Real-Life Math
A lot of job and occupation analysis is just that -- analysis. Analyzing
statistical feedback from employees means figuring out what these numbers
mean. How do you boil them down into useful job information?
"Math
skills are definitely used in job analysis," says analyst Clara Hamory. "You
have to look at statistics in order to try and identify particular patterns
in an organization. For example, what occupations have more women than men,
or vice versa? So you'd have to know how to read statistical tables of work,
graphs, that kind of thing."
Much of an analyst's math calls for interpretation
and decision making. "Quantitative methods are important," says analyst Jimmy
Mitchell. "This is especially important in dealing with large databases and
in making judgments on what the data means and how it can be best interpreted
and applied."
Math helps an analyst decide how to categorize jobs.
Based on the number values attached to task lists, analysts weigh the similarities
and differences between jobs and either lump them together or split them apart.
You're
a job analyst deciding whether to split or lump the jobs of editor and proofreader
together. You've used surveys to collect these percentages of how many editors
and proofers do the following tasks:
| Task | Editor (%) | Proofer (%) |
|
| Assign articles | 95 | 0 |
| Research topics | 93 | 10 |
| Decide layout | 60 | 60 |
| Provide feedback | 70 | 85 |
| Check spelling | 92 | 99 |
| Check grammar | 87 | 99 |
| Deal with budget | 51 | 47 |
| Make editorial decisions | 99 | 22 |
| Check facts | 2 | 76 |
| Check word count | 15 | 98 |
| Write headlines | 2 | 79 |
Use these figures, along with the following set of criteria, to
make a decision on whether or not to lump the jobs together.
1. If
2 jobs are going to be classified in the same category, there must be an overlap
of more than 50 percent in 80 percent of their total tasks.
2. Use
your judgment when 70 to 80 percent of total tasks overlap.
Based upon
your calculations, do the jobs of proofer and editor warrant the same category?
Hint:
Find out how much these jobs overlap by averaging the percentages between
jobs.