JOB ANALYSIS 
for their success or failure. He will gain important infor- 
mation only if he is able to differentiate between true rea- 
sons and those which are untrue but satisfying. 
The practical considerations to be kept in mind in analyz- 
ing the worker at his work are well brought out by Uhrbrock 
(207): 
As the interest in job analysis grew, it became evident that 
certain qualifications were necessary for success in the work. In 
the first place, the man who is selected for the work should be 
mature and make a good impression on the group whose work 
he is to analyze. He need not necessarily be what is known as a 
“good mixer,” but he should at least command confidence and 
respect. His job is to get “job facts” from the men, as well as 
to observe their work. The job analyst must be able to “sell the 
idea” of making a complete record of the elements that go into 
the job. By “job” is meant man and equipment functioning 
smoothly in the performance of work. Qualities that he must 
possess are patience and tact. He will find it helpful if he speaks 
the language of the shop. In analyzing the work of printers one 
soon finds out that those who set type are not “composers” but 
“compositors.” Among the pattern-makers the man who does 
not have a union card is a “skate.” To refer to him in any other 
terms is to put oneself beyond the pale. The telegrapher refers 
to the day-letter as a “blue” and the night-message as a “nite.” 
To know such terms helps in establishing points of contact in 
talking with the workers. 
The successful job analysts keep the men informed as to the 
purpose of their work. They talk freely about the use of the 
material in working out training programs, or how the items that 
make up the job can be evaluated by a salary adjustment com- 
mittee. In fact, this is one of the successful ways of getting the 
men to talk. Each one likes to feel that his particular work is 
the keystone that holds up the arch. If the job analyst can con- 
vince the man that the facts he gathers will be put to some prac- 
tical use, he will make his work easier and more effective. The 
men are averse to the presence of non-producers—‘“dead-heads” 
as they call them. They feel that each man in the concern should 
carry his own weight. In most cases this attitude is not expressed 
openly. The cooperation of the men will be in proportion to their 
understanding of the work and purpose of the job analyst. 
Interviews with supervisors. Information obtained from 
IQ