Job Grading

System · May 2001

Our company is interested in re-grading our jobs descriptions. Do any of you have suggestions as to go about doing this? I would love to hear ideas. Thanks!

FJN · May 2001

I would also be interested, especially in what types of evaluation and classification systems they use. I'm undertaking a similar analysis now.

(BJ) · May 2001

The first step is to obtain up to date job descriptions. This may require job audits, but this is not necessarily the case.

There needs to be a consistent tool
used to evaluate each position. There was probably such a tool used when establishing the original classifications and grades.

You woul probably wish to obtain market data to compare your grading with the market, and to make corrections as necessary, depending on where you must compete for talent.

Margaret Morford · May 2001

This is usually done in three steps. First as one of the previous answers indicated, you need good job descriptions and need to insure that you don't have the same job in two different areas called two different things or one job title that means something different from department to department (My favorite one is "Coordinator" or "Specialist"). Second, you need to group the jobs into job grades based on some sort of point factor analysis. Third, you need to overlay current market data on those job grades. That's a pretty broad description of a fairly complicated process.

Then you have to decide what to do with the people who fall above or below their job grade. You also have to handle the employee relations issues that range from "Are you trying to eliminate my job?" to "Why have you been underpaying me all these years?" You will also turn up some exempt/non-exempt issues in doing this.

Many companies outsource this task not only because of the complexity, but because it gives them the ability to tell their employees that an independent expert determined what the company should be paid for each job. Once the system is set up or updated, HR continues to grade jobs based on the system as new jobs are added.

If you have any questions or want a recomendation for someone who can do this for you at a reasonable rate, do not hesitate to call me at 615-371-8200.

Margaret Morford

Job Grading

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