Ability

A natural talent or acquired proficiency that would be used while performing the duties of a position. Relates to the capacity to perform an observable behavior or produce an observable work product.

Formal Education

The process of training and developing people in knowledge, skills, and character within a structured and certified program with clearly stated objectives. Such training is generally provided in educational institutions such as schools, universities, colleges, vocational schools, etc. and usually involve direction from a teacher or instructor.
 

Benchmark Job

A job at USF that can be matched by title and description to a comparison in a published salary survey. Benchmark jobs are job titles that are commonly found in other organizations (e.g., Accountant, Librarian, Administrative Assistant, etc.)
 

Job

A collection of work tasks, duties, and responsibilities for one or more individuals whose work is of the same nature, and is performed at approximately the same skill and responsibility level.

Blood borne Pathogens

Blood borne pathogens are bacteria, viruses and parasites found in human blood and other body fluids. They can infect and cause disease in humans.

Job Analysis

The systematic process of collecting information used to make decisions about jobs. Job analysis identifies the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a position. At USF, a Classification Analyst does job analysis to match positions to job specifications.
 

Career Family

A broad meaningful group of jobs involving work of the same nature, but requiring varying levels of skill and responsibility. (For example, Administration is a career family. Secretary and Administrative Assistant are jobs within that family.)
 

Job Title

A label used to describe a specific set of activities, responsibilities, duties, and tasks.

Certification

A process, often voluntary, by which individuals who have demonstrated the level of knowledge and/or skill required in a profession, occupation, or role, or the competent use or support of a product, are identified to the public and other stakeholders. Many professional organizations have certification programs.

Knowledge

This refers to a body of information relevant to job performance. It is what people must know to be able to perform a job. The ability to recall the underlying principles and theories, and the names of the parts, tools, resources, and forms required to perform a task. Knowledge may be acquired through formal education, training, or personal and job experience.
 

Classification System

A framework organizations use to arrange positions into job titles based on similarities of purpose, required skills, duties performed, accountability, work environment, and other common factors.

Licensure

The issuing, usually by a government agency, of a credential indicating competence in some profession or activity. 

Essential Functions

A fundamental duty, task, or responsibility which, if eliminated, would substantially change the nature of the position. These functions are the reasons a position exists. The Americans with Disabilities Act states that individuals must be able to perform the essential functions of the position, either unaided or with the assistance of a reasonable accommodation.
 

Management

Duties that involve directing the operation of a program area or work unit through the effective use of assigned resources (human, financial, material, intellectual, etc. Involves planning, controlling, monitoring, and improving all of the work processes of the organizational unit.

Manual Dexterity

The ability or requirement to move your hand, hands, arms, or combination thereof to grasp, manipulate and/or assemble objects. It does not include repetitive use of a keyboard.

Position

A job vacancy or a job filled by an employee. A position is a single specific instance of a job. (For example, if USF has 20 Secretaries, it has 20 positions in that job.)

Marginal Function

Duties that may be removed or reassigned without changing the nature or intent of the position. These duties are secondary to the reason the position exists.

Skill

Relates to the proficient manual, verbal, or mental capability to manipulate data or things that is required for successful job performance. A skill is observable, quantifiable, or measurable.

Noisy Environment

For the purpose of this survey, a very noisy environment includes work areas where the usual and typical noise approaches or exceeds 85 decibels, or where a safety hazard may exist because the typical noise interferes with communication by speech or audible signals. The following reference chart shows the decibel level of different types of noise:
 

 Subordinate

An employee who is under the supervision or direction of another employee. Every employee is the subordinate of the person to whom they report directly in the organization.

194 dB

Loudest tone possible

184 dB

Rocket Launch

165 dB

12 gauge shotgun

148 dB

Jet plane at takeoff

Supervision

Supervisory duties are primarily focused on assigning, scheduling and planning work activities, and on communicating with, motivating, training and evaluating assigned employees. Supervisory work must include the authority to hire, evaluate, transfer, discipline, and reward subordinate employees, or to effectively recommend those actions.

120 dB

Ambulance Siren

119 dB

Pneumatic drill

110 dB

Chainsaw

98 dB

Hand drill

90 dB

Hair Dryer

90 dB

Riding mower

85 dB

Threshold of dangerous noise, if constant for sustained periods

80 dB

Ringing telephone

60 dB

Normal conversation

30 dB

Whisper