Job Evaluation Methods

Job Evaluation Methods There are four basic methods of job

evaluation: (1) ranking, (2) classification, (3) factor comparison (4) point method

While many variations of these methods exist in practice, the four basic approaches are described here.

Ranking Method

the simplest method of job evaluation is the ranking method. According to this method, jobs are arranged from highest to lowest, in order of their value or merit to the organization.

Jobs also can be arranged according to the relative difficulty in performing them.

The jobs are examined as a whole rather than on the basis of important factors in the job; and the job at the top of the list has the highest value and obviously the job at the bottom of the list will have the lowest value.

Jobs are usually ranked in each department and then the department rankings are combined to develop an organizational ranking.

Table: Array of Jobs according to the Ranking Method

Rank Monthly salaries 1. Accountant Rs 3,000 2. Accounts clerk Rs 1,800 3. Purchase assistant Rs 1,700 4. Machine-operator Rs 1,400 5. Typist Rs 900 6. Office boy Rs 600

The variation in payment of salaries depends on the variation of the nature of the job performed by the employees.

The ranking method is simple to understand and practice and it is best suited for a small organization.

Its simplicity, however, works to its disadvantage in big organizations because rankings are difficult to develop in a large, complex organization.

Moreover, this kind of ranking is highly subjective in nature and may offend many employees. Therefore, a more scientific and fruitful way of job evaluation is called for.

Classification Method

According to this method, a predetermined number of job groups or job classes are established and jobs are assigned to these classifications. This method places groups of jobs into job classes or job grades. Separate classes may include office, clerical, managerial, personnel, etc. Following is a brief description of such a classification in an office.

(a)             Class I - Executives: Further classification under this category may be Office manager, Deputy office manager, Office superintendent, Departmental supervisor, etc.

(b)             Class II - Skilled workers: Under this category may come the Purchasing assistant, Cashier, Receipts clerk, etc.

(c)             Class III - Semiskilled workers: Under this category may come Stenotypists, Machine-operators, Switchboard operators, etc.

(d)             Class IV - Semiskilled workers(office boy)

The job classification method is less subjective when compared to the earlier ranking method.

The system is very easy to understand and acceptable to almost all employees without hesitation.

One strong point in favor of the method is that it takes into account all the factors that a job comprises. This system can be effectively used for a variety of jobs.

The weaknesses of the job classification method

Even when the requirements of different jobs differ, they may be combined into a single category, depending on the status a job carries.

It is difficult to write all-inclusive descriptions of a grade.

The method oversimplifies sharp differences between different jobs and different grades.

When individual job descriptions and grade descriptions do not match well, the evaluators have the tendency to classify the job using their subjective judgments

Factor Comparison Method

A more systematic and scientific method of job evaluation is the factor comparison method. Though it is the most complex method of all, it is consistent and appreciable.

Under this method, instead of ranking complete jobs, each job is ranked according to a series of factors.

These factors include mental effort, physical effort, skill needed, supervisory responsibility, working conditions and other relevant factors (for instance, know-how, problem solving abilities, accountability, etc.).

Pay will be assigned in this method by comparing the weights of the factors required for each job, i.e., the present wages paid for key jobs may be divided among the factors weighed by importance (the most important factor, for instance, mental effort, receives the highest weight).

In other words, wages are assigned to the job in comparison to its ranking on each job factor

The steps involved in factor comparison method may be briefly stated thus:

Select key jobs representing wage/salary levels across the organization. The selected jobs must represent as many departments as possible.

Find the factors in terms of which the jobs are evaluated (such as skill, mental effort, responsibility, physical effort, working conditions, etc.).

Rank the selected jobs under each factor (by each and every member of the job evaluation committee) independently.

Assign money value to each factor and determine the wage rates for each key job.

The wage rate for a job is apportioned along the identified factors.

All other jobs are compared with the list of key jobs and wage rates are determined.

Key job Daily wage

Physicaleffort

Factors mental effort

skill responsibility

Working conditions

electrician

60 11(3) 14(1) 15(1) 12(1) 8(2)

fitter 50 14(1) 10(2) 9(2) 8(2) 9(1)

welder 40 12(2) 7(3) 8(3) 7(3) 6(3)

cleaner 30 9(4) 6(4) 4(5) 6(4) 5(4)

labourer 25 8(5) 4(5) 6(4) 3(5) 4(5)

Merits

Analytical and objective. Reliable and valid as each job is

compared with all other jobs in terms of key factors.

Money values are assigned in a fair way based on an agreed rank order fixed by the job evaluation committee.

Flexible as there is no upper limitation on the rating of a factor

Demerits

Difficult to understand, explain and operate.

Its use of the same criteria to assess all jobs is questionable as jobs differ across and within organizations.

Time consuming and costly.

Point method

This method is widely used currently. Here, jobs are expressed in terms of key factors. Points are assigned to each factor after prioritizing each factor in the order of importance. The points are summed up to determine the wage rate for the job. Jobs with similar point totals are placed in similar pay grades. The procedure involved may be explained thus:

(a) Select key jobs. Identify the factors common to all the identified jobs such as skill, effort, responsibility, etc.

(b) Divide each major factor into a number of sub factors. Each sub factor is defined and expressed clearly in the order of importance, preferably along a scale.

The most frequent factors employed in point systems are:

i.Skill (key factor): Education and training required, Breadth/depth of experience required, Social skills required, Problem-solving skills, Degree of discretion/use of judgment, Creative thinking;

                       II.      Responsibility/Accountability: Breadth of responsibility, Specialized responsibility, Complexity of the work, Degree of freedom to act, Number and nature of subordinate staff, Extent of accountability for equipment/plant, Extent of accountability for product/materials.                 

III.      Effort: Mental demands of a job, Physical demands of a job, Degree of potential stress.

The educational requirements (sub factor) under the skill (key factor) may be expressed thus in the order of importance

Table: Point Values to Factors along a Scale Factor 1 2 3 4

5 Skill 1020 30 40 50 150 Physical effort 816 24 32 40 120 Mental effort 510 15 20 25 75 Responsibility 7 14 21 28 35 105 Working conditions 6 12 18 24 30 90

Maximum total points of all factors depending on their importance to job = 540

(Bank Officer)

Find the maximum number of points assigned to each job (after adding up the point values of all sub-factors of such a job). This would help in finding the relative worth of a job.

For instance, the maximum points assigned to an officer’s job in a bank come to 540. The manager’s job, after adding up key factors + sub factors’ points, may be getting a point value of, say 650 from the job evaluation committee. This job is now priced at a higher level.

Once the worth of a job in terms of total points is expressed, the points are converted into money values keeping in view the hourly/daily wage rates. A wage survey, usually, is undertaken to collect wage rates of certain key jobs in the organization. Let’s explain this:

Conversion of Job Grade Points into Money Value

Point range Daily wage rate (Rs) Job grades of key bank officials

500-600 300-400 1 Officer 600-700 400-500 2 Accountant 700-800 500-600 3 Manager I Scale 800-900 600-700 4 Manager II

Scale 900-1,000700-800 5 Manager III

Scale

Merits and Demerits

The point method is a superior and widely used method of evaluating jobs. It forces raters to look into all keys factors and sub-factors of a job. Point values are assigned to all factors in a systematic way, eliminating bias at every stage.

It is reliable because raters using similar criteria would get more or less similar answers. “The methodology underlying the approach contributes to a minimum of rating error” (Robbins, p.361).

It accounts for differences in wage rates for various jobs on the strength of job factors. Jobs may change over time, but the rating scales established under the point method remain unaffected.

On the negative side, the point method is complex. Preparing a manual for various jobs, fixing values for key and sub-factors, establishing wage rates for different grades, etc., is a time consuming process.

The Percentage Method

This is a more fundamental modification of basic factor comparison. It meets the disadvantage of monetary units and may be used in case of doubt about the corrections of wage rates for key jobs. The percentage method employs vertical and horizontal comparisons of key jobs on factors, as does the basic method. In fact, the two methods are identical in their first three steps.

At this point percentages are assigned to the vertical rankings by dividing 100 points on each factor among the key jobs in accordance with their ranks. The money distribution in the basic method becomes a horizontal ranking of the importance of factors in each job

This ranking is also translated into percentages by dividing 100 points among the factors in accordance with their ranks. Comparison of vertical and horizontal percentages involves expressing each percentage as a proportion of a common base

In practice, the percentages recorded in the scale are usually adjusted from a table of equal-appearing intervals of 15 percent. Hay, who developed the percentage method, argued that 15 percent differences are the minimum observable in job evaluation.

The job-comparison scale in the percentage method is a ratio scale (equal distances represent equal percentages), but is used in the same way as in the basic method.

internal and external equity

( Equity (or fairness),

Internal Equity

Internal Equity: Is the comparison of pay rates for jobs within the organization. If a job has internal equity it is paid fairly compared to the rates paid for similar jobs inside the organization.

How does compensation compare to other employees within the same organization

Some organizations will base compensation for new jobs on internal equity alone.

Often there will be a compensation committee that looks at jobs within the organization to compare job requirements (years of experience, education, special skills, certifications) and responsibilities (managing others vs. taking direction, entering data vs. analyzing data, decision-making power, budget management, client service).

A new job will be paid similarly to other jobs with the comparable requirements and levels of responsibility.

factors

Education required. Experience required. Physical demands. Responsibility for equipment/materials. Responsibility for the safety of others. Supervisory/managerial responsibility. Working conditions. Accident or health hazards. Public contact. Manual dexterity.

External Equity

External Equity: How does compensation within the organization compare to similar positions in similar industries

Is the comparison of pay rates for similar jobs outside of the organization. External equity is achieved if an organization’s average rate paid for a given job is equal to the market average for the same or similar job.

Some organizations will base their entire compensation program on the external market by using salary survey data. They will match the middle of a pay range to the market average rate paid.

The following factors contribute to these wage differences among markets

Geographic location. Industry sector. Union status. Organization size. Product competition. Company prestige.. Education and experience level of available

work force. Licensing or certification requirements called

for by the job.

Computer based job evaluation systems

Conventional computer based schemes

Conventional computer based schemes in which the job analysis data is either entered direct in to the computer or transferred to it from a questionnaire .computer software applies predetermined rules to convert data in to scores for each factor and produce a total score.

Interactive computer based schemes

Interactive computer based schemes in which the jobholder and his or her manager sit in front of a pc and are presented with a series of logically interrelated questions the answer to which lead to a score for each of the built in factors in turn and total score.

job evaluation plans actually rely almost entirely on labor-market information. The guideline method of job evaluation, for example, collects market-pay information on a large proportion of the organization's jobs and compares the "market rate" with a schedule of pay grades constructed on 5 percent intervals.

The schedules include midpoints and ranges of 30 to 60 percent. Job evaluation consists of matching market rates to the closest midpoint.

Adjustments of one or two grades may be made to accommodate internal relationships. Key jobs are placed into grades and the remaining jobs positioned by comparison with them.

Limitations of Job Evaluation Job evaluation is not fully objective and scientific,

because no standard list of job factors.

Job evaluation is not well suited to determining the relative worth of managerial jobs, because executive skills cannot be measured in quantitative terms.

Most of the techniques is difficult to understand. Time consuming and expensive process Job standardization is essential for evaluation and that

may be difficult under changing conditions.

thanks

shency francis

Doms sngce