Project Overview

This a three-part project. The first part of this project entails completion of a comprehensive job
analysis. Job analysis is the backbone of all HR systems. You will pick a job (e.g., entry-level IT
analyst). After you choose a job, you will identify someone who currently holds that job and
interview them to learn about the duties performed in their job, as well as the knowledge, skills,
abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) required to perform the job. (More details on the job
analysis are below). After completion of the job analysis portion you will EITHER devise a plan to
recruit people for this specific job OR devise a selection system that would help select well-qualified
people for this job – based on the information you gathered during your job analysis (details below).
Next, you will develop EITHER a training OR a compensation plan based on the job analysis
information you gathered.

Thus, your project will have three core components: 1) a thorough job analysis, 2) recruitment or
selection system and 3) training or compensation plan. Appendices and supplemental materials will
be attached to the back of your core document.

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COMPONENT 1: Job Analysis
Recommended completion

The purpose of the job analysis portion of the assignment is to introduce you to a process for
determining the key requirements an individual should have to be a successful performer in a
particular role or job within a specific organizational context. This component of the project will
have two major sections:

1) Context and Process (2-3pgs): Background information on the organization in which this
job is done should be provided. Be sure to include a description of the organization (mission,
vision, values), how the job is aligned with the organization’s strategic goals, and the process
you used to formulate the final job description.

2) Job Description (~1pg): Based on your interview(s) and research create a job description for
this job (see example on Blackboard: Job Analysis Questionnaire).

Successful completion of the job analysis component will require the following steps (steps do
not necessarily need to progress in this order):

1. Choose a job: Consider choosing a job in which you and your partners will have access to an
incumbent or manager of that job (preferably both) so that you can obtain detailed job
analysis information through interviews.

2. Create a job analysis interview: Use the Job Analysis Questionnaire (found on Canvas) as a
starting point for your job analysis interview. You may supplement this questionnaire with
other questions, as appropriate, based on the position itself. You may also find (https://www.onetonline.org/) helpful
for developing questions prior to conducting your job analysis interview. Note: Do not ask
the subject matter experts about their salary/wage or other sensitive information.

3. Interview: You must interview at least one “job expert” and submit contact information
(name, job title, phone number) for the person you interview. Take detailed notes, as you
must submit these interview notes with your paper. Seek as much detail about the
knowledge, skill, and ability requirements as possible. The interviews should be conducted in
person. You may choose a job from an organization you work for but do not choose your
job. Choosing a job to which you will have access as well as a job that interests you may be a
good strategy.

4. Describe the context: Once the job has been determined, investigate the context in which
this job exists. Research the organization’s strategy, purpose, mission, vision, etc. Describe
how this job fits into the broader departmental and organizational short and long-term
strategies. A significant section of the job analysis should be devoted to this topic.

5. Conduct research: Research outside sources of job analysis information (e.g., O*NET
website: http://online.onetcenter.org,), in addition to O*NET, acceptable supplemental
sources would be: job diaries from incumbents, job shadowing and keeping an extensive log
of your observations, SME panels, documents from the organization (training manuals etc)
and incorporate this information into your job analysis paper. Websites, wikipedia, and your
personal knowledge with the job are not acceptable sources. If you have questions about
sources, please see me! Please see supplemental materials on posted on Canvas for more
guidance. Note, you may want to conduct research about the job prior to the job analysis
interview.

6. Describe the process: you used to gather the job analysis information. For example, describe
the sources you used, a step-by-step description of how you gathered information, what you
found, and how you incorporated in your final job description (see below).

7. Write the job description: Write a job description based on the results of your job analysis
interview. Follow instructions and guidelines listed on Blackboard. NOTE: Be as thorough
as possible. Your final job analysis paper must be typed and should be 3-4 pages in length,
double-spaced, 12 point, and Times New Roman font. Note, the actual job description
should not be double-spaced and should generally follow the format illustrated in the
example job description. Along with your job analysis paper, turn in all working documents
and source material used to create the job description (e.g., interview notes, outside sources).
Interview notes and supplemental materials should be attached to the back of your final
document in an appendix (these materials do not count against your page limit).

____________________________________________________________________________________________

COMPONENT 2: Recruitment OR Selection System Development

Decide whether you would like to develop recruitment or a selection system. Below is the
information that would be included in each of the components. Note: Only complete either a
3
recruitment or a selection system do not do both. Please consult the course textbook and
scholarly articles cited in the textbook for guidance on how to develop a valid recruitment or
selection system. The deliverable for this step should be about 3 pages in length.

Option A: Recruitment.

Using the information gathered during job analysis take the role of an HR professional charged with
recruiting for this job. Describe in detail your strategy for attracting a large number of well-qualified
candidates. Included in this at a minimum you should be addressing the following issues:

* Who are you going recruit? Why? Justify your strategy.

* here are you going to recruit? (Internal vs. External, and if External, where exactly, e.g.,
college campuses, Internet). Why? Justify your strategy.

* What methods are you going to use to advertise? Why? Justify your strategy.

*What information will be conveyed to applicants about the opening? Why? Justify your
strategy.

*Are there any ethical/legal issues that should be considered?

Option B: Selection.

Using the information gathered during the job analysis take the role of an HR professional charged
with selecting employees for this job. Describe in detail your strategy for selecting the best person or
persons for this job. Included in this at a minimum you should be addressing the following issues:

* Review potential selection tools/methods for selecting candidates for this position.

o Describe at least 3 potential tools/methods that could be used to select candidates into
this job. Be sure to describe the costs and benefits for using each of these
tools/methods given what we know about these tools/methods. Note, you do not
actually have to use all of these tools/methods in your actual selection strategy.

* Based on the information you gathered about the job and organization clearly and
comprehensively describe the selection system/strategy you would pursue. Why? Justify your
strategy. (Be sure to make your selection strategy practical).

* Are there any ethical/legal issues that should be considered?

____________________________________________________________________________________________

COMPONENT 3: Training OR Compensation System Development

Decide whether you would like to develop a training or a compensation system. Below is the
information that would be included in each of the components. Again, make use of the information in
the textbook and citations to scholarly articles cited in the textbook to develop a valid training or
compensation system. Note: Only complete either a training or a compensation system (do not do
both). The deliverable for this step should be about 3 pages in length.

Option A: Training.

Using the information gathered during the job analysis take the role of an HR professional charged
with training employees for this job. Describe in detail your strategy for training the employees for
this job. Included in this at a minimum you should be addressing the following issues:

* What will be the focus of the training program? Why? Justify your choices.

* Clearly and comprehensively describe your training program. For instance, what method(s)
will you use to train? (Be sure to make your program practical). Justify why you are
advocating the particular training system you describe.

* How will you ensure transfer of training?

* How will you evaluate training to ensure it is effective and not a waste of organizational
resources? Be sure to explain.

Option B: Compensation.

Using the information gathered during the job analysis take the role of an HR profession charged
with developing an incentive plan for this job. Describe in detail your compensation/incentive plan
for this job. Included in this at a minimum you should be addressing the following issues:

* Review a variety of possible incentives that could be used for this job. You may consider
financial and nonfinancial incentives.

* Clearly and comprehensively describe what specific incentives you would recommend for
this job that would be helpful for recruiting, motivating, and retaining employees (and would
be practical for the organization you selected). You must include at least two different
incentives in your incentive plan. Be sure to justify your decisions.

* How would you determine the salary/wage for this job? Again, DO NOT ask your subject
matter experts about salary/wage or other sensitive information.

* Based on what you know about this job, do you think this would be an exempt or non-exempt
position? What, if any, implications does this have for your incentive plan?

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Project Specifications and Notes :

The entire document should be double-spaced, 12pt font, Times-New Roman. Staple or otherwise be
sure that all pages are attached to one another (do not simply fold pages over). Place any appendices
(e.g., interview notes) or supplemental materials in an Appendix section located after your primary
document.

Be concise, thorough, and clear throughout
your paper. For instance, your job description should be a unique work product taking into
consideration the context of the particular job you are analyzing, not something directly pulled from
the internet or other sources (e.g., existing job descriptions). Any form of plagiarism will result in a 0
for this project and may be reported to appropriate channels for review. To avoid plagiarism, (1)
make sure that the words you use are your own, (2) in cases where you are using direct quotes from
other material, provide a citation and page number of the quote, and (3) give credit to others work. If
you choose a selection system based on research that you read in an article, cite that article. If you
have questions about any of this, come see me! Ignorance will not be an acceptable excuse.

Grading: Simply completing each of the above elements at a satisfactory level would be consistent
with a C level grade. You will note, I provided questions that should minimally be addressed. Again,
the minimum would be equivalent to a C. To earn a grade in the A or B range, excellent quality work
must be completed (e.g., professional writing, few/no grammatical errors, well-organized flow
between sections, effective strategies articulated, clear justifications for strategies, and an overall
effectively conveyed project). Further, you will have carefully reviewed the course textbook and
articles cited in the text to thoroughly follow the steps and guidance provided on how to develop HR
system and issues to consider during the process. Creativity will be rewarded. As an example, for the
recruitment section – someone who chooses a job advertisement as their method for recruitment may
actually develop and include a job advertisement. Similarly, someone who develops a selection
system and chooses to interview job applicants may actually develop and include the interview
questions asked of applicants. These are just examples, but similar elements could be included for
each component to demonstrate that you have gone above and beyond. A more detailed grading
rubric will be provided.