Job evaluation is a process of establishing pay levels for classes of positions in a fair, consistent, and equitable manner within an organization based on duties, level of responsibilities, and required qualifications. There are four principal types of job evaluation systems: (i) ranking (ii) classification (iii) points rating and (iv) factor comparison. The job evaluation system utilized by most municipalities in Metro Vancouver for unionized positions is a Classification System.

A classification system consists of analyzing the duties, responsibilities and required qualifications of positions and grouping sufficiently similar positions into occupational groups called classes or classes of positions.

It means a group of positions within a municipality that are similar with respect to the type of duties, level of responsibility, and required qualifications. Each class of positions is described by a Class Specification.

A Class Specification is a written document describing each class in a standard format, which contains a Class Title, a description of scope of duties and responsibilities of the class, examples of typical duties assigned to positions grouped within the class (but not necessarily set out in order of their relative importance), and a statement of qualification required in order to perform the work of the class. Class specifications accommodate a number of different positions sharing similarities in type of work, level of responsibility, and qualifications and are not job descriptions.

A job is evaluated through qualitative analysis and comparison of the duties, responsibilities, and requirements of the classes of positions in the same occupational group. The evaluation that is done is performed on the duties, responsibilities, and requirements of the job, not on the person who is in the job.

It includes examining factors of a job such as complexity, judgment exercised, independence of action, supervision given, working conditions, physical effort, education and experience, and skills and abilities.

Factors that are not examined are the characteristics of the person in the job, including merit, long service, familiarity with work, volume of work performed, and initiative.

A job is evaluated when it is established. A job can be re-evaluated when there are substantive changes to the duties and responsibilities, effort, working conditions and education, experience, and skills and abilities.

RES provides municipalities who utilize our compensation services with advice and support in job evaluation and organizational structuring. This includes conducting job evaluations and providing advice and support to municipalities in the job evaluation process. Managers, unions or employees who have questions about job evaluations or classifications of positions should contact the human resources department in their municipality.