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Job evaluation
It often takes time and a lot of patience but a good job evaluation scheme can form the basis of a fair pay system. It's also a way for getting a hierarchy of jobs on which to base a grading structure.
Download the 
Advisory booklet - Job evaluation: considerations and risks [773kb].
Many employers carry out job evaluations when:
- Deciding on pay and grading
- Making sure there is a fair and equal pay system
- Deciding on benefits - such as bonuses
- Comparing pay against other companies
- Reviewing all jobs after a major change within the company
It is important that a job evaluation is felt to be fair by everyone in the organisation. Effective communication, ongoing consultation and transparency are critical to the success of any scheme.
Making a success of any job evaluation scheme will involve, commitment by senior mangers, transparency and cost as organisations will need to be able to pay for any grading structure.
Questions and answers
Why carry out a job evaluation?
Employers carry out job evaluations for a variety of reasons:
- Organisational change leading to new job design
- Employee dissatisfaction with the way jobs are graded
- Issues over equal pay and equal value
- Lack of rationale for current grades
What is the aim of job evaluation?
The aim of a job evaluation scheme is to provide a hierarchy of jobs that is free from discrimination and "felt to be fair" by your employees. Although many employees might feel that job evaluation should move them up the "pecking order" at work, in reality jobs can move up, down or stay the same.
What are the benefits of a job evaluation?
Job evaluation requires you to take a close look at the jobs your employees do. This can help you to:
- know exactly what duties each job holder carries out
- understand training needs for individual jobs
- improve job design
- identify health and safety hazards
- encourage dialogue between managers and employees and improve levels of trust
What can employees do if they disagree with a job evaluation?
If employees feel the job evaluation is unfair they should appeal against the decision. The appeal procedure should be agreed before the start of the evaluation. These appeals should be dealt with separately from the company's normal grievance procedure.
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