The O*NET® Content Model

The Content Model is the conceptual foundation of O*NET. The Content Model provides a framework that identifies the most important types of information about work and integrates them into a theoretically and empirically sound system.

Worker Characteristics Worker Requirements Experience Requirements Occupational Requirements Labor Market Characteristics Occupation-Specific Information

The O*NET Content Model, with six major domains contributing to O*NET. See the domain descriptions below.

The Content Model was developed using research on job and organizational analysis. It embodies a view that reflects the character of occupations (via job-oriented descriptors) and people (via worker-oriented descriptors). The Content Model also allows occupational information to be applied across jobs, sectors, or industries (cross-occupational descriptors) and within occupations (occupational-specific descriptors). These descriptors are organized into six major domains, which enable the user to focus on areas of information that specify the key attributes and characteristics of workers and occupations.

Occupational Requirements — a comprehensive set of variables or detailed elements that describe what various occupations require. This domain includes information about typical activities required across occupations. Task information is often too specific to describe an occupation or occupational group. The O*NET approach is to identify generalized work activities (GWAs) and detailed work activities (DWAs) to summarize the broad and more specific types of job behaviors and tasks that may be performed within multiple occupations. Using this framework makes it possible to use a single set of descriptors to describe many occupations. Contextual variables such as the physical, social, or structural context of work that may impose specific demands on the worker or activities are also included in this section.

(Outline View | Description View)
Collapse Organizational Context — Characteristics of the organization that influence how people do their work
  • Structural Characteristics
    • Organizational Structure
      • Decision Making System
        • Decentralization and Employee Empowerment
          • No sourceHave Control Over Unit or Department
          • No sourceHave Influence Over Decisions
          • No sourceMonitor Data on Quality/Costs/Waste/etc.
          • No sourceDetermine Work Flow or Order of Tasks
          • No sourceInvest in New Equipment and Technology
          • No sourceDevelop New Products, Services, and Procedures
        • Individual versus Team Structure
          • No sourcePercent of Time in Intact Team
      • Job Characteristics
        • Skill Variety
          • No sourceJob Variety
          • No sourceComplex or High Level Skills Required
          • No sourceVariety of Tasks Required
        • Task Significance
          • No sourceSignificance or Importance of Job
          • No sourceJob Quality Affects Lots of People
          • No sourceJob Itself Is Very Significant
        • Task Identity
          • No sourceJob Involves Whole Piece of Work
          • No sourceCan Do Entire Piece of Work
          • No sourceCan Finish What You Start
        • Autonomy
          • No sourceAutonomy and Freedom in Job
          • No sourceChance for Initiative and Judgment
          • No sourceOpportunity for Independence and Freedom
        • Feedback
          • No sourceExtent of Feedback From Doing Job Itself
          • No sourceDoing Job Provides Chances for Feedback
          • No sourceAfter Finishing Job, Know Own Performance
      • Job Stability and Rotation
        • No sourceNumber of Supervisors in Past Year
        • No sourceNumber of Work Teams in Past Year
        • No sourceNumber of Work Group Reorganizations in Past Year
        • No sourceNumber of Times Nature of Job Changed
        • No sourceJob Rotation Practices
    • Human Resources Systems and Practices
      • Recruitment and Selection
        • Recruitment Operations
          • No sourceSources of People for Current Job
        • Selection Assessment Methods Used
          • No sourceAssessment Methods Used to Select for Job
      • Training and Development
        • Training Methods
          • No sourceTraining Methods Used in Company
        • Training Topics and Content
          • No sourceAreas of Recent Formal Training
        • Extent and Support of Training Activities
          • No sourceRecent Technical Skill Training
      • Reward System
        • Basis of Compensation
          • No sourceCompensation Package Components
        • Benefits
          • No sourceBenefit Components
  • Social Processes
    • Goals
      • Individual Goal Characteristics
        • No sourceAchieve Most Important Individual Goal
        • No sourceHow Many Quantitative Individual Goals
      • Goal Feedback
        • No sourceHow Many Specific Individual Goals
        • No sourceWhen Get Information on Individual Goals
        • No sourceInformal, Job-Relevant Feedback
        • No sourceMeet One-on-One With Supervisor on Goals, Training, and Development
    • Roles
      • Role Conflict
        • No sourceOften Receive Conflicting Requests
        • No sourceWork With Groups With Different Focuses
        • No sourceYou and Your Supervisor Agree About Job
        • No sourceSupervisor Makes Conflicting Requests
      • Role Negotiability
        • No sourceNegotiate Changes in Role with Supervisor
        • No sourceSignificant Input Into Way You Do Job
      • Role Overload
        • No sourceGet Assignments without Adequate Resources
        • No sourceGiven Enough Time to Do Work
        • No sourceToo Much for One Person to Do
    • Culture
      • Organizational Values
        • Guiding Principles of Organization
          • No sourceTaking Chances; Going Out on a Limb
          • No sourceFairness; Justice
          • No sourcePrecision
          • No sourceStability
          • No sourceGetting Things Done
          • No sourceCaring About Employees
          • No sourceInnovation
          • No sourceAggressiveness
          • No sourceValuing Customers
          • No sourceProviding High Quality Products
          • No sourceOpenness and Honesty
          • No sourceFlexibility, Adapting to Change
    • Supervisor Role
      • No sourceSupervisor Friendly and Supportive
      • No sourceSupervisor Takes Active Role
      • No sourceSupervisor Provides Clear Vision
      • No sourceSupervisor Solves Problems

Primary occupational information source for Content Model items:

O*NET Data Collection Program U.S. Department of Labor
O*NET Data Collection Program

Supplemental sources of information:

Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics external site		 America's Career InfoNet U.S. Department of Labor
America's Career InfoNet external site
Office of Apprenticeship U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Apprenticeship external site		 Classification of Instructional Programs U.S. Department of Education
Classification of Instructional Programs external site

Other indicators:

Data not currently available Data not currently available