rating job tasks/work behaviors
3. Specifying KSAs necessary for successful job performance
4. Rating the importance of identified KSAs
5. Identifying other employee specifications necessary for successful job
performance
6. Linking KSAs and other employee specifications to job tasks/work
behaviors
7. Developing content areas of selection procedures

• Identifying and Rating Job Tasks/Work Behaviors

1. Task statements should:

• Begin with an action verb
• Describe what the worker does, for whom or what the worker does
it, why the worker does it, and how the worker does it.

• Task Statement Example

1. Incorrect: “Assists with inspection of construction projects.”

• What to Whom/What
2. Corrected: “Inspects/construction operations (erosion control, Portland
cement concrete paving, asphaltic concrete paving, painting, fencing, sign
placement) in order to
• Why
3. ensure compliance with construction specifications/by
• How

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comparing visual observations with construction specifications and plans,

and by following verbal instructions; while under daily review by the
supervisor.”

KSAs Defined

• Knowledge
 A body of information, usually of a factual or procedural nature, that
makes for successful performance of a task.
• Skill
 An individual’s level of proficiency or competency in performing a specific
task. Level of competency is often expressed in numerical terms.
• Ability
 A more general, enduring trait or capability an individual possesses when
he or she first begins to perform a task.

Specifying KSAs for Job Performance

• Selection of a KSA Rating Panel

 A panel of job experts (at least 10 to 20) is preferable over only one or two
individuals
 Quality of job knowledge
 Participation

 Characteristics sought in job agents are also relevant in choosing the KSA
rating panel
 Participation should be voluntary
 Incumbents should have performed adequately on the job in
question
 Participants should have served on the job at least six months

 Guides for Preparing KSA Statements

 Panelists should have a clear understanding of what is meant by

“knowledge,” “skills,” and “abilities”
 Statements should show the kind of knowledge, skill, or ability and the
degree or level of each that is needed for successful task performance
 Statements should specify the highest level that is required for the job

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 Specific statements are preferable to broad, general ones that lack clarity
as to what actual KSAs are required
 Emphasis should be given to identifying those KSAs that determine
“successful” performance on the job
 Adjective modifiers relative to the degree or extent of knowledge required
should not be used in preparing knowledge statements
 Adjective modifiers of level or extent of the ability required should not be
used in preparing ability statements

Other KSAs for Job Performance

• Physical Requirements
 Specified physical abilities must be essential to the job to ensure
compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
 Relevance of physical requirements is assessed by:
 Listing and rating physical abilities required for a job
 Rating a preestablished set of physical abilities

• Licensure/Certification Requirements
 Special licensure or certification requirements that are legally necessary
for job performance
 Driving license, state board certifications, bar examinations,
professional occupational certifications

Linking KSAs and Other Employee Specifications to Job Tasks/Work Behaviors

• Each identified KSA must be tied to at least one important task for which it is
required.
 Establishing KSA  Job Task/Work Behavior Links
 SMEs review job tasks or work behaviors and then rate the extent
to which a KSA is required for successful performance of that
activity
 KSAs can be successfully linked to an important job task or work
behavior when the average SME rating equals or exceeds a
specific rating scale value

Screening for Relevant Tasks and KSAs

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• Tasks or work behaviors must be performed by at least 67 percent of SMEs.

• At least 67 percent of SMEs must judge that a new employee must be able to
perform the task or work behavior at the start of the job.
• Tasks or work behaviors must have an average importance rating of at least 2.0
(= important).
• KSAs must (be given a mean importance rating of at least 2.0 (= important) by
SMEs.
• KSAs must be rated as necessary at job entry by at least 67 percent of SMEs.
• KSAs must be linked by SMEs to a job task or work behavior that meets rating
criteria (1) through (3) above with a mean linkage rating of at least 1.5.

Activity 4.1:

• Please refer to UBian LMS

ONLINE READING MATERIALS:

ONLINE VIDEO LINKS AND MATERIALS:

 Watch the online video lecture of the course instructor uploaded at NEO LMS and to the
class shared Google drive (if applicable).

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE:

MODULE REFERENCES:

Selection in Human Resource Management, 8th Edition, Robert Gatewood, Murray Field
and Murray Barrick, 2016

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