How to Assemble a Good Subject Matter Expert (SME or Job Expert) Panel

A job analysis consists of a thorough analysis of the job duties and knowledges, skills, abilities, and personal characteristics (KSAPCs) required for success in a certain position. Job experts or subject matter experts are qualified job incumbents who perform, train, or supervise persons employed in the target position. The following criteria are presented as guidelines for selecting good subject matter experts for a job analysis panel. The job experts chosen should:

• Collectively represent the demographics of the employee population (with respect to gender, age, race, years of experience, etc.). It is a good idea to slightly over-sample gender and ethnic groups to ensure adequate representation in the job expert panel for the job analysis process.
• Be experienced and active in the position they represent (e.g., job experts should not be on probationary status or temporarily assigned to the position). While seasoned job experts will often have a good understanding of the position, it is also beneficial to include relatively inexperienced job experts to integrate the "newcomer's perspective." However, at least one-year job experience should be a baseline requirement for job experts selected for the job expert panel.
• Include between 10% and 20% supervisors for a given position. For example, if a seven-to-ten-person job experts panel is used, include one to two supervisors on the SME panel.
• Represent the various "functional areas" and/or shifts of the position. Many positions have more than one division or "work area" or even different shifts where job duties and KSAPCs may differ. Being certain to gather job experts from all functional areas will help to ensure that the job analysis is representative of the position and functionally productive.