Job evaluation

The job evaluation system is a tool used to systematically evaluate the demands that jobs place on employees.

Job evaluation is:

  • a method used to objectively evaluate different jobs
  • a method used to make the assumptions behind wage decisions more visible
  • a method used to make the reasoning behind wage decisions clearer
  • a way to determine the same wages for comparable or equivalent jobs

The system is based on objective criteria used to compare jobs in accordance with the requirements of the jobs, regardless of the qualifications of those who perform them.

The goal of job evaluation is to ensure that employees receive fair wages based on as objective and impartial criteria as possible, and to ensure that jobs are ranked in terms of their basic pay in such a way that they are the same for jobs that are equally demanding, regardless of job title, union membership, or gender.

Job evaluation is NOT:

  • an assessment of the personal abilities of employees in their job
  • an assessment of the performance of employees in their job
  • an assessment of the job performance of employees

It is important to keep in mind that job evaluation assesses only the basic requirements of a job and not individual capabilities of employees. In other words, it evaluates the demands made on an employee in a particular job. It does not evaluate individual skills or abilities, even though these may have a direct or indirect impact on job performance.