Changing a Job Evaluation System

Job Evaluation
David Wilson, Manager, Canada, Premium Member
It will depend upon the type of job evaluation systems that your organization is using and the nature of the jobs encompassed by the JE system. I prefer point-factor job evaluation systems based on occupational streams and benchmarks.
As for the salary structure, I prefer career banding (a type of broad-banding). If you are using a single step for each job, you will find it difficult to satisfy long term employees. There are other solutions, but I would need to know more. Using education and experience to evaluate positions is not recommended. Job knowledge should be used in lieu of qualifications. Here you can find more information about job evaluation systems and salary compensation.

Replace Grading with Peership
D P BABU, Strategy Consultant, India, Member
Long-servicing employees may be deployed as peers to lead the teams with considerable hike in their incentives.

Follow Up of Job Evaluation
Mohun Aujayeb, HR Consultant, Mauritius, Member
The salary structure that you proposed should cater for experience i.e. the years of experience should qualify the incumbents for better salary over those with no experience or less experience.

Experience must be a Factor in Job Evaluation
Emmanuel Guobadia, HR Consultant, Nigeria, Member
I feel this practice is wrong. The employees with more experience should not be paid the same as new intakes without experience and with the same level or qualifications. This would lead to reduction in morale of such employees and eventually labour turnover.
On the other hand, we may expect the old staff also to keep on developing themselves over time. We all need to keep sharpening the saw.

Experience should be Recognized in Job Evaluation System
Radha Raj, India, Member
At a time of crisis, a person with rich experience will be able to respond better. Long period of experience at a job does not mean a dead-end to further learning and developing. Hence a person's experience should be recognized and should get better pay than a new entrant or a less experienced person.

Compensation Versus Job Evaluation
David Wilson, Manager, Canada, Premium Member
Many organizations do not measure experience (and education) in their job evaluation system. They measure "knowledge". The reason you should measure knowledge is to minimize manipulation of a position's education and experience.
Experience may be recognized through:
- the use of step increments within the salary structure, or
- a trades system where individuals are not fully qualified, such as an apprentice versus fully qualified trades person.
- Long service increments or
- better benefits are also used to recognize more experienced employees.
However, you need to watch as some of these ideas are compensation, not job evaluation. You also need to consider organizations that use flat rate systems (and we have several in Canada) - i.e. bus drivers, mechanics, lifeguards, etc. It may not be a simple answer.

Job Evaluation Measures the Job
Mohun Aujayeb, HR Consultant, Mauritius, Member
One thing should be clear about job evalution it measures the worth of a job using a set of compensable factors. The value of the job is used to price the job in an established salary structure. The question of compensating for experience is a different issue. This depends on the policy of the organisation.

Prepare Thoroughly for a New Job Evaluation System
Ullhas Pagey, CxO / Board, India, Member
Before introducing the changes in the grade and salary structure, hopefully you would have taken all the employees into confidence and would have explained to them the objectives and the expected outcome of the job evaluation exercise.
If not, it is still worthwhile doing this, else dissatisfaction levels are likely to grow. Job evaluation is like a change management initiative, hence all steps which we take before we introduce any change management programme need to be undertaken here as well.

Developing an Effective Job Evaluation System
David Wilson, Manager, Canada, Premium Member
I was recently asked to review the job evaluation plan for a large and fast growing organization. They described their job evaluation system as being “pay equity compliant”. My analysis showed the plan was not pay equity compliant.
To meet the goal of pay equity and fairness, job evaluation plans need be properly calibrated and must use weighted pay lines.
In addition, the solution must allow for point bands with sufficient width to ensure minor rating differences do not discriminate against different types of jobs. A gender neutral or the male-dominated pay line should be considered.
If the job evaluation plan captures all job types and does not discriminate, employees are more likely to accept the results.
Solutions such as red, green or yellow circling may also be needed. A proper plan will also eliminate unnecessary premiums, such as dirty pay or supervisory premiums.

Experience in Job Evaluation
OKE, Helen Oludayo, Manager, Nigeria, Member
Job evaluation is a very sensitive exercise to be undertaken by any organization. In carrying this out, organizations need to sensitize and educate their workforce on the aim and the effect of the exercise. This will help will go a long way in directing the reactions of the staff to the result.
The experience of long serving staff should not be underestimated. It is expected to be taken into consideration in arriving at results. Probably the organisation needs to create some particular standard that is peculiar to them with respect to their long serving staff. 24-7-2019

Experience in Job Evaluation System or in Salary Systems?
Jaap de Jonge, Editor, Netherlands
I agree with @Mohun Aujayeb: Perhaps I am over-simplifying things, but isn't it so that experience is a characteristic of a PERSON and should therefore normally NOT play a role in the JOB evaluation system?
However experience can (and normally should) be a factor in various SALARY systems? 24-7-2019