A Computerized Approach for Assigning Worker Skills to Task Requirements

Abstract

Casual inexcused absenteeism is considered to be one of the major contributing factors for increased operating costs for companies which have work flowing through a group of workers, each worker performing an operation on it and then passing it on to the next. Many researchers have indicated that in most of the cases, workers are not assigned to perform the tasks for which they have the requisite capabilities. The resulting stress on the worker is considered to be a major factor causing the worker to absent from work. Psychologists have developed many measures of human skills. Industrial Engineers and others concerned with the prediction of human performance have developed predetermined motion time systems. Well tested skill tests, i.e., eye‐hand coordination, finger dexterity, decision making, etc. (a battery of twelve such tests), and breaking down manual tasks into different categories such as amount of control needed over motions, precision required, manipulation of material involved, etc. (a total of thirty‐two job requirements), have resulted in a general scheme of “scoring.” A computer program has been developed to match the worker capabilities to the task requirements. It is hoped that such a scheme, in addition to minimizing absenteeism, may result in improved product quality.