Job Evaluation

Job Evaluation - What is it ?

Job evaluation is the process of systematically determining a relative internal value of a job in an organization. In all cases the idea is to evaluate the job, not the person doing it The two most common methods of job evaluation that have been used are first, whole job ranking, where jobs are taken as a whole and ranked against each other. The second method is one of awarding points for various aspects of the job.

 In the points system various aspects or parts of the job such as education and experience required to perform the job are assessed and a points value awarded - the higher the educational requirements of the job the higher the points scored.

Some Principles of Job Evaluation

Clearly defined and identifiable jobs must exist. These jobs will be accurately described in an agreed job description. All jobs in an organization will be evaluated using an agreed job evaluation scheme. Job evaluators will need to gain a thorough understanding of the job Job evaluation is concerned with jobs, not people. It is not the person that is being evaluated.

 The job is assessed as if it were being carried out in a fully competent and acceptable manner. Job evaluation is based on judgment and is not scientific. However if applied correctly it can enable objective judgments' to be made. It is possible to make a judgment about a job's contribution relative to other jobs in an organization. The real test of the evaluation results is their acceptability to all participants.

Job Evaluation Methods

Ranking Method:-Perhaps 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. 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.

 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. 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.

Evaluation types
Job Ranking is the most simple form. Basically one just orders the jobs according to perceived seniority. This is easy to do in a small organization, but gets more and more difficult as different jobs exist within the company. Pair Comparison introduces more rigor by comparing jobs in pairs, but really it's a more structured way of building a basic rank order.

 Benchmarking or slotting sets up certain jobs that are analyzed in detail. These are then used for comparison to slot jobs against these benchmarks. Job Matching allocates benchmarks too, but when a position is matched the elements of the job that differ are reevaluated. Usually this evaluation will be done with a Point Factor Analysis (PFA) or classification system.

Conclusion
Job Evaluation is concerned with measuring the demands the job places on its holder. Most factors that contribute to this job pressure, e.g. physical strength required, knowledge of mathematics required, are assessed and the result is a numerical estimate of the total job pressure. When evaluations are carried out on all hourly paid personnel the techniques uses include establishing relative wage rates for different tasks. It is possible to use it for all grades of personnel, even senior management