CRSP Job Analysis & Position Design 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When conducting a job analysis for a newly created position with no incumbents, the best primary source of information is:
- Historical payroll records
- Subject matter experts and supervisors in analogous roles (Correct answer)
- Job boards listing similar titles
- Organizational headcount data
Correct answer: Subject matter experts and supervisors in analogous roles
For new positions, SMEs and supervisors of comparable roles provide the most relevant task and competency information in the absence of incumbents.
Question 2: In Hackman and Oldham's Job Characteristics Model, which core dimension refers to the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities and skills?
- Task identity
- Task significance
- Skill variety (Correct answer)
- Autonomy
Correct answer: Skill variety
Skill variety describes how many different skills and activities a job demands, contributing to experienced meaningfulness of work.
Question 3: A functional job analysis (FJA) rates tasks on three worker function scales. Which of the following is NOT one of those scales?
- Data
- People
- Things
- Ideas (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Ideas
FJA rates tasks on Data, People, and Things — 'Ideas' is not a dimension of the FJA framework.
Question 4: Which term describes combining two or more narrowly defined jobs into a single, broader role to increase flexibility and reduce redundancy?
- Job rotation
- Job consolidation (Correct answer)
- Job enrichment
- Position grading
Correct answer: Job consolidation
Job consolidation merges related narrow roles into one broader position, often improving efficiency and workforce flexibility.
Question 5: From a legal defensibility standpoint, job analysis documentation is most critical when an organization faces a challenge to its:
- Onboarding timeline
- Selection criteria and hiring decisions (Correct answer)
- Compensation benchmarking
- Organizational chart structure
Correct answer: Selection criteria and hiring decisions
Courts and the EEOC require that selection criteria be demonstrably job-related, and documented job analysis is the primary evidence of that link.
Question 6: Which of the following is a key limitation of the observation method of job analysis?
- It cannot be used for manual labor roles
- It is too expensive compared to surveys
- Workers may alter behavior when being watched (reactivity) (Correct answer)
- It requires large sample sizes to be valid
Correct answer: Workers may alter behavior when being watched (reactivity)
Reactivity (the Hawthorne effect) means observed workers may perform differently than normal, skewing data collected through observation.
Question 7: A competency-based job profile differs from a traditional task-based job description primarily in that it:
- Lists required credentials instead of duties
- Focuses on observable behaviors and performance attributes rather than discrete tasks (Correct answer)
- Is created by HR without manager input
- Is only used for executive-level positions
Correct answer: Focuses on observable behaviors and performance attributes rather than discrete tasks
Competency-based profiles emphasize the behaviors and attributes that drive successful performance, whereas task-based descriptions list specific work activities.
CRSP Job Analysis & Position Design 3
When conducting a job analysis for a newly created position with no incumbents, the best primary source of information is: