What should the job analyst begin by doing? A) Create a questionnaire

QUESTION

What should the job analyst begin by doing?

A) Create a questionnaire to be administered to employees about the tasks they perform during a normal workday.
B) Learn as much about the workplace situation by talking with supervisors who are familiar with the normal operation of a typical Treadcorps location.
C) Go to a Treadcorps location and, with as much stealth as possible, observe what the various employees are spending their time doing.
D) Prepare a set of job descriptions based on management’s perception of what the duties of employees ought to be.
E) Review the procedures of Treadcorps’ competitors to see what the standard practice in the industry is.

ANSWER

Answer: B
Explanation: B) There are many ways to do a job analysis, but before starting any process, the analyst should become familiar with the jobs involved. So Choice B is correct: the analyst should talk to supervisors who have extensive experience in the workplace and detailed knowledge of the tasks required. Choice A might be a reasonable act in some job analyses, but if many of the employees have minimal verbal skills (which the analyst should learn by surveying the situation first), then it will be a poor method of gathering data. Choice C is counterproductive, as it is essential to gain the trust and cooperation of those whose jobs are being analyzed. Choice D should follow job analysis, not precede it, and Choice E is not relevant if the task is to determine the results of Treadcorps’ reorganization.