Grades for all staff are decided through an agreed process of job evaluation. This is where the different elements of a job (as set out in a job description) are objectively measured against specific criteria. The end result of the process is a total score for each job and it is this that determines the new grade. The key purpose of job evaluation is to ensure fairness and consistency by measuring all jobs against the same criteria. It is important to remember that it is the job (and not the person or how they are performing the job) that is evaluated.
It is important to ensure that new job roles or existing jobs that have significantly changed are evaluated at the outset, prior to the vacancy details being submitted through the BORIS system for advertising.
Whenever seeking to recruit to a vacancy, the Department is encouraged to consider the following questions to determine whether a job evaluation is required:
“Batching” means that the two job descriptions are deemed to be substantially the same such that the existing job description, the job evaluation outcome and hence grade of the existing job description can be applied to the new role. Before a role can be “batched”, an assessment will need to be undertaken by the relevant Personnel Manager/Adviser to determine that the roles are sufficiently similar to be batched for job evaluation purposes.
Where the role has either never been evaluated, or has changed significantly since any earlier reward evaluation, and it cannot be “batched” with an existing, evaluated role, a new role form/job description template should be completed (including the work examples).
For new roles in the Professional and Administrative family, it is essential that the new role form/job description template is completed in conjunction with the Professional and Administrative Grade Descriptors. The Grade Descriptors have been developed to assist managers in identifying the level/grade of role required, providing typical activities under the main job description template headings for grades D to M. Further information on how to use the Grade Descriptors in conjunction with the new role form/job description template can be found within the Job Description Guidance.
Departments may wish to refer to other job descriptions to assist in compiling the new role description, and Personnel Services will be able to provide copies of specific job descriptions on request.
In addition, where creating more than one new role, Departments should consider whether generic job descriptions can be compiled to cover roles that are broadly the same – this will help to avoid any prospects of anomalies arising through the evaluation process.
The following flowchart is designed to assist recruiting managers in deciding whether a new role evaluation is required:
If it is determined that a new role evaluation is required, the completed job description template should be forwarded to the relevant Faculty Personnel Manager by email, together with the completed new role form / job description template.
When received, the Personnel Manager/Adviser will check that this is a new role, with no current role holder.
The Personnel Manager/Adviser will consider whether the role might appropriately be “batched” with another role that they are aware of, and will discuss with the recruiting Department where appropriate. They will ensure that the job description template is completed appropriately and send the finalised job description template to the Reward Team for evaluation.
When the role has been evaluated, the Reward Team will notify the recruiting manager of the job group number, the grade and job category for the role. The Department may then proceed to recruit, subject to having secured all relevant approvals.
Recruiters are requested to include the job group number identifier for the newly evaluated job role in the BORIS comments box to help in the process of verifying that the new vacancy has the correct grade details.
