What is role evaluation?

Job evaluation is a consistent and systematic process for defining the relative size or ranking of jobs. The job evaluation score determines the grade for the role.

The aim is to grade jobs fairly and to ensure equal pay for work of equal value. The system used at York is Higher Education Role Analysis (HERA), a system specially developed for higher education.

Most jobs at York have had a HERA role associated with them. The HERA role record (or Written Record) describes the activities and responsibilities required of the role and provides examples of skills and competencies demonstrated by a typical role holder.

When does a role need evaluating?

Over time new roles are created and existing roles change as the business needs of the department develop. Common reasons for new or changed roles are:

• restructuring in a department
• a need for new work to be done
• significant changes to the demands of a job.

When this happens it is the department's responsibility to initiate the role evaluation process. This may be the first step in your recruitment process.

Role evaluation and review policy

Policy statement

Role Evaluation and Review is the ongoing process of evaluating new roles and reviewing roles that change over time. Requests for role evaluation and review are made by management and should be in line with the business requirements and budget of the department as agreed as part of the overall planning process. Detailed procedures and management guidelines are available.

Scope

This policy covers all support staff on the University of York grading structure.

Aims

To ensure that all roles are appropriately graded and that substantive changes to a role are considered in a timely way and reflected in the grade for the role using the Higher Education Role Analysis (HERA) methodology of job evaluation.

Principles

• Role evaluation supports the principles of Equal Pay for work of Equal value
• Roles will be evaluated and reviewed equitably in accordance with the University’s policy on Equal Opportunities
• HERA is the chosen method for Role Evaluation
• The University will continue to develop generic HERA evaluated roles and phase out many unique HERA Written Records over time
• Line Managers will be encouraged to identify appropriate generic HERA evaluated roles
• Roles cannot be fully evaluated without clear and concise evidence of the responsibilities of the role. Where this is not available, HR reserves the right to withhold the release of scores and to request additional evidence or clarification of the requirements of the role
• HR will review the outcomes of role evaluation for new and/or changed roles against existing roles across the University and will continue to consistency check element scores against those of similar roles
• It is not normally expected that any role would be changed or reviewed more than once in any one year

Responsibilities

Role	Accountable for:
Department – Line Manager (LM)	Ensuring appropriate funding is in place and that role evaluation/review request is in line with departmental plans Initiating the role review or role evaluation request and completing the Role Evaluation Request Form (RERF) Defining the new or changed role by means of a Job Description, Person Specification and revised Organisation Chart Communicating (verbally) the outcomes of Role Evaluation & Review to individuals in post
Role Holder (RH)	Agreeing any changes to responsibilities of current role Providing additional evidence of requirements of the role should this be needed
Head of Department (HoD)	Approving the new role or agreeing the substantive changes to an existing role Considering the impact (both within and outside the department) of creating new and/or changing existing roles Sending all documentation to HR Services
HR Services (HRS)	Logging the Role Evaluation or Review request Acknowledging receipt of request Forwarding the documentation to the appropriate HR Manager Producing the appropriate written communication to the individual following the finalisation of the evaluation/review
HR Manager (HRM)	Ensuring that new and changed roles are in line with agreed departmental plans Checking that the Job Description/Person Specification match the requirements of the agreed role Forwarding the agreed documentation to Rewards Assisting in the clarification of evidence or requirements of the role following questions or concerns raised an Evaluation Panel or the Rewards Team
Rewards Team (RT)	Evaluating new and changed roles and allocating the appropriate grade and salary range Communicating the interim/final outcomes of the evaluation to HR & Departments Triggering the appropriate letter/change of contract for the individual Alerting HR Managers/HoDs to the impact of potential changes in a wider context (cross-University) Seeking further evidence or clarity on the requirements of roles where necessary Consistency checking of scores against other roles within the University

Glossary of terms

HERA – Higher Education Role Analysis

The University’s job evaluation scheme for all roles covered by this policy.

Approval

The policy was approved by the Framework Committee in June 2006.

Monitoring and review of policy

The policy will be monitored through Equal Pay reviews and audits and statistical reports will be provided to HR Policy Committee on a regular basis.

Review by date

The policy will be reviewed at regular intervals to ensure that its provisions continue to meet the needs of the University.

Role evaluation and review: procedures and management guidelines

1. Role evaluation and review process

Role evaluation and review is the ongoing process of evaluating new roles and reviewing existing roles that change over time.

Requests for role evaluation and review are made by management based on the business needs of the department, usually as either:

• the result of restructuring
• the need for new work to be undertaken, or
• because the demands of a role have changed significantly

2. Types of Review

2.1 New role

This is a role that has not previously existed within the department, nor been evaluated. The role will normally be vacant.

2.2 Role review/changed role

This is an existing role that has changed significantly since it was last evaluated. Changes, in terms of the responsibilities and activities of the role have been made or are planned in order to meet the requirements of the department. There will normally be an employee in post. If not, it will be treated as a new role evaluation.

2.3 Restructuring

Where a department is undergoing or planning a restructure, it is not necessary to define the type of role evaluation request at the outset of the process. The proposed restructuring should be discussed with the HR Manager who will involve the Rewards Team at the earliest opportunity. The impact on roles will be discussed and the Rewards Team will advise on the documentation needed and the timescales required to evaluate all new or changed roles.

3. Process

Please read these procedures in conjunction with the role evaluation and review process flowchart [pdf].

3.1 Responsibility for initiating role evaluation or review

The department is responsible for initiating the role evaluation and review process by identifying the new role or the changes to an existing role, and is responsible for ensuring that the appropriate funding is in place.

The department completes a role evaluation request form (RERF) and also provides the following documentation:

New Role

1. New role evaluation request form [doc]
2. Updated job description
3. Person specification
4. organisation chart

Role Review

1. Role review request form [doc] (incorporating evidence of changes to the HERA elements)
2. Updated job description
3. Organisation chart

(See section 5 for more details about job descriptions and person specifications.)

For role reviews or changed roles, where appropriate, the department is asked to identify any similar roles that exist either within the department or elsewhere in the University. The department is also asked to consider the potential impact of the role or organisation structure change both within own department or on other areas of the University. These should have already been discussed between the Head of Department and the HR Manager.

All documentation should be forwarded to HR Services by e-mail to hr-enquiries@york.ac.uk.

A hard copy of the form, with appropriate approvals/signatures, should be sent to the Rewards Team, Human Resources.

3.2 Logging of request

HR Services are will log the request and acknowledge receipt. They then forward the documentation to the Rewards Team and copy the HR Manager for the requesting department.

3.3 HR Review

The HR Manager reviews the request to ensure it is in line with departmental plans and will alert the Rewards Team if they have any concerns.

3.4 Initial asssessment of request by the Rewards Team

The Rewards Team reviews the documentation received and evaluates it. At this stage, the Rewards Team is able to determine:

• Whether the role can be matched to an existing or generic HERA evaluated role
• That no match exists and a new, unique HERA Role Profile/Written Record will need to be created, or
• Additional evidence is needed in order to evaluate the role (and requests this further information from the department)

3.5 Further documentation for non-matched roles

Where a role cannot be matched to an existing or generic HERA evaluated role, further documentation may need to be produced in order to fully evaluate the role.

• If the role is vacant the Rewards Team will produce a HERA Role Profile (RP) for the new, unique role. This is a system-generated statement of the skills and competencies required of the role but without specific role-related evidence of the tasks that illustrate those skills/competencies
• If there is a role holder in post the Rewards Team will create a new HERA Written Record (WR) or amend an existing one, as appropriate. This will then need to be agreed and verified by the role holder and line manager/HoD.

3.6 Evaluation of the role

The formal evaluation of the role will be by one of three types of panel depending on whether the role is vacant or not:

• for vacant roles: the Rewards Team
• for non-vacant roles where a match to an existing or generic HERA evaluated role has been identified: an HR Role Evaluation Panel
• for non-vacant roles where a revised or new Written Record has been required: a Scoring Panel. This is the only evaluation based on a full HERA Written Record

3.7 Role evaluation outcomes

Once a role has been evaluated, the Rewards Team issues the department with a Final Evaluation Outcome Form (FOF) together with the appropriate HERA Role Profile or Written Record. The HR Manager is also notified of the outcome.

For non-vacant roles, the Rewards Team will then pass the outcome to HR Services to arrange for the individuals concerned to be notified of the outcome.

Where an evaluation panel (either Rewards Team, HR Role Evaluation Panel or full Scoring Panel) has raised questions or concerns about any aspect of the role, the Rewards Team will identify the areas where evaluation difficulties have occurred and where further information is needed. This information will be discussed with the HR Manager initially and then communicated to the requesting department. Once the additional evidence or clarification of responsibilities has been received, the role evaluation process will recommence.

4. Evaluation Panels

4.1 HR Role Evaluation Panel

The panel of three comprises one member of the Rewards Team and two HERA trained members of Human Resources. The role of the HR Panel is to review the evidence and confirm the match to an existing HERA evaluated role or the need to create a new, unique HERA role.

4.2 Scoring Panel

A panel of three:

• chaired by a member of the Rewards Team
• one union representative
• one management representative

All are fully trained in the HERA job evaluation methodology and the scoring of evidence contained in HERA Written Records. The Scoring Panel is presented with a HERA Written Record and is asked to score either the whole record or just those elements that have changed.

The Rewards Team may also ask the panel to rescore any evidence it considers may have been previously inappropriately scored even though the evidence may not have changed.

4.3 Timing of panel meetings

HR and Scoring Panels normally meet once a month.

5. Documentation required for role evaluation

5.1 Job description and person specification

Produced by the Rewards Team and the department
The job description [doc] is produced in a standard format to outline the main purpose of the role and its key accountabilities/responsibilities. This template also includes a person specification, which outlines both essential and desired elements

As part of the project to create generic roles, the Rewards Team will produce generic job descriptions and person specifications – departments will only need to show any specific departmental requirements. Generic roles will become available during 2010/11.

5.2 Organisation chart

Produced by department
This should reflect the current, revised or proposed organisation structure relating to the role evaluation or review request.

5.3 HERA Written Record

Produced by Rewards Team
This only needs to be produced (or amended) for roles that are unique (or remain unique) where an individual is already in post. New or amended HERA Written Records will be produced by the Rewards Team if no match can be made to an existing or generic HERA evaluated role. The Written Record should be signed by the role holder, verified by the line manager and validated by the Head of Department in line with the published HERA procedures.

6. Timescales

6.1 New roles

The Rewards Team will endeavour to evaluate a new or changed vacant role within ten working days of receipt of all required documentation, subject to any clarification or requirement for additional evidence.

6.2 Role reviews

For role reviews, the Rewards Team will endeavour to evaluate a changed role within six weeks of receipt of the request subject to clarification of, or additional evidence being required or to any necessary changes to evaluation panels due to a potential conflict of interest.

6.3 Departmental restructuring

Where roles have changed as a result of departmental restructuring, the Rewards Team will work with the department and HR Manager to review the impact on all roles. Evaluation of new or changed roles will be prioritised but timescales will depend on the number of roles impacted by the restructuring.

7. Effective date of role evaluation and review

The effective date of a new or changed role is the first day of the month in which the Role Evaluation Request Form (RERF) is received by HR Services/Rewards Team.

8. Role review outcomes

A Role Review may or may not lead to an increase in points or grade. In some cases a review could lead to a decrease in points in non-changed elements due to continued consistency checking.

1. Increase in points but still within the same grade

No change to grade nor salary. Increment date does not change.

2. Increase in points leading to a higher grade – current salary below new grade minimum salary point

The role holder’s salary will move up to the new grade minimum salary point from the effective date of the role review (see 7 above). The date of the next increment will be twelve months from this date.

3. Increase in points leading to a higher grade – current salary at or above new grade minimum salary point

The role holder’s salary will move up to the next increment point above current salary from the effective date of the role review (see 7 above). The date of the next increment will be twelve months from this date.

Forms

• Role Evaluation Request Forms (RERFs)
  • New role evaluation request form [doc]
  • Role review request form [doc]
• Job description/person specification template [doc]

Also see

• Process flowchart [PDF]
• Policy on role evaluation and review