Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to do a short job analysis. Robert D. Gatewood’s definition of job

analysis is “a purposeful, systematic process for collecting information on the important work-

related aspects of a job” (257). That being said, there is no standard way to do job analysis

(Gatewood 262). Several possible aspects of work-related information can be collected

including work activities, tools and equipment used in work activities, context of the work

environment and KSAs and other personal characteristics. Gatewood goes on to say that job

analysis has been used in areas such as compensation, training and performance appraisal. Job

analysis data are frequently used to identify KSAs needed for success in a job, to select or

develop predictors to assess important KSAs that can be administered to job applicants and

used to predict who will be successful in the job, and to develop criteria or standards of

performance that employees have to meet to be considered successful in their job (Gatewood

257). Gatewood also says that job analysis develops predictors and criteria which in turn

develops a job-related selection system to predict who can and who cannot do a job well

enough. This will result in a system that is deemed fair by the courts and job applicants. A job

analysis system is “the foundation of the effectiveness of any HR selection system” (Gatewood

258), and has become “the focal point in the legal context of HR selection” (Gatewood 260)

with court cases such as Griggs v Duke Power Co. and Albemarle Paper Co v. Moody

emphasizing job analysis’ importance.

The Job

I selected the job title Global Compensation Manager at Atmel. I wanted to choose a job in

human resources in the corporate world because I have two possible paths or even a merged

path in mind for my career: to work in the corporate world in the human resources area and/or

work as a professor perhaps also in the human resources arena.

The Methods Used

I used a structured interview method with a single job incumbent Subject Matter Expert (SME)

named MiSook Chung. The interview method for job analysis is one of the most frequently

used, and can meet a broad range of purposes. When job analysis data is collected through

interviews they usually utilize a group or individual incumbents or supervisors (Gatewood 265).

The main assumption with this method is that participants know the job that is being analyzed

thoroughly (Gatewood 265-266). For this paper, the job analysis interview was conducted to

collect job information. However, a job analysis interview can also be used to clarify or verify

information previously collected and also to collect data for developing a selection system. The

interview can be used for a broad spectrum of jobs from those that are mostly physical in

nature to those that are mostly mental. The job analysis interview method can identify activities

that would normally be unobserved or happen over long time periods for those that are

knowledgeable respondents. Since one important step towards the interview being applied

effectively is to plan the interview (Gatewood 266), I wrote up the interview questions ahead of

time and also emailed MiSook the questions so she would be mentally prepared. Gatewood

also points out that the success of the interview depends to a large part on the skill of the

interviewer and important skills to possess for the interviewer include things such as “the

ability to listen, put individuals at ease, probe and prompt for answers from reluctant

interviewees and control the direction of an interview” (Gatewood 271). I embodied all these

skills so the job analysis.

Essential Job Functions (Duty Areas)

Essential job functions are those functions that the job cannot exist without. The essential job

functions of Global Compensation Manager are to manage the annual focal program (which has

to do with annual stock and bonuses), manage salary structure, benchmark jobs, manage and

review countries, look at market movement to make sure that Atmel is competitive, use reward

system to motivate employees such as through vesting period.

Job Tasks and Duties

Using O*Net I identified the necessary tasks for the position. I also added two tasks that MiSook

considered important (task number 1 and 2).

1 (not important)

2 (somewhat important)

3 (Important)

4 (Very Important)

5 (Extremely important)

Task # Task Source Rating Percentage of Time used on

Task1 Work with HRIS SME 3 4%2 Work with outside

consultantSME 4 6%

3 Serve as a link between management and

employees by handling questions, interpreting and

administering contracts and helping resolve work-

related problems.

SME 2 2%

4 Analyze and modify compensation and benefits

policies to establish competitive programs and

ensure compliance with legal requirements.

SME 5 30%

5 Perform difficult staffing duties, including dealing

with understaffing, refereeing disputes, firing

employees, and administering disciplinary

procedures.

SME 2 2%

6 Plan and conduct new employee orientation to foster positive attitude toward organizational

objectives.

SME 2 2%

7 Identify staff vacancies and recruit, interview and

select applicants

SME 1 1%

8 Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment,

compensation, labor

SME 4 20%

relations, and employee relations.

9 Plan, organize, direct, control or coordinate the

personnel, training, or labor relations activities of

an organization.

SME 4 10%

10 Represent organization at personnel-related hearings

and investigations.

SME 2 1%

11 Administer compensation, benefits and performance management systems, and

safety and recreation programs.

SME 5 20%

I identified the cutoff for a task to be considered critical as 3.0. This eliminated task numbers 3,

5, 6, 7, 10. These tasks will not move on to the task-and-competency linkage step.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Used to do the Job

Gatewood defines knowledge as “a body of information, usually of a factual or

procedural nature, that makes for successful performance of a task” (327). Skill is defined as

“An individual’s level of proficiency or competency in performing a specific task. Level of

competency is often expressed in numerical terms.” (Gatewood 327). An ability is defined as “A

more general, enduring trait or capability an individual possesses when he or she first begins to

perform a task”(Gatewood 327).

Knowledge needed to do the job of Global Compensation Manager includes statistics,

compensation, performance management and psychology. Skills needed to do the job include

active listening, management of personnel resources, social perceptiveness, speaking,

coordination, critical thinking, reading comprehension, judgment and decision making,

negotiation, and complex problem solving. Abilities to do the job include inductive reasoning

and oral expression. MiSook said that everyone has strengths and weaknesses and not all the

traits specified on O*Net are necessary because you work in a team and leverage strengths-you

may not be good in one area but someone else in the team may be and vice versa. She said that

talking to others is a big part of what you do, so psychology and oral communication are

important.

Competencies Necessary for the Job

1 (not important)

2 (somewhat important)

3 (Important)

4 (Very Important)

5 (Extremely important)

Competency Source Importance Need at Entry Distinguishing

Value

Analytical Skills SME 5 Yes Yes

Oral

Communication

Skills

SME 4 Yes Yes

Written SME 5 Yes Yes

Communication

Skills

Interpersonal

Skills

SME 5 Yes Yes

Detail Oriented SME 5 Yes Yes

Logical SME 4 Yes Yes

Project Ability SME 4 Yes Yes

Adaptable SME 5 Yes Yes

I used a cutoff of 3.0 for competency importance. All competencies were above a 3.0 so all the

competencies moved on to the task-competencies linkage step. All competencies had need at

entry and distinguishing value.

Competency-Task Linkage

1 (not important)

2 (somewhat important)

3 (Important)

4 (Very Important)

5 (Extremely important)

Task Analytical Skills

Oral Communication

Skills

Written Communication

Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Detail Oriented

Logical Project Ability

Adapt-ability

Work with HRIS

3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Work with outside

consultant

4 4 4 4 5 4 4 4

Analyze and modify

compensation and benefits policies to establish

competitive programs and

ensure compliance with legal

requirements.

5 4 4 4 5 4 4 4

Plan, direct, supervise, and

coordinate work activities

of subordinates

and staff relating to

employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee

relations.

2 3 4 4 4 4 4 4

Plan, organize, direct, control or coordinate the personnel,

training, or labor relations activities of an organization.

2 3 3 4 4 3 2 4

Administer compensation,

5 4 4 5 5 5 5 5

benefits and performance management systems, and

safety and recreation programs.

From the above task-competency linkage table most of the critical tasks are linked to the critical

competencies and vice versa, using the cutoff of 3.0.

Physical Requirements of the Job

MiSook said that the job is sedentary with the necessity of sitting for hours in a chair.

Equipment Used

MiSook said that the job requires a computer and/or laptop.

Supervision/Contacts for the Job

A network is beneficial for gaining job opportunities and gathering information. MiSook gave

me the contact of Jessi Kaur, a Senior Recruiter at Atmel with the phone number of (xxx)-xxx-

xxxx and work email of xxxxx and personal email of xxxxx@xxxxx.com. I had the pleasure of

speaking with her.

Career Path for the Job

Entry level can be either analyst or HR generalist and can lead up to the Vice President of

Human Resources. Knowledge of Human Resources is not necessary to get into the field, but is

necessary to help you grow.

Conclusion

There are limitations to the job analysis interview. It has a lack of standardization and it

is difficult to cover a large number of respondents. Important legal requirements of the job

analysis can also go unmet if documentation is not done thoroughly. The utility of the interview

can be measured by the skills and procedures followed by the interviewer. This technique can

take a lot of time and will not be cost effective if a lot of jobs need to be studied. Information

can also be distorted such as if the interviewee believes that overstating their work load will

help them get a raise (Gatewood 273).

Gatewood reaches the conclusion that a job analysis interview should not be used as a

sole method when the analysis is being used for selection purposes, though the interview data

is helpful when used as a supplementary source of information. The interview can be used for

identifying content for other job analysis methods for example the development of task analysis

inventories or the clarification of responses gained from other methods (Gatewood 273).

This paper can be supplemented by including observations of the job incumbent

working, having more questions for the job incumbent, having additional SMEs, and using an

additional job analysis method such as the PAQ (Position Analysis Questionnaire) or FJA

(Functional Job Analysis) to introduce more standardization. A multi-method job analysis

approach is preferable to a single method (Brumback qtd in Gatewood, 294), however if

differences in methods are not reconciled it may result in job analysis results to be open to

technical and legal challenges (Gatewood 294). This is important to keep in mind if a multi-

method job analysis procedure is undertaken to supplement this paper.

Works Cited

Gatewood, Robert D., Hubert S. Feild, and Murray R. Barrick. Human Resource Selection. Mason: South-

Western Part of Cengage Learning, 2008.