DOT Entry Quiz with Occupational Codes: Chapter 3

Study Notes

Job analysis is the process of defining a job in terms of its component tasks or duties and the knowledge or skills required to perform them.
It is the basis for the solution to any human resource problem.

Element: the smallest unit of work activity
Task: a work activity performed to achieve a specific objective
Position: an individual's place in the organization defined by the tasks performed
Job: a collection of positions similar enough to one another to share a common job title
KSAOs: knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics required for successful job performance

Task-oriented techniques: focus on describing the various tasks that are performed on the job
Worker-oriented techniques: examine broad human behaviors involved in work activities
Hybrid approaches: attempt to gather information about the work and the worker at the same time

Task Inventory Approach: a task-oriented approach that generates task statements through experts familiar with the job
Functional Job Analysis (FJA): a highly structured task-oriented approach that obtains data about what tasks a worker does and how those tasks are performed
Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT): a tool developed by the Department of Labor in the 1930s that matches people with jobs
Occupational Information Network (O*NET): a hybrid approach that identifies and describes the key components of modern occupations and has replaced the DOT

Worker characteristics: abilities and interests
Worker requirements: general knowledge and skills
Experience requirements: past employment history, training, or licensure
Occupational requirements: generalized work activities
Occupation-specific information: technical information particular to a certain job family
Occupational characteristics: labor market and social information### Job Element Method (JEM)
Designed to identify characteristics of superior workers in a particular job
"Elements" refer to general work behaviors, not smallest unit of work activity
Identifies KSAOs (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other characteristics) necessary for successful job performance
Procedure involves:
- SMEs developing a comprehensive list of job elements and subelements
- SMEs providing work examples of each element and subelement
Criticized for ignoring specific job tasks and focusing on hypothetical worker traits or abilities

A standardized instrument that focuses on general work behaviors
Consists of 195 items or elements, including 187 that describe general work behaviors, work conditions, and job characteristics
Organized along six dimensions:
- Information input
- Mental processes
- Work output
- Relationships with other persons
- Job context
- Other job characteristics
Results in a profile of the job

Determining personality traits critical for a particular job is a challenge for HR and talent acquisition professionals
The DeGarmo Personality Inventory (DPI) is a tool used to determine personality traits
O*NET provides information on importance ratings for work styles, which can be interpreted in terms of the Big Five personality factors
Example: attention to detail work style is relevant to the Big Five factor of conscientiousness