| Summary
Organizations are rarely stable. The work changes,
either through comprehensive changes in mission, scope, or responsibilities
or by evolution. In either case, the assignment of duties and responsibilities
to a position should be planned. If new or revised duties and responsibilities
are needed, the manager should determine whether to assign
these to newly created positions or add them to existing positions.
If
the answer is new positions, the manager should evaluate the possible
impact on the classification of existing ones. If the new duties have
the potential to increase the level or grade of a position, it is often
most fair to create a new position so that current employees can compete
for it.
Guiding
Principles
A complete, concise, and accurate job description
will help classify each position and will serve as the basis for recruiting,
training, and evaluating employees and as a guide for developing performance
standards.
How
the System Works
Organization
and Position Design
Position
Design
A department may wish to create and then recruit for a vacant non- bargaining-unit
position at more than one level and fill it at the level that best fits
its business needs. The range of jobs advertised in this way is called
a "career ladder." Most typically, a career ladder consists
of a more junior level position and a more experienced level. These levels
always differ in the qualification required, and often by the level of
independence and/or complexity of assignments.
Career
Ladder Definition:
- A
vacant non-bargaining-unit position is advertised at more than one level,
to be filled at the level that best fits the department's business needs.
- A
job description has been written for each level advertised.
- Applicants
are informed that the job has promotion potential to the highest level
advertised.
- The
range of jobs advertised is called a Career Ladder.
- The
Compensation Unit must initially classify the position at all levels
before it can be advertised.
For
more information see the Chapter
1: Employment.
Changes
in duties and responsibilities can occur with a departmental reorganization
or the assignment of new duties to an existing position. For these reasons,
the Compensation Unit continues to review jobs that have changed significantly.
For assistance, one should contact the Compensation Consultant assigned
to the department.
The
Job Description
The purposes of a job description are:
- To
communicate duties and responsibilities of a position to the employee
- To
articulate the essential job duties for Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) purposes
- To
determine the proper classification or grade level for a position
- To
describe skills, knowledge, and abilities (KSAs) for recruitment
- To
develop hiring specifications
- To
design and restructure jobs
- To
provide effective employee training and development
-
To serve as a basis for performance expectations
The
Job Description can take many forms; the recommended form is the Job Description
Template, which presents the key information for the purposes listed above.
The Job Description Template may be used for all positions on campus,
including Management and Senior Profesional (MSP) and information technology
(IT) positions. The one exception is for professional support positions
in research laboratories, which may continue to be described on the Staff
Research Associate questionnaire.
Who
Prepares a Job Description?
The classification process begins when you submit a new or substantially
revised job description with supporting information to the Compensation
Unit. Your Compensation Consultant is available
to discuss questions you may have before writing the description.
The
immediate supervisor or the employee can complete athe job description,
depending on which person is more familiar with the position. If the incumbent
is new to the job or the position is new, you may wish to complete the
job description. If the employee completes it, you should validate it,
because you are the person with authority to determine the actual duties
and responsibilities of the position. After you review and sign the job
description, the department head or designated business officer/administrator
reviews and signs it.
Some departments,
colleges, or control units have personnel managers who review the job
description, compare it to positions within the department, school, or
college, and provide guidance on reclassification requests; they may also
have delegated authority to classify positions.
Completing
the Job Description Template
A well-written job description should be easily understood by anyone
who reads it - not only by those familiar with the position. Some technical
abbreviations, language, or documentation unique to the unit may be quite
understandable when used within the unit, but might require further explanation
for classification. When writing a job description, always be clear, concise,
and complete.
A results-oriented
description explains why functions are performed and allows you to more
effectively manage the objectives of the position; it also helps the Compensation
Consultant evaluate the position more quickly
and effectively. Remember to develop the following in the job description:
- Organization
Summary: A brief description
of your unit so those reviewing the position know the context within
which it operates.
- Purpose
of the Position: A brief description of the overall purpose
of the position, telling why it exists.
- Classification
Factors:
-
Independence/Supervision Received:
Check the box that best describes the kind of supervision given
to the position and expand upon how the position is supervised
as necessary. Tell from whom and in what form the assignments
are received, and what kinds of instruction and directions are
given. For example, what work is performed independently and what
work is routed to you for review?
- Scope
and Impact: Describe the organizational scope of the
position. What part of the campus is affected by the position’s
work—department? College? Control unit? What is the primary
constituency? What are the consequences of the position’s
actions on the group?
- Problem-solving
and Decision-making: Describe the kinds of problems to
be resolved and the planning that is required of the position.
Identify the authority and/or responsibility to make decisions,
develop and revise procedures, make official commitments, etc.
Indicate to whom recommendations are made and for whom analyses
are performed and reports are prepared.
-
Major Functions: Identify the major functions and
duties (those that require at least 10% of time over a specific time
period such as annually, monthly, weekly). Use specific action verbs
to describe duties; for example, "open, post and distribute mail,"
not "handle mail." Avoid vague terms like "assist in",
"arrange for", or "administer," which do not describe
job duties.
- Indicate
essential duties: Under the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA), functions considered essential should be shown with
an asterisk (*). A job function is considered essential if:
- Performance
of the function is the reason for the job existing.
- A
limited number of employees are capable of performing the
function.
- The
function is highly specialized, requiring unique expertise
or abilities.
- Supervision
Exercised: If supervisory responsibilities are assigned,
explain the employee's role; for example: interview and select employees;
train; plan, schedule, and assign work; evaluate performance; and
take disciplinary action. Be precise and specific in identifying all
supervisory tasks.
- Knowledge,
Skills, Abilities, and Other Requirements: Describe the kind
of knowledge required (of University procedures, policies or of a
professional field, or other specialized body of knowledge), the specialized
skills and abilities as well as other requirements such as licenses,
certifications.
- Addendum:
Information Technology Positions: Complete the Addendum for IT Positions
for Programmer/Analyst, Computing Resource Manager and other information
technology (IT) titles. Describe the key required technical knowledge
and skills and the technical environment of the position.
- Signatures:
The job description should be signed by the employee, supervisor and
manager and a copy kept in the departmental files. The signatures
certify to the accuracy of the assigned duties and responsibilities.
If a supervisor wishes to note any exceptions to the job description,
they should be appended to the description with a copy to the employee.
This page should be the last place of the job description.
Note:
See the section on the Physical, Environmental,
and Mental Demands (PEM) Form in this chapter for more details.
Questions
to Ask Yourself
After you have completed the job description template,
review it and ask yourself these questions:
- Is it
logically organized to describe all the duties and responsibilities?
- Does
it avoid using vague terms? Is it clear and current?
- Is it
specific in explaining what is done and why? Are good examples used
to illustrate complex and abstract issues?
- Is it
concise? Are major duties addressed, rather than giving a detailed
list of tasks?
- Does
it include only material describing the position? Are personal references
to the incumbent avoided?
- Are
essential duties (as determined by the ADA) indicated with asterisks?
- Does
the description provide a valuable introduction for a new employee
in the position?
Completing
the Classification Request Form
The supervisor should attach the completed Job Description Template
to the Classification Request Form and address the following:
- Significant
changes to the position since last review: Identify specific areas
of change. This section is extremely valuable for the Compensation
Consultant's review. The more information you provide on relevant changes,
the more easily the Compensation Consultant can make an informed decision.
If you have a copy of the duties previously performed, attach it to
the description.
- Recommendations:
Your reasons for recommending a reclassification and/or title change
should be noted in the cover letter.
Preparing
an Organization Chart
Submit a current organization
chart with each classification/reclassification request. A formal printed
organization chart is not required, but it should be sufficiently detailed
to reflect departmental structure and the position's relationship in the
current organization.
Physical,
Environmental, and Mental Demands Form (PEM)
This form helps a department determine the demands of a position and recognize
any accommodations that may be necessary under the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA). A copy of the PEM form should be attached to the Job Description
in the employee's personnel file.
For Requisitions,
document any outstanding PEMs or any PEMs unusual for the classification.
The PEM forms are available from Campus Supply, in the Office of Human
Resources and on-line at http://hrweb.berkeley.edu/forms/pem.pdf.
The
Classification/Reclassification Process
Reasons
for Classification Review
When developing your reasons for the classification review, ask yourself
whether the duties and level of responsibility have changed significantly.
Normally,
descriptions are not submitted for review unless they have changed substantially
and significantly since the last review. If you are uncertain, you can
discuss the changes with your Compensation Consultant.
You may also want to review the job specifications available by request
and on the web at http://hrweb.berkeley.edu/hrpay.htm.
Note:
See Job Evaluation section below for an
explanation of job specifications.
Sometimes
a reclassification request is motivated by the desire to reward a top
performer. When an employee exceeds performance standards, you may feel
pressure to show appreciation through reclassification. Such efforts are
more appropriately recognized through the merit program. In special circumstances,
an equity increase might be appropriate.
Note:
See the Compensation chapter for an explanation
of merit and equity increases.
It
is extremely important to request a job review only when appropriate and
to thoroughly prepare your request, including determining whether budget
dollars are available to fund a salary increase resulting from the reclassification,
if approved. Ill-conceived reclassification requests that are denied can
be de-motivating and can become a source of conflict when the employee
feels that the supervisor did not fully support the reclassification request.
A reclassification
is normally effective on the first of the month following receipt of the
request in Human Resources (for example, a reclassification
request received in June, if approved, would take effect on July 1).
Job
Evaluation
When reviewing a position for classification, the Compensation Consultant
carefully studies the job description and other related materials such
as the organization charts submitted for review. Such documents highlight
important information related to changes in the position.
The
Consultant considers how a position has changed (additional duties, supervision
exercised and received, and other critical components of the position)
and compares the position to the published classification standards for
the job series and to similar positions at Berkeley.
In
some cases, the Consultant will consult with campus experts in the field
to obtain their perspective and assessment of the position. Decisions
regarding the classification of positions in the MSP program are made
by the Vice Chancellors.
A
job series or job family is a group of
jobs with similar functions that require similar specialized knowledge
and skills. Examples of job series include the clerical/administrative
series, student affairs officer series, and the programmer analyst series.
The
job classification guidelines identify the different levels of work within
a series. Some job classification guidelines have been developed specifically
for the Berkeley campus, while others are used across the entire UC system.
For example, within the clerical/administrative series, three levels of
(_) Assistant (I, II, and III) are identified and defined. Employees can
review the specifications in Human Resources or on the Human
Resources website at http:hrweb.berkeley.edu/hrpay.htm.
Compensation
Consultants
consider these important factors when classifying a position:
- Nature
or type of work performed
- Level
of responsibility
- Impact
of position on the unit, department, or campus
- Reporting
relationships
- Scope
of duties
- Complexity
of work
- Creativity/innovation
- Supervision
received
- Supervision
exercised
- Knowledge
and skills required to perform the duties
Other factors
cannot be considered in classifying a position:
- Performance
of the incumbent
- Longevity
of the incumbent in position
- Qualifications
of the incumbent that are not required by the position
- Personality
- Financial
needs
Based
on the review and comparisons, the Compensation Consultant determines
the appropriate title. The Consultant
may call you during the course of the review to discuss the findings.
You will receive written confirmation of the decision, usually through
email.
Appeals
and Reviews
Check the relevant
personnel policy or contract for guidelines on formally appealing or reviewing
a classification decision.
Compensation Unit Resources
- Consulting
with departments on reorganizations and position design, including determining
more appropriate and cost effective structuring of jobs to meet unit
needs.
- Consulting
on salary setting and salary increase criteria.
- Designing
and implementing effective classification methodologies for the campus.
- Classifying
and reclassifying positions in the various personnel programs.
- Providing
information on how to write job descriptions.
- Consulting
on how changes in duties may affect a job.
- Providing
campus liaison with the Office of the President on major classification
and compensation issues.
Other
Resources
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