2015 JOB ANALYSIS REPORT Crew Member Position Trader Joe’s Gainesville, Florida Table of Contents v Executive Summary…2 v Job Description…3 v Introduction…4 v Interviewing Process…5 v Surveying Process…6 v Task Statements…7-9 v Worker Characteristics…10-11 v Selection…12 v Training…13 v Conclusion…14 v Limitations…15 v Interview Format…16-17 v Critical Incidents…18 v Survey Initiation…19 v Survey Questions…20-23 v References…24 Jonathan Cowan & Alexis Fawcett University of Central Florida INP6058 Job Analysis Project Information obtained in this analysis is for academic purposes only.
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Thecrewmember’sjobfunctions,tasks,andcharacteristics were analyzed at theGainesville Trader Joe’s location. Theinformation enclosed in this report can beused to provide a task-focused jobdescription and applied towards improvingselectionandtrainingpractices.Through observations and interviews withTraderJoe’screwmembersandsupervisors,the analysts developed a list of essentialtasks and characteristics for the crewmember position. Themost essential tasksfor the crew member position were:unloading products from delivery vehicles,managing time efficiently while accomplishassigned tasks, transporting product ontothesalesfloor,conductingtransactionswithcustomers, and maintaining a positive,customer service-oriented attitude. Dataregardingtheknowledge,skills,abilities,andother characteristics required for crewmembers can be used for selection andtraining.SelectionIdeal crew members will demonstrate apositive,upbeatinterpersonalstyleandhavea team- and customer service-orientedattitude.Applicantswillbeabletodealwithpotentially upset or dissatisfied customers,and possess the ability to communicateeffectively. Applicants should be primarilyselected for the abilities that an effectivecrew member possesses, and additionaltraining may not be necessary as thesecharacteristics shouldbe readilyavailable inthecurrentlabormarket.
TrainingTraining for crewmembers should focusondevelopingjob-relevantknowledgeandskillssuchasknowledgeofTraderJoe’sproducts,the point-of-sale system, store policies andprocedures,andtheuseofequipment,tools,and machinery. Additional training forabilities such as effective communication,customer service, and time managementshould not be necessary, but can beimplementedatmanagement’sdiscretion.LegalConsiderationsCharacteristics related to physical jobperformanceweredeemednecessaryfortheselection process, however their use in thehiringprocesscouldresultinadverseimpactor discrimination against protectedclasses. Further job analysis regardingphysical ability requirements isrecommended to determine whether thesefactors are essential to job performance,thus avoiding potential legal liabilities ordiscriminatoryhiringpractices.
Therewillneverbeadullmomentinyourday!Allyouneedisapassionforpeopleandafervorforfood.Wecanteachyoutherest.Physicallyactive,upbeat,positiveandfunindividualsarethefolkswewantonourCrew.Ahighschoolgraduatewithflexibilitytoworkeveningsandweekendsisstronglypreferred.PassionforArt?FlairforFood?LoveofWine?WeGotYouCovered!ManyofourCrewMembershavespecialtalentsthatweputtogoodusearoundhere.Ifartisyourthing,youcancraftimaginative,informative,handmadestoresignsthatpromoteTraderJoe'sproducts-andmakeourcustomerssay,"WOW!"Weusealotofchalk,soifthat'samediumyouarecomfortablewith,evenbetter.Have a passion for people and cooking? Grab an apron andhelpus plan, prepare and servebite-sizedportionsofourfabulousfoodtocustomerswhiletheyshop.Ifyoufeelathomeinthekitchen,andliketotalkfood,youwillenjoydemonstratingourdeliciouscreations.Knowathingortwoaboutwine?Shareyourknowledgeanddelightourcustomersbyhelpingtoanswertheirquestionsandmakerecommendations.WeCan'tWaittoMeetYou!Soundlikeamatch?Hurryinandapplytoday.Allapplicationsareacceptedin-personatthestorelistedbelow.Wantaheadstart?Downloadacopyofourapplication,fillitoutandbringitwithyou!
INTRODUCTIONTrader Joe’s grocery store aims to create a “WOW” shopping experience for itscustomerseveryday. Trader Joe’semployeesarecommitted to insuring thateverycustomer’sshoppingis:
1. Rewarding2. Eventful3. Fun
“Crew Members” are the heart of the Trader Joe’s team. Rather than confineemployees intospecificrolessuchascashier,bagger,orstocker,crewmembersareabletoengageinavarietyofroleseachshift.Therefore,crewmemberspartakeinawidearrayoftasksandembodyadiversesetofknowledge,skills,abilities,andothercharacteristics.Thejobanalystsparticipatedinanobservationperiodbetweenconductinginterviewswithbothacrewmemberandanassistantmanager.Theanalystsobservedmultiplecrewmembersinordertogainafullpictureoftheposition.Followingtheinterviews,analystscreatedlistsofbothtasksandworkercharacteristicsandpresentedtheminasurveyforcrewmemberstorateonmultiplelevels.Specificexplanationsonmethodsused and results are explained further in the report. Through the analysis, theanalysts determined the most important tasks for crew members are: unloadingproducts, maintaining and conveying a positive, customer-service oriented attitudeduring customer-employee interactions, and receiving payments and computingtransactionsforcustomers.Selection and training procedures can also be improved through the data collectedfromthisanalysis.Mosttasksincludeinteractingwithotheremployeesorcustomers,therefore socialandmotivationalabilitiesare importantcharacteristics to select forduringhiring.Knowledgeandskills requiringtheuseof toolorequipmentwerenotdeemednecessaryforselection,butshouldbetrainedafterhiring.Crewmembersareapartofevery step in the shoppingexperienceatTrader Joe’s.Thecompanybelievesincontinuousimprovement,integrity,andprovidingcustomerswith a “WOW” experience. Therefore, it is important to select and train crewmemberswhowillrepresentthis imageandupholdthesevalues.Theresultsofthisjob analysiswill help Trader Joe’s in selecting and training crewmemberswhowillensurecustomershavethebestpossibleshoppingexperience.
INTERVIEWINGPROCESSTasks and crewmember characteristicswere gathered through a 30minuteobservationperiodandsubsequentinterviewswithacrewmemberandmate(assistantmanager).TheobservationandinterviewstookplaceonSeptember30, 2015 from 12:00 to 4:00 PM at the Gainesville, Florida location.Demographicsofintervieweesarelistedbelow.CrewMemberLengthofTimeinPosition:2yearsLengthofTimeinthisLocation:2yearsLengthofTimeinCompany:2yearsAverageAmountofHoursperWeek:37.5Age:23Gender:MaleEthnicBackground:WhiteMate(AssistantManager)LengthofTimeinPosition:1yearLengthofTimeinthisLocation:3yearsLengthofTimeinCompany:3yearsAverageAmountofHoursperWeek:50Age:24Gender:FemaleEthnicBackground:BlackorAfricanAmericanThegreeterandsupervisorwereinformedoftheobjectivesandtheacademicnatureoftheinterview.Interviewquestionscanbefoundonpage16-17.Both crew member and supervisor were asked to give critical incidents ofunacceptable and outstanding performance from individuals in the crewmemberrole.Theseexamplescanbefoundonpage18.Finally,intervieweeswereaskedtochoosewhichofthegivenstatementsinalist best describes the crewmemberposition. The answers canbe foundonpage17.
SURVEYINGPROCESSAn online survey was created through the program Qualtrics that asked questions for use in theCombination Job Analysis Method (C-JAM). This hybrid method looks at both tasks and workercharacteristics(KSAOs)requiredinajob.Theratingsonthescalesandpatternoftheseratingsareusedtodevelopselectionandtrainingmethods(Brannick,Levine,&Morgeson,2007).6 crewmemberswereasked toparticipate in the survey throughanemail invitation.Crewmemberswere informed that the surveywas anonymous andwould take about 30minutes to complete. Twocrewmembers(33%)completedthesurvey.Theemailinvitationcanbefoundonpage19.Jobtaskswereratedonbothtaskdifficultyandcriticalityusinga7-pointscale. Theextremesofeachscale are show below. Task importance numbers were determined by adding the scores from bothscalesforeachtask.Thequestionswere:
1. Please rate the following tasks on theirdifficulty (howmuch effort is required to completethem):
WORKERCHARACTERISTICSTo perform tasks, crew members must possess certain KSAOs.
• Knowledge: the existence in memory of a retrievable set of technical facts, concepts, language and procedures directly relevant to job performance.
• Skills: the developed or trained capacity to perform tasks that call for the use of tools, equipment, or machinery
• Abilities: the relatively enduring capacity to acquire skills or knowledge, where the use of tools, equipment, or machinery isn’t required
• Other characteristics: include job-relevant interests, preferences, temperament, and personality characteristics that indicate how well an employee is likely to perform.
Listed below are KSAOs created by the job analysts that are applicable to the crew member position. The job analysts determined these KSAOs through interviews and surveys of SMEs. The KSAOs that should be used in selection and training are also noted.
Exemplary crewmembers will be customer service-oriented, demonstrate effectiveinterpersonalskills,andfunctionwellinateamsetting.Surveyrespondentsindicatedthatcharacteristics usually associated with customer service such as communicating andrelatingwith customers, anticipating customer needs, and assisting potentially upset orirate customers, are highly desired. These results suggest that hiring authorities shouldfocus on themajority of crewmember abilities and other characteristicswhen selectingapplicants for the position. Results also indicate thatmany of these characteristics arereasonable to expect in the general labor market and, whether inherent or acquiredthroughotherjobexperiences,donotrequireadditionaltrainingfortheaverageworker.
ApplicantScreeningApplicants could demonstrate their qualifications through an online personality test,answeringsituationalquestions,andcompletingabasicmathassessment. Thosehigherin the personality traits of conscientiousness, agreeableness, and extraversion could begiven preference due to their high correlation with performance in team andinterpersonalsettings.
InterviewingApplicantswithpriorretailorcustomerserviceexperiencearedesirable,astheyarelikelyto possess similar experiences and required abilities due to the demands of previousemployment.Situational interview questions and a work sample demonstration are alsoadvised. Interviews could ask applicants to describe exampleswhere theyworked in ateam,dealtwithinterpersonalconflict,orusedtimemanagementtoaccomplishaseriesoftasks.Whileansweringtheseprompts,theidealapplicantwillcommunicatetheirideaseffectively and demonstrate friendly and appropriate interpersonal skills. Applicantsshould be askedwhy they desire the crewmember position, and their response shouldevidence a desire to work in a team setting, a passion for Trader Joe’s products andculture,andapositive,can-do,customer-orientedattitude.The work sample demonstration should include position specific tasks such as bagginggroceries,movingproductswithin thestore,andstocking shelves inorder to satisfy theexertionalandposturalrequirementsendorsedbyrespondents.
EqualEmploymentJob incumbents and supervisors opined that postural and exertional abilities such asstandingorwalkingforupto7½hours,liftingupto10poundsfrequently,andliftingupto50poundsoccasionallywerenecessaryrequirementsforjobapplicants.However,dueto the nature of these abilities, their use as a criterion-measure during the selectionprocessmayinadvertentlyleadtoadverseimpactorprecludecertainprotectedclasses.Amore comprehensive job analysis is strongly advised in order to avoid potential legalconsiderations, establish ability-position validity, and develop reasonableaccommodationsforpotentiallyaffectedapplicants.
TRAININGSurvey results indicate that training should focus on crew members job-relevant knowledge and skills. Initial training in these areas should beprovidedtonewhirestoinsureaminimumlevelofcompetency,andcouldbeaccomplished through demonstration, verbal instruction, or hands-onparticipationbyanotherexperiencedincumbentorsupervisor(inaccordancewithcompanypoliciesandprocedures).Roleplayingscenarioscouldalsobeenactedtopracticeorreinforcecustomerserviceskills.It is unlikely that further, periodic training on many of these items iswarranted as accumulated job experience will reinforce thesecompetencies.Toillustrate,oncesatisfactoryknowledgeisattainedinpoint-of-sale system operation, bell system procedures, or stocking, facing, andproduct rotation policies, further training would not be beneficial unlesstherearenoteddeficitsinemployeetaskperformance.Severalabilitieswerealsoindicatedasitemsfortraining(abilitytoreadPOSdisplay,abilitytoindependentlycompletejobdutieswithoutsupervision,andability to organize andmanipulate objects), however these results may beduetothesmallpoolofsurveyrespondents.Itislikelythattheseabilitieswillimprove naturally as incumbents become more familiar with job demandsandtasks,thusmakingthemquestionabletargetsfortraininginterventions.Trainingprovidedbymanagersorsupervisorsisadvisedforthefollowing:
Ø To inform crew members of newly implemented policies orprocedures
Ø Onaperiodicbasistoreinforcesafety-orientedpoliciesorproceduresManagement may also avoid the need for formal training sessions byproactively addressing problems, incorrect actions, or unsafe behaviors astheyoccurduringcrewmembershifts.Crewmemberperformancemayalsobe improved by clearly setting goals and expectations at the beginning ofshifts. A hands-on learning and coaching style is also advised, as it allowsmanagerstoencourageeffectiveworkbehaviorswhilealsotailoringfeedbackmessagestotheindividual.
The survey results indicate that productmovement anddisplay are of the greatestimportance, and customer service-oriented tasks also hold high priority. Thisaccountsforandhelpsexplaintheversatilefunctionsofthecrewmemberrole.
SelectionDuring the selection process, hiring authorities should seek customer service andteamwork-oriented applicants who demonstrate passion for Trader Joe’s productsandculture.Applicantsshouldalsobeableandwillingtodealwithpotentiallyupsetor dissatisfied customers, and communicate effectively with customers andcoworkers.
TrainingTraining fornewcrewmembersshouldemphasizethedevelopmentof job-relevantknowledge and skills. Crewmembers will also gain competency in these areas asthey accumulate job experience. Training can be provided through hands-on,demonstration,andverbal instructionmethods. Role-playing couldalsobeused todevelop customer service skills. Periodic trainings on safety, policies, and storeproceduresmaybeimplementedatthemanager’sdiscretion.
LegalConsiderationsCertain KSAOs endorsed by incumbents and respondents may result in adverseimpactifusedasselectioncriteria.Thejobanalystsstronglyadviseamorethoroughjob analysis be conducted in order to establish the necessity and legality of theseitemsinselection.
SampleSizeWhilethisreportisintendedforonlyacademicuse,thesmallincumbentand respondent pool (n =2) limits the inferences that can be drawnregardingthevalidityoftheanalysis.Infutureanalyses,analystsshouldstrivetowardsalargerincumbentandrespondentpoolsothat:
(a) Interview and observation data regarding job tasks andcharacteristicsisasthoroughaspossible,and;
The interviewformatdevelopedbytheanalysts,whileyieldingvaluableinformation, also required considerable time to complete withincumbents. In order to save time and avoid redundancy in futureanalyses, the analystswillmake the interview format briefer andmorestreamlined.
RespondentParticipationThesurveywassentto6crewmembers,howeveronly2completedthesurvey. As respondentsdidnothaveclear incentives tocompleting thesurvey, this response rate is understandable. In the future, responserates couldbe improved throughmonetaryorother incentives (i.e. giftcards),orwiththesanctionanddirectionoftherequestingorganization.
LegalConsiderationsAsnotedpreviously,severaloftheitemsinthequestionnairecouldleadtolegalandethicaldilemmasifusedforselection.Inthefuture,analystsshould take extra care in developing and validating such items, andshouldnot include them in the selectionprocessunlessdeemed legallydefensibleandnecessaryforaveragejobperformance.
INTERVIEWFORMAT• What does a typical day look like?
Work on a register • Can you describe what kind of tasks you do while
working at the register? • What KSAOs are required to perform this work function? • What kind of knowledge is required? • What types of skills are required to complete tasks? • What mental or physical abilities are required to perform
this function? Bag some groceries
• What kind of tasks do you do while 'bagging some groceries?'
• What kinds of abilities are required to perform this work function successfully?
Stock the shelves • What kind of tasks do you do while stocking shelves? • What do you need to do before you stock the shelves? • What do you do after you stock the shelves? • What kinds of KSAOs are required to perform this work
function? Build a display
• Can you describe what you do to successfully build a display?
• What do you need to do before you build the display? • What do you need to do once you have finished building
the display? • What kinds of KSAOs are required to perform this work
function? Have fun helping customers
• Can you describe how you have fun helping customers? • In what ways do you help customers? • Do you ever not have fun helping customers? • How do you deal with that? • Are there any KSAOs that are required to successfully
perform this work function?
INTERVIEWFORMAT• Some tasks are performed on a non-routine basis, like taking
inventory. Do you perform any non-routine tasks that we have not yet discussed? What are the steps you take to accomplish the task? What do you do to prepare for it? What follow-up activities do you do after the task?
• Can you describe for me some critical incidents or situations that demonstrate either outstanding or poor job performance? For example, dealing with an angry customer? What led up to the incident? What did the employee do that was effective/ineffective? Were the consequences something the employee was in control of?
• If you had to interview candidates for this position, what kind of information would you need to select the right person?
• If you had to select a person for this position, what activities would you want to see them perform before hiring or promoting them?
• What kinds of prior work experience, knowledge, skills, or abilities are essential for performing this job?
• What types of knowledge, skills, or abilities would you most want to train incumbents to ensure they become or remain effective?
• What skills or abilities should incumbents develop to ensure he or she will be able to perform the job as it changes in the future?
• What kind of formal education is required for this job? • What kind of tools or equipment do you use? • What types of communication skills do you need? • Are there any other characteristics needed for this job? Is there
anything we may have missed?
Much travel ….. little travel Predictable Work Schedule ….. Unpredictable Work Schedule
Flexible Work Hours ….. Set Work Hours Moderate-to-slow pace.... Depends on the shift.... Fast work pace Frequent high pressure for results.... low pressure for results
Frequent deadlines.... infrequent deadlines Closely Supervised.... Varying supervision.... Little Supervision
High level of decision making authority..... low to moderate decision making authority Establish own goals.... goals established by others Work closely with others ..... work mostly alone
Able to accomplish scheduled tasks .... must continually reprioritize tasks much record keeping/routine paperwork .... minimal record keeping and paperwork
Work requires attention to detail .... work focused on overall strategy Work requires little creativity …. Work requires much creativity
Work and environment constantly changing.... Work environmental normally static