Position analysis questionnaire

Position analysis questionnaire or "PAQ" is a method of Job analysis questionnaire that evaluates job skill level and basic characteristics of applicants for a set match of employment opportunity. Position analysis questionnaire involves a series of detail questioning to produce many analysis reports. This method is high in use within Industrial and Organizational Psychology also Individual psychological assessmentThe Human Resource department or any individual trained in Job analysis take part in "PAQ".

Purpose of PAQ

The PAQ was developed with the hope that it could be used with a minimum of training on the part of the individual who uses it in analyzing a job. This questionnaire's purpose is to further define the duties and responsibilities of a position in order to determine the appropriateness of the position classification, essential functions and/or whether or not the position is exempt from overtime. This questionnaire is intended to supplement your Position Description. It may be followed up with a phone call or a face-to-face meeting to clarify facts and solicit additional information.

Position Analysis Questionnaire Instructions and Sections

The basic materials for the position analysis questionnaire is the applicant and the knowledge and skill set that is put into the questionnaire. The PAQ questionnaire consists of 8 sections, General information, Organizational relationships, Essential duties (duties/responsibilities), Additional Job information, Decision Making/ Problem solving, Working environment, Minimum qualifications, and Primary objective. From these sections a score will be given and reviewed to see if the requirements are met for a possible employment opportunity. Once a PAQ Questionnaire has been completed, the data is entered (online) through the individual conducting the assessments and automatically scored by PAQ Services. The PAQ services shows many reports and analysis such as Job evaluation, Marketplace, values, job availability, and potential employees.

Effectiveness and Disadvantages of PAQ

Though there are many methods to assess an applicant of any work there seems to be an increase of the use of PAQ within Industrial and Organizational psychologists. The primary purpose of the PAQ is to compare the relationship between aptitude test scores and what skills are actually necessary for good on-the-job performance. A past study comparing four job analysis method by Levine and Bennet their studies have shown PAQ were least costly and most affective compared to other methods. The PAQ can also bring some leaks for the organization who are hiring for employment. With that being said once an individual is assessed through PAQ their information is stored through the databases, this can affect their abilities to land other positions within the organization, data produced by these questionnaires should not be used for comparisons across jobs.

See also

Job analysis

Industrial and organizational psychology

Human Resource