X. Your Turn: The Customer-Service Agent
Summary of Case
Students are provided with information on a day in the work life of Bill Ryan, a customer-service
Learning Objective
Demonstrate how to apply some of the key techniques of job analysis by analyzing the work
activities of Bill Ryan and translate the analysis into a job description.
Teaching Guidelines
Use this case to help students understand the challenges in writing a job description.
Student answers may vary. Students can consider the following inputs in constructing their
answers.
Discussion of Case Questions
Note: An example of a job description for the job of customer service agent is provided
1. Does the day diary include sufficient information?
While student responses will vary, overall, Mr. Ryan’s day dairy scenario provides adequate
2. Identify the specific information in the article that you found useful.
an overview of how the company’s business operates, a summary of the job duties of
employees related to the CSA job)
3. What additional information do you require? How would that information help you?
Student responses will vary.
Additional data directly related to the completion of a job description that students might
Pick a teammate (or the instructor will assign one) and exchange job descriptions with your
teammate.
1. How similar/different are the two descriptions? You and your teammate started with
exactly the same information. What might explain any differences?
Point out that differences in student perceptions and interpretation of the information
2. What process would you go through to understand and minimize the differences?
A suggested process could include the following steps:
complete one job description for each team.
3. What are some of the relational returns of the job?
Based on Mr. Ryan’s description of his work, these returns are likely to include: employment
Job Description
Job Title
Customer-Service Agent
Job Summary
Relationships
External relationships: General public, i.e. buyers and sellers of products in an online
Qualifications
computer software.
Physical requirements: Ability to sit for extended periods of time in one location. Possess visual
Essential Responsibilities
1. Responds to 60 – 100 routine and non-routine e-mail messages and phone calls regarding
complaints.
5. Attends required, recommended, or job-related training programs and/or seminars.
catalog errors.
Answers to Review Questions
1. Job analysis has been considered the cornerstone of human resource management.
Precisely how does it support managers making pay decisions?
Work-related information is needed to determine pay for each job in an organization based
One of the most often asked questions by employees is related to pay. For example, why am
The real issue should be, how much detail is needed to make pay decisions? The answer is
enough information to help set individual employees’ pay, encourage continuous learning,
2. What does job analysis have to do with internal alignment?
It helps ensure that pay decisions are related to identifiable job similarities and differences
3. Describe the major decisions involved in job analysis.
The decisions include:
oIdentifying training needs
It helps establish an internally fair and aligned job structure which assists in
What information is needed?
Analysis should begin with a review of job information already collected. Information
needed falls in two categories:
oConventional methods which involve an analyst using a questionnaire in conjunction
with structured interviews of job incumbents and supervisors
The extent to which the various parties are involved must be decided. An HR
employee (job analyst, human resource generalist, or compensation specialist) or a
currency, and costs.
4. Distinguish between task data and behavioral data.
Task data emphasizes the actual work performed in a job and the outcome or purpose of
5. What is the critical advantage of quantitative approaches over conventional
approaches to job analysis?
The quantitative approach, which involves the use of an online questionnaire or an
inventory, lends itself to statistical analysis. This approach allows more data to be collected
this approach, the data collected and the results are likely to be more objective. This is an
essential factor in light of the increased importance of supporting all human resource
6. How would you decide whether to use job-based or person-based structures?
The decision on which type of pay structure to utilize should be based on which approach is
While person-based structures are currently popular, job-based structures are still the most
employees) due to the differences in work flow.
7. Why do many managers say that job analysis is a colossal waste of their time and the
time of their employees? Are they right?
Sometimes the people advocating the use of job analysis become so enamored with the
In addition, if subsequent pay decisions turn out to have little relationship to job analysis