2. In this session….
We’ll look at the four major methods used in job evaluation
and the advantages/disadvantages of each
Job Ranking Method
Job Classification Method
Point Method
Factor Comparison Method
3. What is job evaluation?
Job evaluation can be defined as “a systematic procedure
designed to aid in establishing pay differentials among
jobs…”1
4. Job Evaluation Methods
Comparison Method Analysis Method
Entire Job Job Factors
Job Against Scale
Job Against Job
Classification Point Method
Ranking
Factor
Comparison
5. Ranking Method
Ranking
Ranking simply orders the job descriptions from
smallest to largest based on the evaluator’s
perception of relative value or contribution to the
organization’s success.
Alternate Comparison (Hi – Lo)
Paired comparison: [n * (n-1)] / 2
6. Ranking Method
Advantages
• Simple
• “Alternation” method ranks
“highest” then “lowest,” then next
“highest,” then next “lowest”
• “Paired comparisons” method picks
highest out of each pair
• Fast
• Most commonly used
Disadvantages
• Comparisons can be
problematic depending on
number and complexity of jobs
• May appear arbitrary to
employees
• Can be legally challenged
• Unreliable
7. Classification
Job descriptions are slotted into a series of
classes that cover the range of jobs. Each class
has a definition. These definitions are the
standards against which the jobs are compared
8. Classification Method
Advantages
• Uses job families/groups
instead of individual jobs
• May produce same results as
Point Method, but is less
costly
Disadvantages
• Not useful when jobs are very
different from each other
• May be confusing to
employees about why jobs are
included in a class
9. Factor Comparison
Jobs are compared against other jobs on the basis
of how much of some desired factor they possess.
Each job’s factors are ranked against each other
job’s factors.
The market pay rate for each job is then allocated
among the factors based upon a market pay rate
scale.
10. Factor Comparison Method
Advantages
• Customized to the organization
• Relatively easy to use once it’s
set up
• Results in ranking of jobs and a
specific dollar value for each
job, based on allocating part of
the job’s total wage to each
factor
Disadvantages
• Using dollar values may bias
evaluators by assigning more
money to a factor than a job is
worth
• Hard to set up
• Not easily explained to
employees
• Every time wage rates change,
the schedule becomes obsolete
11. Point Method
These systems have three common characteristics:
Compensable elements
Factor degrees are numerically scaled
Weights reflecting the relative importance of each factor
12. contd
Compensable elements are those characteristics in the job
(not the person) that the organization values, that help it
pursue its strategy and achieve its objectives.3
13. Point Method
Advantages
• Highly stable over time
• Perceived as valid by users and
employees
• Likely to be reliable among
committee that assesses the jobs
• Provides good data to prepare a
response to an appeal
Disadvantages
• Time, money, and effort
required to set up
• Relies heavily on key
(benchmark) jobs, so if key jobs
and correct pay rates don’t
exist, the point method may not
be valid
16. contd
The Hay guide charts have been in existence
since 1951 and have been used in over 5,000
different organizations worldwide.
Interestingly, the Equal Pay Act of 1963 uses
“skill, effort, responsibility, and working
conditions” as the factors upon which equal
work should be determined.4
17. contd
How are jobs evaluated using the Hay
System?
1.Job description questionnaires are completed and signed
by the jobholder, the supervisor, and other managerial
staff who have responsibility for the position.
2.The job description questionnaire is given to each member
of the job evaluation committee for his/her initial
evaluation.
18. How are jobs evaluated using
the Hay System?
3.The committee meets with the jobholder and
supervisor to explore questions and clarify
content.
4.The committee members then compare their
individual evaluations and resolve differences that
might exist.
19. Administrative, Professional &
Technical Job Evaluation System
What role does Hay play in determining salaries?
Once a job is evaluated and the salary for the jobholder is
set, Hay has little to do with affecting the ongoing salary
of the jobholder unless the job’s evaluation is changed.
20. Administrative, Professional &
Technical Job Evaluation System
How are jobs evaluated using the Hay
System?
3. The committee meets with the jobholder and
supervisor to explore questions and clarify content.
4. The committee members then compare their
individual evaluations and resolve differences that
might exist.
21. Administrative, Professional & Technical Job
Evaluation Committee
NameName DepartmentDepartment CategoryCategory
Mike DoughertyMike Dougherty Human ResourcesHuman Resources AdministrativeAdministrative
Irene FergusonIrene Ferguson Dean of StudentsDean of Students AdministrativeAdministrative
SusanSusan
HiggersonHiggerson
Kent LibraryKent Library ProfessionalProfessional
Doug RichardsDoug Richards Public SafetyPublic Safety AdministrativeAdministrative
Jim SettleJim Settle Residence LifeResidence Life AdministrativeAdministrative
Anna TrippAnna Tripp TelecommunicationTelecommunication
ss
ProfessionalProfessional
Alissa VandevenAlissa Vandeven Human ResourcesHuman Resources ProfessionalProfessional
23. Hay System Factors
KNOW-HOW
This sum total which comprises the overall “fund of
knowledge” has three dimensions – the requirements
for:
Practical procedures, specialized techniques, and learned
disciplines.
Active, practicing skills in the area of human relationships.
24. Hay System Factors
KNOW-HOW
Know-how of integrating and harmonizing the diversified
functions involved in managerial situations (operating,
supporting, and administrative). This know-how may be
exercised consultatively as well as executively and involves in
some combination the areas of organizing, planning, executing,
controlling, and evaluating.
25. Hay System Factors
PROBLEM SOLVING
The original “self starting” thinking required by the job
for analyzing, evaluating, creating, reasoning, arriving at
and making conclusions. To the extent that thinking is
circumscribed by standards, covered by precedents,
or referred to others, problem solving is diminished
and the emphasis correspondingly is on know-how.
26. Hay System Factors
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem solving has two dimensions:
The environment in which the thinking takes place.
The challenge presented by the thinking to be done.
27. Hay System Factors
ACCOUNTABILITY
The answerability for an action and for the consequences
thereof. It is the measured effect of the job on end
results. It has three dimensions in the following order
of importance:
Freedom to Act – the degree of personal or procedural control
and guidance the jobholder has.
28. Hay System Factors
ACCOUNTABILITY
Job Impact on End Results – ranges from direct to indirect
impact on end results by auxiliary, contributory, shared, or
primary effects.
Magnitude – indicated by the general dynamic dollar size or
accountability area(s) most clearly affected by the job.
29. Administrative, Professional &
Technical Job Evaluation System
What steps are taken to assure that the job
evaluation process is fairly applied?
Hay periodically retrains the members of the job
evaluation committee. A consultant comes to
campus, spending a day with the committee
discussing the appropriate use of the guide charts and
the process of evaluating jobs.
30. Administrative, Professional &
Technical Job Evaluation System
What steps are taken to assure that the job
evaluation process is fairly applied?
Southeast’s job evaluation results have twice been
through the process Hay calls “correlation.” This
process tests to see if the committee has applied the
Hay method in a consistent manner. The correlation
process occurs periodically.
31. Administrative, Professional &
Technical Job Evaluation System
What steps are taken to assure that the job
evaluation process is fairly applied?
After the initial installation of Hay, the Institutional
Research department at the University did a
comparative study of how male versus female positions
fared in the process. The conclusion that then-director
Dr. Steven Chatman arrived at was that there was no
sex bias in the system as it was applied at Southeast.
32. Administrative, Professional &
Technical Job Evaluation System
What is the distinction between
administrative, professional, and technical
positions?
These categories of jobs are established under federal
regulations for reporting workforce profiles to the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission and the
Department of Education. The category labels serve no
other University purpose.
33. Administrative, Professional &
Technical Job Evaluation System
What is the distinction between
administrative, professional, and
technical positions?
There are approximately 58 administrative
staff, 235 professional staff, and 47 technical
staff employed by the University.
34. Administrative, Professional &
Technical Job Evaluation System
What role does Hay play in determining salaries?
The University has adopted a policy for determining
salary comparisons for administrative and professional
positions. This policy can be found in the Business
Policy and Procedure Manual of the University in the
Personnel section numbered 03-17.
35. Administrative, Professional &
Technical Job Evaluation System
What role does Hay play in determining salaries?
The role of the Hay job points is to provide the relative
comparisons about which the salary policy line can be
constructed. In essence, the Hay points represent our
link to the salary information developed through survey
responses.
36. Administrative, Professional &
Technical Job Evaluation System
What role does Hay play in determining salaries?
By using linear regression, a pay policy line is
constructed which determines salary range midpoints.
Our pay ranges are 50% deep. The decision that a pay
range will be 50% deep is purely an administrative
decision that has nothing to do with the Hay system.
37. Administrative, Professional &
Technical Job Evaluation System
What role does Hay play in determining salaries?
Once a job is evaluated and the salary for the jobholder is
set, Hay has little to do with affecting the ongoing salary
of the jobholder unless the job’s evaluation is changed.
39. What is a Degree Level?
It is a scale that reflects differing quantity or quality
of the factor
It is used to differentiate jobs on the factor
It is a definition that is clear and unambiguous
It contains explicit language that spells out the
behaviors, skills, or performance expectations for
that factor at different levels of the factor
40. How Do You Develop Degrees?
from Otis and Leukart’s (1948) “Rules”
1. Degrees should be selected so that each job falls at only one
level. Note: you can include some degrees that do not apply to
the current jobs if you feel there is too much of a jump between
levels. Another reason to create "empty" levels is if you think
new jobs will be created that will require that level in the
factor. The number of degrees selected should be no more
than are needed to differentiate adequately and fairly between
all the jobs being rated.
2. Each degree should be clearly defined in terms the workers can
understand.
3. Avoid the use of ambiguous terms, e.g., “strong skills,”
“excellent.”
4. Definitions of degrees should be written in objective terms.
5. In writing degree definitions, use examples as much as possible.
41. How Do You Assign Point Values to the
Entire System?
1. The maximum number of points assigned is a fairly arbitrary
judgment (500-3000 is common)
2. The number must be large enough to allow sufficient
differentiation among the jobs to be evaluated.
3. If there is a very wide spread between the current wages of the
highest paid job and the lowest paid job, the maximum number of
points will need to be higher
4. If you choose more than one pay system, the number of points or
the actual factors themselves do not have to be the same in each
one.
5. SUGGESTION FOR YOUR PROJECT: Have no fewer than
1000 points and no more than 2000.
42. How Do You Assign Point Values to the
Degree Levels?
First, determine the number of points for each main factor
(e.g., 2000 total points for the system would result in 200 points for
a factor weighted at 10%). Then use…
The straight-line method, which simply takes the
maximum points for a given factor and divides it by the number
of degrees. Note: this method assumes that the degrees should
be viewed as equidistant from each other
44. How Do You Assign Point Values to the
Degree Levels?
Or the accelerating method, where differences in degrees
are seen as greater as you move up in that factor, and so the
point differences reflect that jump, e.g., 27, 80, 160, 267, 400
Or the decelerating method, where differences in degrees
are seen as smaller as you move up in that factor, and so the
point differences reflect it, e.g., 133, 240, 320, 373, 400
Remember…the highest level of a factor is always assigned
the full number of points allocated to that factor, and the
lowest level of a factor has to have some points assigned to it,
i.e., “0” points is not permitted!
Uses minimum amount of factors from benchmark jobs
Match rest of jobs to these factors based on fit
Once all jobs are fitted into categories they are ranked by difficulty.
Method assumes equivalency within categories and equal distances between categories
EXAMPLE: “Grade IV includes all positions that involve computerized functions and that require basic knowledge and skill in written communication. Grade V includes all positions that require some independent judgment, confidentiality, interpersonal skills, but that has no direct supervisory responsibility.”