ACTIVITY AND DISCUSSION

ACTIVITY 1

For this class, you will be applying aspects of I/O psychology. Activity 1 requires that you select a job that you will use to complete future activities.

Do not select a job in these areas, applying the material can very difficult:

Self-employed (e.g. therapists or lawyers not part of a firm or organization), owner of business, or entrepreneur. Executive management (CEO, VP, SVP) Director should be the highest level of management.

Choose a job or position that you are interested in researching and learning about. Make sure you are someone who is fond of the position because you will be using it for the course. One option, you could choose your dream job, or a job that you always wondered about as a kid.

Assignment: Select a position and describe the purpose of the position. You will use the Internet to find job descriptions for the position you chose that will help you write the purpose. The purpose should be summary, but with sufficient details. (You must site your sources). Lastly, explain why you chose the position.

Recommendation: Bookmark or save your resources for later activities.

ACTIVITY 2

Using the job you chose in Activity 1. Research your job on O*Net, use previous research and your textbook to complete the following:

1. For your job, what type of job analysis (e.g. person-oriented, job-oriented, combination) is the most appropriate? Explain/Defend your answer.

2. Identify one essential function of this job using your research. Explain why this is an essential function.

3. What type of “information gathering” method is the most appropriate for this job and your choice of job analysis? For example, methods include inventories, interviews, observations, etc. Explain/Defend your answer. List at least on pro and one con to this type of method.

In case you are wondering what KSAOs might look like for a particular job or need examples: Knowledge: Know what is needed to complete a task.

Skill: Can do a task (with some a level of proficiency)

Ability: Capability to learn a task

Other: other personal characteristics or attributes needed for a task or a job

Job	Knowledge	Skill	Ability	Other
Lawyer	Constitutional Rights and Tort laws (JD)	Clearly write position papers and legal documents.	Apply new laws at state and national levels.	Willingness to work long hours
Elementary Teacher	Learning and education practices (College degree)	Clearly write lesson plans	Relate to children ages 6 - 10	Commitment to learning
Nurse	Medical procedures (LPN or RN)	Correctly read, record, and interpret vital statistics	Remain clam in a crisis	Empathy for others

ACTIVITY 3

Using the job you chose in Activity 1, your research from Activity 2, the textbook and course material.

1. For the job you chose, what type of selection methods would you recommend (excluding

interview)? If you choose psychological test (cognitive ability, personality, etc.), then you

must be specific about what type and what it would measure specific to you job.

Explain/Defend your answer.

2. Using your textbook/course material, develop five (5) structured interview questions

specifically tailored to the job.

Make sure you cite all resources.

ACTIVITY 4

Using the same job from previous activities.

1. Develop a recruitment plan to get the most qualified applicants for this position. Be

specific about the sources you would use to find applicants. (Chapter 6).

2. Explain how your recruitment plan would address any specific challenges to getting

qualified applicants. (e.g. Turnover, Large number of applicants, or small number of applicants.) (Chapter 6).

Make sure you cite all resource

ACTIVITY 5

Using the same job from previous activities.

1. What type of performance appraisal system would be best suited for the people with this position? Explain/Defend your answer. (Chapter 4)

2. What type of motivation theory would you recommend for this position? Explain/Defend your answer. (Chapter 8)

Make sure you cite all resources