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Job Evaluation Systems

19 January, 2016 - 15:28
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Figure 6.1 The Process for Implementing Compensation Strategy
 

As mentioned when we discussed internal and external factors, the value of the job is a major factor when determining pay. There are several ways to determine the value of a job through job evaluation. Job evaluation is defined as the process of determining the relative worth of jobs to determine pay structure. Job evaluation can help us determine if pay is equitable and fair among our employees. There are several ways to perform a job evaluation. One of the simplest methods, used by smaller companies or within individual departments, is a job ranking system. In this type of evaluation, job titles are listed and ranked in order of importance to the organization. Apaired comparison can also occur, in which individual jobs are compared with every other job, based on a ranking system, and an overall score is given for each job, determining the highest-valued job to the lowest-valued job. For example, in   Table 6.1 "Example of a Paired Comparison for a Job Evaluation", four jobs are compared based on a ranking of 0, 1, or 2. Zero indicates the job is less important than the one being compared, 1 means the job is about the same, and 2 means the job is more important. When the scores are added up, it is a quick way to see which jobs are of more importance to the organization. Of course, any person creating these rankings should be familiar with the duties of all the jobs. While this method may provide reasonably good results because of its simplicity, it doesn’t compare differences between jobs, which may have received the same rank of importance.

Table 6.1 Example of a Paired Comparison for a Job Evaluation

Job

Receptionist

Project Manager

Account Manager

Sales

Director

Receptionist

X

0

0

0

0 = 4th

Project Administrative Assistant

1

X

0

0

1 = 3rd

Account Manager

2

1

X

0

3 = 2nd

Sales Director

2

2

2

X

6 = 1st

Based on the paired ranking system, the sales director should have a higher salary than the project administrative assistant, because the ranking for that job is higher. Likewise, a receptionist should be paid less than the project administrative assistant because this job ranks lower.

 

In a job classification system, every job is classified and grouped based on the knowledge and skills required for the job, years of experience, and amount of authority for that job. The US military is perhaps the best known for this type of classification system. The navy, for example, has job classification codes, such as HM (hospitalman). Then the jobs are divided into specialties, such as HM-8483, the classification for surgical technologist, and HM-8451 for a hospitalman-X-ray technician. The federal government and most state governments use this type of system. Tied to each job are the basic function, characteristics, and typical work of that job classification, along with pay range data. A sample of a job classification system is shown in Table 6.2 "Example of a Job Classification System at the University of Washington".

Table 6.2 Example of a Job Classification System at the University of Washington

Job Code

Job Title

State Job Class Code Reference

Representative Group

Pay Table

Pay Range

Minimum Mo. Rate

Maximum Mo. Incremental Rate

OT Eligible

7715

ACCELERATOR TECHNICIAN 1

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

40

$2689

$3583

Y

7300

ACCOUNTANT 1

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

40

$2689

$3583

Y

7301

ACCOUNTANT 2

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

44

$2949

$3956

N

7302

ACCOUNTANT, SENIOR

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

50

$3410

$4587

N

7011

ACCOUNTING SUPERVISOR

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Supervisory

B4

50

$3410

$4587

N

7045

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT A

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

39

$2623

$3493

Y

7044

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT A-SUPV

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Supervisory

B4

41

$2751

$3667

Y

7046

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT B

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Supervisory

B4

42

$2816

$3763

Y

7080

ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

37

$2506

$3325

Y

7490

ADMISSIONS SPECIALIST

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

41

$2751

$3667

Y

7583

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/HUMAN RIGHTS ASST

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

41

$2751

$3667

Y

8696

ALCOHOLISM THERAPIST 1

 

WFSE HMC

B0

56

$3507

$5021

Y

6119

ALCOHOLISM THERAPIST 2

359F

Classified Non-Union

C0

63

$3761

$5224

Y

6329

ANATOMIC PATHOLOGY LABORATORY LEAD

315H

Classified Non-Union

C0

73

$4154

$5771

Y

6328

ANATOMIC PATHOLOGY LABORATORY SUPERVISOR

315I

Classified Non-Union

C0

79

$4412

$6126

N

8146

ANATOMIC PATHOLOGY TECHNICIAN

 

SEIU Local 925-HMC Technical

B7

55

$3472

$4822

Y

8326

ANATOMIC PATHOLOGY TECHNICIAN

 

SEIU LOCAL 925 Medical/Laboratory Tech

B7

55

$3472

$4822

Y

8145

ANATOMIC PATHOLOGY TECHNICIAN TRAINEE

 

SEIU Local 925-HMC Technical

B7

40

$2991

$4155

Y

8325

ANATOMIC PATHOLOGY TECHNICIAN TRAINEE

 

SEIU LOCAL 925 Medical/Laboratory Tech

B7

40

$2991

$4155

Y

8147

ANATOMIC PATHOLOGY TECHNOLOGIST

 

SEIU Local 925-HMC Technical

B7

66

$3874

$5383

Y

8327

ANATOMIC PATHOLOGY TECHNOLOGIST

 

SEIU LOCAL 925 Medical/Laboratory Tech

B7

66

$3874

$5383

Y

6313

ANESTHESIOLOGY TECHNICAL SERVICES SUPV

320H

Classified Non-Union

CA

61

$3686

$5277

N

6310

ANESTHESIOLOGY TECHNICIAN 1

320E

Classified Non-Union

CA

13

$2287

$3271

Y

8711

ANESTHESIOLOGY TECHNICIAN 1

 

WFSE HMC

BA

10

$2219

$3271

Y

8312

ANESTHESIOLOGY TECHNICIAN 2

 

SEIU LOCAL 925 Medical/Laboratory Tech

BS

46

$3344

$4933

Y

8960

ANESTHESIOLOGY TECHNICIAN 2

 

1199NW-HMC Respiratory/Anesthesiology

BS

46

$3344

$4933

Y

6311

ANESTHESIOLOGY TECHNICIAN LEAD

320G

Classified Non-Union

CA

52

$3370

$4826

Y

8959

ANESTHESIOLOGY TECHNICIAN LEAD

 

1199NW-HMC Respiratory/Anesthesiology

BS

53

$3585

$5288

Y

7724

ANIMAL TECHNICIAN 1

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

25

$1903

$2506

Y

7725

ANIMAL TECHNICIAN 2

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

26

$1948

$2567

Y

7726

ANIMAL TECHNICIAN 3

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

30

$2134

$2816

Y

4727

ANIMAL TECHNICIAN SUPERVISOR

525H

Classified Non-Union

C1

35

$2370

$3063

Y

4658

ASSISTANT FACILITIES DESIGNER

540L

Classified Non-Union

C1

48

$3213

$4214

Y

8874

ASSISTANT STEAM ENGINEER

 

WFSE Skilled Trades

BL

46G

$3566

$4106

Y

8507

BAKER

 

WFSE Campuswide

BI

30

$2113

$2789

Y

8508

BAKER LEAD

 

WFSE Campuswide

BI

33

$2266

$2994

Y

4700

BIOMEDICAL ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN 1

511E

Classified Non-Union

CA

54

$3438

$4924

Y

4701

BIOMEDICAL ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN 2

511F

Classified Non-Union

CA

68

$3954

$5659

Y

4702

BIOMEDICAL ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN 3

511G

Classified Non-Union

CA

78

$4368

$6249

Y

4703

BIOMEDICAL ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN LEAD

511H

Classified Non-Union

CA

83

$4591

$6568

Y

4704

BIOMEDICAL ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN SUPV

511I

Classified Non-Union

CA

88

$4826

$6903

N

8875

BOILER OPERATOR

 

WFSE Skilled Trades

BL

42G

$3247

$3736

Y

7613

BOOK PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

44

$2949

$3956

Y

7075

BOOKKEEPING MACHINE OPERATOR

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

29

$2088

$2751

Y

7550

BROADCAST TECHNICIAN 1

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

41

$2751

$3667

Y

7551

BROADCAST TECHNICIAN 2

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

47

$3166

$4255

Y

7552

BROADCAST TECHNICIAN 3

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

51

$3493

$4699

Y

7553

BROADCAST TECHNICIAN SUPERVISOR

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Supervisory

B4

55

$3856

$5186

N

7335

BUDGET ANALYST

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

42

$2816

$3763

Y

7336

BUDGET/FISCAL ANALYST

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

46

$3093

$4154

N

7337

BUDGET/FISCAL ANALYST LEAD

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

51

$3493

$4699

N

7339

BUDGET/FISCAL OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Supervisory

B4

57

$4053

$5448

N

7338

BUDGET/FISCAL UNIT SUPERVISOR

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Supervisory

B4

54

$3763

$5059

N

7021

BUILDING SERVICES COORDINATOR

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

33

$2289

$3023

Y

7022

BUILDING SERVICES SUPERVISOR

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Supervisory

B4

38

$2567

$3410

Y

5215

BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS SUPERVISOR A

598G

Classified Non-Union

C1

49

$3293

$4322

N

5216

BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS SUPERVISOR B

598H

Classified Non-Union

C1

55

$3819

$5010

N

7119

BUYER 1

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

38

$2567

$3410

Y

7120

BUYER 2

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

44

$2949

$3956

Y

7122

BUYER 3

 

SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory

B4

49

$3325

$4472

N

Source: Reprinted from The University of Washington website, Compensation: A Division of Human Resources,http://www.washington.edu/admin/hr/ocpsp/compensation/alpha.sort.files/alpha.sort.html (accessed September 14, 2011).

 

Another type of job evaluation system is the point-factor system, which determines the value of a job by calculating the total points assigned to it. The points given to a specific job are called compensable factors. These can range from leadership ability to specific responsibilities and skills required for the job. Once the compensable factors are determined, each is given a weight compared to the importance of this skill or ability to the organization. When this system is applied to every job in the organization, expected compensable factors for each job are listed, along with corresponding points to determine which jobs have the most relative importance within the organization. Tompkins County in New York uses a point-factor system. Some of their compensable factors include the following:

  1. Knowledge
  2. Autonomy
  3. Supervision
  4. Psychological demands
  5. Interpersonal skills
  6. Internal and external contacts

In this point-factor system, autonomy ranks the highest and is given a weight of twenty-nine, while knowledge is given a rate of twenty, for example. Each of the compensable factors has a narrative that explains how points should be distributed for each factor. In this system, one hundred points are given for knowledge for a bachelor’s degree and two to three years of experience, and eighty points are given if an employee has an associate’s degree or high school diploma and two to three years of experience. The points are then multiplied by the weight (for knowledge, the weight is twenty) to give a final score on that compensable factor. After a score is developed for each, the employee is placed on the appropriate pay level for his or her score, as illustrated in Figure 6.3 "Example of a Point-Factor System".

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Figure 6.2 Example of a Point-Factor System
 

Another option for job evaluation is called the Hay profile method. This proprietary job evaluation method focuses on three factors called know-how, problem solving, and accountability. Within these factors are specific statements such as “procedural proficiency.” Each of these statements is given a point value in each category of know-how, problem solving, and accountability. Then job descriptions are reviewed and assigned a set of statements that most accurately reflect the job. The point values for each of the statements are added for each job description, providing a quantitative basis for job evaluation and eventually, compensation. An advantage of this method is its quantitative nature, but a disadvantage is the expense of performing an elaborate job evaluation.