Understanding Job Evaluation: How Do Job Specs and Descriptions Connect?

Hi friends,

I'm really thankful to you for providing such valuable information on job evaluation. Can you help me out again regarding job specification, job description, and how job specification, job description, and job evaluation link with each other?

Hi!

JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND JOB SPECIFICATIONS

In most cases, the job description and job specifications are combined into one document that contains several different sections. An overview of each section follows next.

JOB DESCRIPTIONS

A job description indicates the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a job. It identifies what is done, why it is done, where it is done, and briefly, how it is done.

Performance standards should flow directly from a job description, telling what the job accomplishes and how performance is measured in key areas of the job description. The reason for including the performance standards is clear. If employees know what is expected and how performance is to be measured, they have a much better chance of performing satisfactorily.

Unfortunately, performance standards often are omitted from job descriptions.

Even if performance standards have been identified and matched to job descriptions, they may not be known by employees if the job descriptions are not provided to employees but used only as tools by the HR department and managers. Such an approach limits the value of job descriptions.

The essential functions should be identified in written job descriptions that indicate the amount of time spent performing various functions and their criticality. Most employers have interpreted this provision to mean that they should develop and maintain current and comprehensive job descriptions for all jobs. These job descriptions should list the job functions in the order of “essentiality.”

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

While the job description describes activities to be done, it is job specifications that list the knowledge, skills, and abilities an individual needs to perform a job satisfactorily. Knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) include education, experience, work skill requirements, personal abilities, and mental and physical requirements(these are the job holders specifications). Job specifications for a data entry operator might include a required educational level, a certain number of months of experience, a typing ability of 60 words per minute, a high degree of visual concentration, and ability to work under time pressure.

It is important to note that accurate job specifications identify what Casas a person needs to do the job, not necessarily what qualifications the current employee possesses.

Therefore, the job specification statements that identify the qualifications required of those in the jobs should specify the exact knowledge, skills, abilities, and physical demands involved. For example, hearing, seeing, speaking, climbing, lifting and stooping should be mentioned when those actions are necessary in performing specific jobs.

Thus, Job Specification and Job description are a part of Job Analysis which means methodologies for analyzing the requirements of a job. This analysis essentially includes identifying the job requirements(Job Description) as well as the job holders requirements(Job Specification).

Together, they help in identifying the individual's strengths and weaknesses with respect to the Job, help in recruitment, competence analysis, identifying training needs, reducing turnover, designing wage structure, providing career path to the employee etc.

I hope this would help you to clear you doubts. You may get back to me for further clarifications.

Regards,

Shyamali

Hi Shyamali,

Thank you for your valuable information. It would be a great help to me if you could explain what job evaluation is and how job description and specification are related to each other. 😊

Job Analysis

Breaking down the complexity of a person's job into logical parts such as duties and tasks involves identifying and organizing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to perform the job correctly. This is accomplished by gathering task activities and requirements through observation, interviews, or other recording systems.

Job analysis produces the following information about a job:

- Overall purpose – why the job exists and, essentially, what the job holder is expected to contribute.
- Content – the nature and scope of the job in terms of the tasks and operations to be performed, and the activities to be carried out; that is, the processes of converting inputs (knowledge, skills, and abilities) into outputs (results).
- Key result areas – the results or outcomes for which the job holder is accountable.
- Performance criteria – the criteria, measures, or indicators that enable an assessment to ascertain the degree to which the job is being performed satisfactorily.
- Responsibilities – the level of responsibility the job holder has to exercise by reference to the scope and input of the job; the amount of discretion allowed to make decisions; the difficulty, scale, variety, and complexity of the problems to be solved; the quantity and value of the resources controlled; and the type and importance of interpersonal relations.
- Organizational factors – the reporting relationships of the job holder, i.e., to whom he or she reports either directly (the line manager) or functionally (on matters concerning specialist areas, such as finance or personnel management); the people reporting directly or indirectly to the job holder; and the extent to which the job holder is involved in teamwork.
- Motivating factors – the particular features of the job that are likely to motivate or demotivate job holders if, in the latter case, nothing is done about them.
- Development factors – promotion and career prospects, and the opportunity to acquire new skills or expertise.
- Environmental factors – working conditions, physical, mental, and emotional demands, health and safety considerations, unsocial hours, mobility, and ergonomic factors relating to the design and use of equipment or workstations.

JOB ANALYSIS PROVIDES THE BASIS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF:

- Job Description
- Job/Person Specifications

Job Description

A formal statement of:

- Position
- Scope of the job
- Accountabilities
- Reporting to
- Who reports to
- Major responsibilities
- Duties
- Working relationships associated with a job.

KEY RESULT AREAS

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Job Specifications

A formal statement of:

- Role of the position
- Person Specifications, including:
- Competency Profile
- Qualifications
- Abilities required
- Skills required
- Knowledge required
- Personal Characteristics
- Working environments/conditions
- Travel

JOB EVALUATION

In job evaluation, we revisit the job analysis, technically speaking, and review the job description/specification. It is an exercise in job comparison and defining the relative worth of jobs.

The aim of job evaluation is to provide a systematic and consistent approach to defining the relative worth of jobs within a workplace, single plant, or multiple site organization. It is a process whereby jobs are placed in a rank order according to the overall demands placed upon the job holder, providing a basis for a fair and orderly grading structure.

Only the job is evaluated, not the person doing it. It is a technique of job analysis, assessment, and comparison concerned with the demands of the job, such as the experience and responsibility required to carry out the job, not the total volume of work, the number of people required, the scheduling of work, or the ability of the job holder.

You give a weightage to each level based on responsibility, importance, etc. For example, in the sales department, you can classify the grades using job evaluation:

- Grade 1: Sales Reps – 100 points
- Grade 2: Senior Sales Reps – 200 points
- Grade 3: Junior Sales Executive – 300 points
- Grade 4: Zone Sales Manager – 400 points
- Grade 5: Regional Sales Manager – 500 points
- Grade 6: National Sales Manager – 750 points
- Grade 7: Director of Sales – 1000 points

Regards,

LEO LINGHAM