What Does “Job-Related” Mean in Candidate Assessment?
“Job-related” is a phrase that appears often in hiring guidance, but what does it actually mean when employers are evaluating candidates?
In the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) federal assessment framework, the connection starts with job analysis.
OPM says job analysis identifies the tasks performed in a job, the competencies required to perform those tasks, and the relationship between the two. That information is then used to develop assessment and selection procedures connected to the requirements of the position (U.S. Office of Personnel Management [OPM], n.d.-a).
In simple terms:
Job tasks → required competencies → assessment method
(Important: This article summarizes OPM guidance in plain English. The materials discussed here concern federal personnel assessment and should not be treated as universal requirements for private employers.)
What does OPM mean by job-related assessment?
OPM describes job analysis as the foundation for assessment and selection decisions.
According to OPM, job analysis is used to:
Establish and document the competencies required for a job
Identify how job tasks and competencies relate to successful job performance
Support the development of assessment and selection procedures
OPM’s broader Assessment and Selection guidance likewise says personnel assessment begins by identifying factors that contribute to successful job performance through job analysis (OPM, n.d.-b).
Within this framework, the assessment is connected back to what the position actually requires.
Why does job analysis come first?
OPM says the first step in creating an effective personnel assessment is conducting or having a valid, current job analysis.
The second step is using information from that job analysis to create an assessment for screening or evaluating applicants (OPM, n.d.-b).
Job analysis identifies:
Duties performed on the job
Tasks and responsibilities
Competencies needed for effective performance
The context in which the work occurs
OPM says this process demonstrates the connection between job tasks and the competencies necessary to perform them (OPM, n.d.-b).
What is a competency?
In OPM’s assessment framework, competencies are the capabilities connected to successful job performance.
Examples OPM gives include areas such as:
Oral communication
Problem solving
Different positions will require different competencies.
The purpose of job analysis is to determine which competencies are connected to the particular work being performed.
How does the assessment connect to those competencies?
Once the job analysis has identified the relevant tasks and competencies, that information can be used to develop assessment tools.
OPM identifies examples such as:
Occupational questionnaires
Structured interviews
Job knowledge tests
OPM also notes that more resource-intensive methods, such as structured interviews, may be used after an initial screening process (OPM, n.d.-b).
The specific assessment method may vary. In OPM’s framework, the important connection is between the assessment content and the requirements identified through job analysis.
Does every competency need to be assessed?
Not necessarily.
OPM’s job-analysis guidance distinguishes between competencies that applicants are expected to possess when entering the job and competencies that can be learned later through training or experience.
OPM says competencies used for selection should be those applicants are expected to possess upon entry. Competencies that employees are expected to learn after selection should not be treated as selection requirements in its federal framework. (U.S. Office of Personnel Management)
This means the assessment process does not automatically need to test every capability that may eventually matter in the role.
What does standardization have to do with job-related assessment?
OPM’s assessment-strategy guidance recommends standardizing and documenting the assessment process.
OPM defines standardization as making the process uniform so that the same information is collected from individuals and used consistently in employment decisions (OPM, n.d.-c).
The same guidance also says selection tools should be based on an up-to-date job analysis and supported by appropriate validity evidence (OPM, n.d.-c).
In OPM’s framework, job-relatedness and consistency are therefore separate but connected parts of the assessment process:
Job analysis identifies what should be assessed. Standardization addresses how the assessment process is applied.
So what does “job-related” mean in this framework?
Based on OPM’s guidance, a job-related candidate assessment starts with the actual work.
The process can be summarized as:
Identify the tasks performed in the job.
Identify the competencies needed to perform those tasks.
Determine which competencies are appropriate to assess during selection.
Choose assessment methods connected to those competencies.
Use and document the assessment process consistently.
This is how OPM connects candidate assessment to job requirements within its federal personnel-assessment framework.
From Job Requirements to Candidate Assessment
OPM’s assessment framework connects job tasks and competencies identified through job analysis to the assessment methods used during candidate selection.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is job analysis?
OPM describes job analysis as a process that examines the tasks performed in a job, the competencies required to perform them, and the connection between those tasks and competencies (OPM, n.d.-a).
What is a job-related assessment?
Within OPM’s framework, assessment methods are developed using information from job analysis so that what is being evaluated connects to the tasks and competencies required for the position (OPM, n.d.-a, n.d.-b).
What are examples of candidate assessment tools?
OPM identifies examples including occupational questionnaires, structured interviews, and job knowledge tests (OPM, n.d.-a).
Should every competency required for eventual job performance be tested during hiring?
No. OPM distinguishes between competencies applicants should possess upon entry and those expected to be learned after selection. In its federal framework, competencies learned later should not be used as selection requirements. (U.S. Office of Personnel Management)
Does every private employer have to follow this OPM process?
No.
The OPM materials summarized here concern federal personnel assessment and selection. They provide a current example of how job analysis and assessment are connected but should not be presented as universal requirements for private employers.
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Sources & References
U.S. Office of Personnel Management. (n.d.-a). Job analysis.
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/assessment-and-selection/job-analysis/U.S. Office of Personnel Management. (n.d.-b). Assessment and selection.
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/assessment-and-selection/U.S. Office of Personnel Management. (n.d.-c). Designing an assessment strategy.
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/assessment-and-selection/assessment-strategy/U.S. Office of Personnel Management. (n.d.-d). Are all competencies rated as important to job performance appropriate for selection purposes?
https://www.opm.gov/frequently-asked-questions/assessment-policy-faq/job-analysis/are-all-competencies-rated-as-important-to-job-performance-appropriate-for-selection-purposes/
