Chapter 7 Evaluating Jobs The Job Evaluation Process PDF

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Chapter 7 - Evaluating Jobs: The Job Evaluation Process True / False 1. The job evaluation process focuses on how to evaluate individual employee performance to produce a solid foundation for a merit pay system. a. True b. Fals e ANSWER: Fals e 2. Job analysis is derived from job specifications, which in turn are the foundation of all job evaluation systems. a. True b. Fals e ANSWER: Fals e 3. A job description serves several purposes, including providing guidance in the selection and recruitment process. a. True b. Fals e ANSWER: True 4. There are four main methods of conducting job analysis: interviews, observation, questionnaires, and functional job analysis. a. True b. Fals e ANSWER: True 5. Of the four main methods used to conduct job analysis, interviews and questionnaires are by far the most effective when dealing with organizations that do not currently have examples of jobs to be reviewed. a. True b. Fals e ANSWER: Fals e 6. The Position Analysis Questionnaire focuses on behaviours that make up a job. a. True b. Fals e ANSWER: True 7. Two methods of job evaluation are ranking/paired comparison and classification/grading. a. True b. Fals Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero.

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Chapter 7 - Evaluating Jobs: The Job Evaluation Process e ANSWER: True 8. Red-circling applies to employees who are below the pay range for their jobs. a. True b. Fals e ANSWER: Fals e 9. Under Ontario pay equity legislation, going through the pay equity process is unnecessary if your firm has no female job classes. a. True b. Fals e ANSWER: True 10. The Ontario Pay Equity Act covers all employers in the province. a. True b. Fals e ANSWER: Fals e Multiple Choice 11. Which process is used to determine the relative importance of the employee’s job to the organization and the placing of those jobs in the same hierarchy level? a. job analysis

b. market analysis c. performance appraisal d. job evaluation

ANSWER: d 12. Which process is looked upon as the process of gathering data and information about the characteristics required for specific jobs? a. job analysis b. job evaluation c. job description d. job specifications

ANSWER: a 13. Which job analysis method is used for organizations that are being created or when new jobs are introduced? a. observation b. interviews Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero.

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Chapter 7 - Evaluating Jobs: The Job Evaluation Process c. questionnaires d. functional job analysis ANSWER: d 14. As a human resource professional, you have been asked by your organization to develop a job description for the heavy-duty mechanic role. What are you likely NOT to include in the job description? a. some statement describing the conditions under which the mechanic will work under

b. the appropriate pay grades, ranges, and future pay increase scales c. the level of skill and certification required for the role d. the fact that the mechanic will be working under the supervision of a senior technician

ANSWER: b 15. What is the term generally used to describe employees who are below the pay ranges for their jobs? a. green-circled b. red-circled c. targeted for promotion d. discriminated ANSWER: a 16. Which of the following is NOT a valid purpose for conducting job evaluation? a. to control employee performance b. to control wage costs c. to create an equitable pay structure d. to create perceptions of equitable pay among those covered by the system

ANSWER: a 17. Which statement would NOT describe an appropriate usage of job descriptions? a. determining necessary employee qualifications b. creating questions in the interview process c. supporting the development of business level strategies d. developing training plans

ANSWER: c 18. What do job specifications focus on? a. job activities b. reporting structure c. employee qualifications d. performance ANSWER: c 19. Which statement provides the best example of a job specification? Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero.

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Chapter 7 - Evaluating Jobs: The Job Evaluation Process a. arranging meetings and scheduling out-of-town travel

b. possessing a valid driver’s licence c. answering telephones and personal inquiries d. reporting to the head of the department ANSWER: b 20. The textbook introduces four main approaches to conducting job analysis. Which approach would you NOT likely use to collect information on the teller role at an existing Canadian bank? a. Observe several bank tellers performing their jobs.

b. Perform a functional job analysis. c. Interview several tellers at a local branch. d. Provide questionnaires to several tellers. ANSWER: b 21. Because your company is newly created, you do not have any job descriptions. Which method of job analysis will you need to use?

a. interviews b. questionnaire s c. functional d. observation

ANSWER: c 22. Carlos decides to use a time-and-motion study to gather information about a particular job. What kind of job analysis method is Carlos using? a. observations b. interviews c. questionnaires d. functional job analysis ANSWER: a 23. XYZ. Inc. uses a group of judges to examine its job descriptions and determine the value of these jobs to the organization. What job evaluation method is XYZ Inc. using? a. point method

b. functional job analysis c. ranking method d. policy capturing method ANSWER: c 24. Which job evaluation method has historically been popular with government civil service organizations? a. ranking b. classification/grading c. factor comparison Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero.

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Chapter 7 - Evaluating Jobs: The Job Evaluation Process d. paired comparison ANSWER: b 25. You have been asked to present to management potential drawbacks associated with using a job analysis process at your company. Which of the following would likely NOT be included in your list of drawbacks? a. analyzing the jobholder rather than the job b. gender bias c. use of technical language d. use of incorrect benchmark jobs ANSWER: d 26. One of the shortcomings associated with job analysis in dynamic work environments is the potential for obsolete data to be used for a variety of human resource decisions. What proactive steps would you recommend to an organization facing this issue? a. Update job descriptions systematically. b. Stop conducting job analysis. c. Contract out most of your human resource functions. d. Allow each manager in the organization to create actual job descriptions. ANSWER: a 27. Which of the following is NOT one of the methods of job evaluation discussed in the textbook? a. ranking method b. forced distribution method c. factor comparison method d. statistical/policy capturing method ANSWER: b 28. Which job evaluation method is intended mainly for management and executive jobs? a. ranking b. job classification c. Hay Plan d. expert method ANSWER: c 29. An Ontario-based organization asks you to recommend a job evaluation method that may meet pay equity legislation. What job evaluation method are you likely NOT to recommend? a. point b. factor comparison c. ranking

d. classification ANSWER: c 30. Which job evaluation method is like sorting books among a series of carefully labelled shelves in a bookcase? a. ranking Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero.

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Chapter 7 - Evaluating Jobs: The Job Evaluation Process b. paired comparison c. classification d. factor comparison ANSWER: c 31. Which evaluation method uses questionnaires to capture time spent on certain activities and the importance of those activities to the successful completion of the job? a. point b. factor comparison c. classification d. statistical/policy capturing ANSWER: d 32. Which term is used to describe key characteristics of jobs that are valued by organizations and differentiate jobs from one another? a. core job dimensions b. job facts c. compensable factors

d. benchmarks ANSWER: c 33. Organizations need to answer a series of questions in order to conduct job evaluations effectively. What question would a job evaluation process NOT address? a. Who conducts the job evaluations? b. Which jobs should be changed? c. What appeal mechanisms are to be established? d. How should the job evaluation results be applied? ANSWER: b 34. Joel, whose pay was above the pay range, was forced to take a substantial pay cut. He has decided to challenge his employers in the courts. What will he likely claim? a. discrimination

b. constructive dismissal c. demotion d. red-circling ANSWER: b 35. Mario performs his job at a very high standard. Unfortunately, a job evaluation process determined that he is currently being paid at a level below the minimum in a new pay scale. Which statement best describes Mario’s current position in the new pay scale? a. Mario would be classified as a “constructive employee.” b. Mario would be classified as an “exception-to-the-pay-scale” employee.

c. Mario would be classified as a “green-circled employee.” d. Mario would be classified as a “red-circled employee.” Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero.

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Chapter 7 - Evaluating Jobs: The Job Evaluation Process ANSWER: c 36. Which of the following is NOT a valid reason to re-evaluate jobs? a. Labour market conditions change significantly. b. The strategy of the organization changes. c. A new performance system is implemented. d. There is a high level of appeals. ANSWER: c 37. Which procedure is NOT required under the Ontario Pay Equity Act? a. identifying job classes by gender b. collecting job information c. comparing jobs using gender neutral system checking for performance appraisal biases d.

ANSWER: d 38. The textbook identifies several methods that may be used when comparing female and male job classes. Which method would you consider to be inappropriate? a. proxy b. job-to-job c. equality d. proportional value ANSWER: c 39. In Ontario, once completed, pay equity plans should be shared with employees, including both process and outcomes. Which of the following organizations would be exempt from posting their pay equity plans? a. a global manufacturer in Ottawa employing 250 workers

b. a car manufacturer employing 1,000 workers at its Toronto plant c. a food processing factory employing 200 full-time employees d. a farming operation in Ontario employing 25 employees annually

ANSWER: d 40. Which of the following practices can NOT be used to achieve pay equity? a. Pay levels for male comparator jobs will be lowered. b. All positions in a job class will receive adjustments in dollar terms. c. Each female job class must receive a yearly adjustment until pay equity is achieved. d. Inequitable female job classes with the lowest job rate must receive a greater adjustment.

ANSWER: a Subjective Short Answer 41. Briefly explain the purpose of job evaluation and the nature of “relative worth.” Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero.

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Chapter 7 - Evaluating Jobs: The Job Evaluation Process ANSWER Job evaluation is a systematic process used to determine the relative worth of jobs within the organization. The key objectives in conducting job evaluations are as follows: control wage : costs, create an equitable pay structure showing what is valued by the company, and create perceptions of equitable pay among those covered by the system—one that is seen as being fair to employees and provides justification for compensation practices. The end result of job evaluation is a hierarchy of jobs, where all jobs determined to be similar in value to the organization are located at the same level in the hierarchy. This hierarchy shows the internal alignment of jobs and provides the foundation for the development of pay grades and ranges. The worth of jobs evaluated is relative to the specific organization. The value added by the same work may be more (or less) in one organization than in another. For example, the value added by a compensation specialist to a clothing retail company whose profits are generated through clothing sales is less than the value added by that same specialist to a pay equity consulting firm whose clients pay for compensation knowledge.

42. What should a job description contain if it is to be useful for job evaluation? ANSWER The following elements are important components of a job description: (a) job title, department or location, reporting relationships, and date when job analysis was originally completed or : updated; (b) a brief statement of job purpose or objectives; (c) a list of the major duties of the job, in order of priority or importance; (d) an indication of responsibilities for people, results and organizational assets, including cash, tools, equipment, and facilities, along with budget allocations; (e) the mental and physical effort demanded by the job; (f) the conditions under which the work is performed, including hazards and quality of work environment; and (g) a specification of the qualifications needed to perform the job, including skills, training, education, and abilities, as well as any certificates or licences required.

43. Identify and briefly explain the main methods used to obtain the information necessary for effective job evaluation. ANSWER The four main methods are: (a) observation, (b) interviews, (c) questionnaires, and (d) functional job analysis. Used in conjunction with other methods, observation involves watching : the employee as the job is performed and noting all of the necessary information needed for evaluating jobs. Although time-consuming interviews can be conducted with either a sample of employees, their supervisors, or preferably both, a structured interview format provides more consistent information. An open-ended or closed-ended questionnaire can be used to gather jobrelated data. Because care needs to be taken to develop a reliable and valid questionnaire, most organizations use questionnaires developed by outside specialists. A commonly used tool, the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) focuses on the behaviours that make up a job and utilizes job elements to describe work activities. Based on a common set of job functions, functional job analysis produces a series of task statements to describe the job. Managers can then analyze these statements to draw conclusions about the nature of the job.

44. What key procedures need to be worked out to ensure the job evaluation process is effectively conducted and managed? ANSWER If the job evaluation system is to be effective, the process for conducting and managing job evaluation is crucial. Organizations need to work out procedures for who will conduct the job : evaluation process, how it will be communicated, how results will be applied, how procedural justice can be established, and how job evaluations will be updated.

45. With reference to Ontario pay equity legislation, briefly discuss the job comparison methods that can be used for comparing female and male job classes. ANSWER The three main methods are (a) the job-to-job method, where a female job class is compared to a male class comparable in terms of job evaluation criteria; (b) the proportional value method, : used when no comparator male job class exists; and (c) the proxy comparison method, which can be applied only in public sector organizations and only when the job-to-job and proportional value methods cannot be applied.

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