National Academies Press: OpenBook

Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce (2011)

Chapter: Chapter 13 - Job Classification and Design

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Page 95
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 13 - Job Classification and Design." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
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Page 96
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 13 - Job Classification and Design." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
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Page 97
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 13 - Job Classification and Design." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 97
Page 98
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 13 - Job Classification and Design." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 98
Page 99
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 13 - Job Classification and Design." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 99
Page 100
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 13 - Job Classification and Design." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 100
Page 101
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 13 - Job Classification and Design." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 101

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Chapter 13: Job Classification and Design Valid job descriptions and a sound job design serve as central components for many Human Resource (HR) functions, including recruitment, retention, training, and development activities. Thorough and accurate job descriptions are also necessary to ensure that employees’ skills fit with the requirements and context of the job. In this chapter, we present challenges, strategies, and workforce practices related to “Job Classification and Design.” Exhibit 13-1 provides a snapshot of the chapter. Exhibit 13-1 Snapshot of Chapter 13 Chapter Road Map Concept and Definition Job Classification and Design allows organizations to better classify and design jobs to maximize the recruitment and retention of employees. Workforce Challenges …..……......... 96 Aversion to Manual Outdoor Labor Lack of Flexibility and Autonomy Lack of Learning Opportunities Industry Strategies ………………… 96 Create Dual Career Tracks for Managers and Technical Expert s Emphasize Job Enrichment Create Advancement Within Positions Workforce Practices …..…………… 97 Minnesota DOT Transportation Specialist Series (TSS) Pennsylvania DOT Position Analysis Workbooks (PAWS ) Definition of Job Classification and Design: Involves designing jobs to possess the appropriate scope of tasks and skills required; allows for employees to stay interested and challenged without being consistently overburdened. Workforce Pipeline Target Area Target Career Stages K-12 Comm. Colleges 4 year Colleges Graduate School s Entry-Level Staff Mid-Career Staff Senior Leaders Retirees Job Classification and Design Chapter 13 Target Area TRANSPOR ATT ION WORKFORCE PIPELINE 95

13.1 Workforce Challenges. Programs related to “Job Classification and Design” are typically designed to address challenges associated with differing levels of hiring expectations among this new generation of workers. These challenges should be carefully considered before selecting the program that would best fit the needs of your agency. For example, these are common challenges agencies face: Aversion to Manual Outdoor Labor. When participants were surveyed about why they thought an individual might be deterred from taking a job in transportation, more than three-quarters of the DOT contractors suggested that it was due to the nature of the work and job description (Cronin et al., 2007). Specific responses from the contractors as to why the transportation jobs might appear unattractive to some include “long, hot working hours,” “working outdoors,” “working outside in elements, hard work,” and “being outdoors, sun, insects, dirt, getting dirty.” Asphalt work in particular, involves high temperatures, and repavings constitute the bulk of DOT construction work in the last decade and the foreseeable future, though such construction work is almost entirely contracted out. Organizations are struggling to find ways to make these positions more attractive beyond raising the salary. Lack of Flexibility and Autonomy. More than a one-quarter of participants in one of our studies suggested that the lack of flexibility (i.e., when and how work is done) or lack of autonomy (i.e., working independently) currently poses the greatest challenge to recruiting quality unskilled transportation workers (Cronin et al., 2007). Participants indicated that flexibility and autonomy are hard to achieve based on the demands of the work in transportation. For example, drivers often demand work that is conducted during off-peak hours and at night resulting in difficult work hours for entry transportation workers. Participants agreed that it may be difficult to design some transportation jobs to be flexible and autonomous yet some of the participants argued there may be some changes that would improve the attractiveness of the job. Organizations indicated that the next generation of workers is looking for these elements in a job (Cronin et al., 2007). Lack of Learning Opportunities. Organizations are challenged with providing enough learning opportunities in entry-level positions. Members of the younger workforce are looking for positions where they will be challenged and encouraged to increase their skill set. Unfortunately, this is not typical of many entry-level positions, where tasks are usually repetitive and do not require a lot of problem solving. 13.2 Industry Strategies. Attracting younger workers to transportation jobs may require job redesign. Researchers and program managers identify the following programmatic strategies when describing industry efforts in “Job Classification and Design” (see Exhibit 13-2). While these strategies represent the general direction of HR departments across the nation, it is important that the specific needs of your agency are used to guide the development and implementation of a program in your agency. Exhibit 13-2 Industry Strategies: Job Classification and Design Strategy Strategy Description Create Dual Career Tracks for Managers and Technical Experts Organizations are exploring new ways to ensure that employees have more well-qualified supervisors and managers. Organizations have found that some employees are not well suited, even with training, to manage other employees. As a result, organizations have begun to create dual career tracks with a more traditional path accentuating management skills and an alternative path emphasizing technical expertise. The alternative path allows employees to advance without employee management as a requirement. Essentially, if an employee is technically savvy but does not possess the skills to lead people, 96 Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce

Exhibit 13-2 (Continued) Industry Strategies: Job Classification and Design Strategy Strategy Description even after training, they are offered a technical career path, where they advance in responsibility, decision making, and compensation but do not manage employees. These technical employees help to design tasks but employee managers lead the implementation. Without supervision responsibilities, technical leaders are expected to take on more responsibilities in the report writing or compliance arena. Emphasize Job Enrichment Job enrichment refers to redesigning jobs to involve greater variety, responsibility, meaningfulness, autonomy, and feedback. These job aspects motivate employees by giving them the opportunity to use the range of their abilities (Hackman and Oldham, 1976). Research has shown that job enrichment reduces turnover (McEvoy and Cascio, 1985). Create Advancement within Positions Organizations have found a method of motivating their employees and creating potential for advancement through skill-based compensation. They are taking each job in the organization where the concept is appropriate and breaking the job down by capacities and skill levels (e.g. “beginner” to “advanced”). The number of levels varies between organizations (PennDOT’s Transportation University and capacity-based approach set up 10) but each level is connected to a set of skills and corresponding tasks that represent competency in the skill set. Employees enter at the lowest level and are required to demonstrate their competency in each required skill set to at least two supervisors before being promoted to the next level. The promotion involves a small pay increase, which tends to be the most motivating factor in these programs. This concept creates opportunity for advancement within a single position. This can be an effective solution if opportunities for advancement are rarely available. 13.3 Workforce Practices. Four workforce practices that were designed to assist in making the process of “Job Classification and Design” within transportation agencies efficient and effective were reviewed, and we identified two workforce practices that were the most noteworthy within this context: Minnesota DOT Transportation Specialist Series (TSS) Pennsylvania DOT Position Analysis Workbooks (PAWS) For these two practices, we conducted a case study. Summaries of the two case studies are presented below. The full case studies can be found on the TRB website at http://trb.org/Main/Blurbs/164747.aspx as part of Volume II: Supplemental Materials. The full case study descriptions detail each practice’s background, implementation, maintenance, evaluation, and transferability. Job Classification and Design 97

Minnesota DOT Transportation Specialist Series (TSS) Job Type: Maintenance ROI: Short-term Generation: All Key Program Highlights: o Combination of Highway Technician Series, Highway Maintenance Worker Series, and Bridge Worker o Focus on workforce planning and professional development to target current and future skill needs o Helps agency remain competitive, develop a more flexible workforce, and meet customer expectations Minnesota DOT Transportation Specialist Series (TSS). Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) employs 5,033 people in a variety of employment conditions (i.e., temporary, unlimited, full-time, part-time). In 1999, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) implemented the Transportation Specialist Series (TSS) after a decision to combine three series that composed 45% of the agency’s workforce. These classifications were the Highway Technician Series, Highway Maintenance Worker Series, and Bridge Worker. The intent of the combined classifications was to increase agency efficiency and responsiveness, to assist the department in dealing with peaks and valleys in work, and to simplify the deployment of resources when needed (the right skills, in the right place, at the right time). Employees in those classifications were converted to the new classification with the intent to focus on workforce planning and professional development to target current and future skill needs. The TSS program aimed to: Create an environment in which flexible, multi-skilled workers are deployed to the fullest capacity Provide increased flexibility in employee assignment Improve opportunities for employees to make decisions regarding their daily work activities Increase training and skill development opportunities for line employees Create a link between employees’ skill development and mastery and their wage progression The program has enabled Mn/DOT to pull back from movement toward two temporary seasonal workforces, summer and winter, easing recruitment and retention issues. It has also improved employees’ abilities to make decisions about their daily work activities and their opportunities to progress through the series, where promotion opportunities historically have been limited. The agency has also been able to better handle staffing issues due to increases in retirements and budget constraints related to limited financial resources and state agency directives implementing hiring restrictions. In working with the union to develop the program, Mn/DOT was also able to negotiate away pay differentials for intermittent supervisors and equipment operators in exchange for fewer restrictions on seniority-based labor contract work rules related to job assignments, equipment operation, and Mn/DOT’s overall ability to assign work on both a temporary and permanent basis. One initial goal of the program that has not been achieved is the implementation of skill-based pay. Communication about the TSS program was a key element in its implementation department wide. For example, one district developed a TSS 101 training/communication program that outlined the basics of the program. The TSS 101 training program with talking points was rolled out in all districts. The transition was resource intensive, employing support from 15 HR professionals and approximately seven full-time employees in addition to countless management hours required to facilitate the program’s success. Another important aspect of the implementation process was the TSS labor management committee as a cooperative effort between Mn/DOT and the union to address TSS implementation issues of mutual concern. Implementing TSS has saved Mn/DOT money in the long run, specifically by allowing the agency to achieve better employee utilization through shifting employees to where there are current workforce 98 Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce

needs. Furthermore, TSS has helped the agency achieve better equipment utilization by negotiating language in employment contracts that eliminates differential pay based on operating mechanical equipment. Implementing the TSS concept is one of a number of business strategies to allow Mn/DOT to remain competitive, develop a more flexible workforce, and meet customer expectations. Job Classification and Design 99

Pennsylvania DOT Position Analysis Workbooks (PAWS) Job Type: All ROI: Short- to Mid-term Generation: All Key Program Highlights: o Aimed at addressing recruitment and retention efforts and supporting career pathing and succession planning o Describes the roles, responsibilities, and tasks that are performed in a given position, while also linking the competencies and training necessary for an individual to be successful in the position o Provides proper training and career direction to employees and helps improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness Pennsylvania DOT Position Analysis Workbooks (PAWS). The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has approximately 12,000 employees, not including consultants or contractors, of which roughly 10,500 are engaged in maintenance, restoration, and expansion of the highway system. The agency is divided into six main divisions, known as deputates, which include highway administration, safety administration, planning, aviation and rail freight, local and area transportation, and administration. PennDOT has implemented a program called Position Analysis Workbooks (PAWs) to address recruitment and retention efforts and support career pathing and succession planning. A PAW describes the roles, responsibilities, and tasks that are performed in a given position in PennDOT and the competencies and training necessary for an individual to be successful in the position. To develop a PAW for a position, PennDOT convenes a focus group consisting of employees currently serving in the position or those supervising employees in the position. The focus groups are moderated by someone who serves as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) and helps the group to devise a strategy or a series of steps for PennDOT employees to succeed in the position described in the PAW. PennDOT works to assign a PAW to each major position in the organization. The Center for Performance Excellence led the implementation of PAWS within the Transportation University structure, an entity separate from Human Resources (HR), which used to be housed under the Deputy Secretary for Administration for Pennsylvania. The Transportation University leadership obtained organizational buy-in from PennDOT administrators and leadership, and department managers and supervisors were made aware of PAWs as a tool that may be useful to them. PennDOT worked with an outside contractor to create the model for PAWs, which had associated costs, but the PennDOT-specific PAWs have been created internally. While PennDOT does not have direct measures to evaluate the PAWs program, PennDOT supervisors, training coordinators, and employees interested in advancement consider PAWs a valuable resource that have guided recruitment and likely affected retention as well. PennDOT management views PAWs as a way of providing proper training and career direction to employees and views PAWs as a benefit to organizational efficiency and effectiveness. 100 Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce

Other Example Practices To serve as an additional resource for agencies interested in “Job Classification and Design,” we have included a list of other practices that transportation agencies have implemented for this purpose. Additional information on each of the following practices can be found in one- to two-page summaries within the supplemental materials. Job Enrichment Use of Temporary Workers or Interns The practice summaries include information, such as the lead organization, practice description, practice purpose, targeted participants, return on investment (ROI) timeline, influence of the economy, innovativeness, and resources to find out more information on the individual practices. Job Classification and Design 101

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TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 685: Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce includes straight-forward, implementable practices that transportation Human Resources (HR) managers and hiring professionals can use to help improve the recruitment and retention of qualified employees in their organizations.

The report provides information on workforce challenges, industry strategies, and detailed descriptions of noteworthy practices within each of 15 recruitment and retention categories.

Volume II: Supplemental Material is available online as an ISO image, which can be used to produce a CD-ROM. Volume II includes an introductory document summarizing the content of the supplemental materials and provides full case studies and summaries of other example practices related to the recruitment and retention practices.

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