Work Keys uses an established scale to determine the existing level of performance and compares that against the required or desired performance level. The scale encompasses a range of skills from entry level up to the point where specialized training is needed. These job profiles are then matched to individual assessment results to facilitate the employment and selection process. The Work Keys profiling component can provide either job profiles or occupational profiles. As stated, Job profiles identify the skills and skill levels employees must have to perform a specific job in a particular company in an effective manner.
Occupational profiles are more generic than job profiles.
Rather than focusing upon a specific job, occupational profiles identify the typical skills and skill level required to perform the same jobs in many different companies or similar jobs across a particular occupation or industry. To produce a job profile, the Work Keys analyst works with employees who actually perform the job and with one or two of their supervisors. The SME s, assisted by the work keys analysts, identify the most important tasks a person employed in the job must perform and through this process, create a task list specific to the job. This task list is used to identify the specific skills required for the job. Occupational profiles are accomplished similarly.