HRM FPX 5025 Assessment 2 JMJ Profile: Machine Operator Job Analysis

Student Name

Capella University

HRM-FPX5025 Talent Acquisition and Workforce Planning

Prof. Name

Date

Introduction

JMJ Profile is a small plastic machine shop in New Jersey that employs machinists. When looking for candidates to fill these positions, many aspects must be analyzed. Most importantly, the KSAs (Knowledge, skills, abilities) must be determined in order to attract the applicable candidates and hire the best talent.

KSA

Successful machinists possess a variety of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA). The most important knowledge that a qualified candidate should have is that of machines and tools, including their use and repair. This position also requires a high degree of mathematical aptitude, including but not limited to arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. Knowledge of design and design techniques is also vitally important for this role. The candidate must be able to read drawings, models, and blueprints and interpret the data contained therein.

There are a few skills vital to the success of anyone filling the machinist position. The first is operation monitoring; the individual must be able to watch and control gauges, dials, and indicators to ensure they function properly. It is also vitally important that the candidate can think critically, as the position requires problem-solving and quickly troubleshooting and correcting issues, as well as preventing them in the future. Lastly, the candidate must be familiar with quality control processes to ensure that the product is produced correctly at each step of the process. They must be able to test and inspect parts at various production stages to evaluate overall quality and ensure adherence to customer specifications.

Machine Operator

The successful individual in this position will need a great degree of near-sightedness and depth perception to see intricate details of both the machines and each part. Controlling the machines also requires arm-hand steadiness and a fair amount of dexterity to ensure safety.

Legal Implications

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees from discrimination during employment, including the hiring process (NAP, 2010). Job analyses and descriptions must be worded to avoid legal implications, such as discrimination based on gender, age, race, religion, etc. The analysis cannot appear to favor any of these qualities over another. Additionally, employers must offer reasonable accommodations to employees who need them (NAP, 2010). For example, a machinist at JMJ Profile struggling with near-sightedness may have difficulty discerning small details in parts. JMJ could provide magnifiers at minimal cost to help the employee perform their job effectively.

The job analysis itself must be clearly defined, with stated duties and marked performance evaluations. This gives supervisors defined parameters to evaluate each employee. Without this, supervisors at JMJ tend to rely on personal opinions of each employee rather than stated criteria, leading to unfair labor practices, wrongful terminations, and subsequent lawsuits (NAP, 2010). By providing detailed descriptions and performance standards, JMJ Profile can prevent these legal implications.

Competency Model

The following is a competency model for the position of machinist at JMJ Profile. The machinist must operate equipment safely and ensure the machines run properly. They must adjust equipment as needed to maintain efficiency and maintain the equipment to meet production and quality expectations. Familiarity with quality systems and ISO 9001 standards is essential, along with the ability to perform quality audits during all production phases. The machinist must troubleshoot system issues and think critically to solve and prevent problems.

They must be able to compute numbers using a calculator, use a ruler or tape measure, and have some mechanical and electrical skills. The ability to read and decipher blueprints and drawings and have steady eye/hand/arm coordination is required. Understanding and performing start-up, set-up, and shut-down procedures for each production run is necessary. Familiarity with inspection tools, calipers, OGP machines, and radius/diameter measurements is essential. Compliance with all safety requirements and familiarity with OSHA regulations are mandatory. The machinist must be able to read, speak, and understand English and have at least a high school diploma.

ONet is an extremely useful tool as it lists recommended traits for many different jobs. This and similar tools can be used to design systems to select, train, and support workers in a selected role (ONet, 2019). It focuses more on an industry analysis rather than a specific job analysis as it is very general. However, it is a great place to begin to find universally acceptable language and point out different traits that may be overlooked during an analysis. Employers that start with O*Net need to tailor the descriptions to each job as the requirements will differ depending on the role and the employer.

Recommenations

It is recommended that the hiring process for the machinist position start internally rather than externally. The position just below machinist is that of an operator. These operators have less involvement in setting up machines for production runs and nothing to do with quality control. The current operators at JMJ Profile are already familiar with each other and the company structure. They are also familiar with the different parts, how the machines run, and the quality processes (even though they do not engage in the quality process). Onboarding a new employee can be costly in terms of time and money.

It has been found that hiring outside the organization has a 61% greater chance that the employee will perform poorly and subsequently be fired within the first two years of employment. It takes approximately this long for a new employee to reach the standards of current employees (Adams, 2012). Training a current employee will still take time and money, but nearly as much as starting from scratch with an outsider. Additionally, promoting and training from within creates a positive atmosphere, showing employees there is room for growth and hard work is rewarded. This creates a high level of employee satisfaction and low levels of turnover.

References

Adams, S. (2012). Why promoting from within usually beats hiring from outside. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2012/04/05/why-promoting-from-within-usually-beats-hiring-from-outside/#373849d936ce

NAP. (2010). Human resource management. Retrieved from https://www.nap.edu

HRM FPX 5025 Assessment 2 JMJ Profile: Machine Operator Job Analysis

O*Net Online. (2019), Summary report for computer controlled machine tool operators. Retrieved from https://www.onetonline.org