Job Leveling
Summary Definition: A system for defining job roles and responsibilities within an organization and setting clear pathways for career development.
What is Job Leveling?
Job leveling is the creation of a structured system for defining an organization’s job roles and categorizing them by duties, compensation, and potential career pathways.
Each job is given a specific level or grade that denotes its status, from entry-level to senior positions. At each level, employees can see the skills and responsibilities they should already have and those they’ll need to develop to reach the next stage in their careers.
Job leveling is typically carried out by HR managers and used in external and internal recruitment.
Job Level Classification
Job level classification involves assigning various job levels to a career path. Every level has a set of criteria, and HR managers evaluate the knowledge and competencies required in each case. This includes factors like communication, decision-making, and leadership qualities.
Key Takeaways
- Job leveling is the process of categorizing roles within an organization according to required skills, responsibilities, and compensation levels.
- A structured framework helps employees understand what’s expected of them and how they can progress in their careers.
- Job leveling ensures consistency of job titles and compensation across an organization.
Why is Job Leveling Important?
A job-leveling framework tells employees and candidates exactly what’s expected and shows clear pathways for progression. Workers can see where they fit into the organization and understand what job titles mean.
Employee leveling is an important part of people strategy, both for retention and hiring purposes. It ensures compensation parity and role description consistency across the organization, which helps companies meet Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) requirements.
Job levels allow HR managers to spot skills gaps and identify employees with high potential. An established job-leveling chart with job descriptions and pay scales also saves time during the recruiting process.
Example of a Job Leveling Chart
| Level | Job Title(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intern, Trainee | Entry-level positions focusing on learning and performing basic tasks under close supervision. |
| 2 | Junior Analyst, Assistant | Early-career positions with basic responsibilities in a specific department. |
| 3 | Analyst, Senior Assistant | Mid-level roles with increased responsibility and specialization in certain areas. |
| 4 | Senior Analyst, Manager | Mid-level roles with increased responsibility and specialization in certain areas. |
| 5 | Specialist, Lead Manager | Advanced technical roles or leadership positions overseeing larger teams or projects. |
| 6 | Senior Manager, Director | Senior positions with significant strategic responsibility for a department or function. |
| 7 | Senior Director, Vice President | Higher-level leadership roles with broader organizational impact, may oversee multiple departments. |
| 8 | Senior Vice President | Executive roles involved in strategic decision-making, often part of the executive team. |
| 9 | Executive Vice President | Senior executive roles with substantial responsibility for company operations and strategy. |
| 10 | Chief Officer (e.g., CFO, CTO), President | Top executive positions responsible for the overall direction and strategy of the company. |
| 11 | Chief Executive Officer (CEO) | The highest-ranking executive in a company, responsible for major corporate decisions. |
How Does Job Leveling Work?
HR managers usually work with senior leaders to create a job-leveling framework, aligning it with various business objectives. The process begins with a job analysis for each role:
- The key competencies and duties are evaluated and defined.
- Compensation leveling assigns corresponding pay grades.
- The criteria for career progression are explained.
- A flexible structure with alternative career paths for managerial or technical roles is created.
- The different levels and titles can receive ascending numbers or letters to illustrate hierarchy.
There's no standard number of career levels or grades to include in a framework. For example, a small company may only have three or four levels of employees, while larger organizations might use sublevels for more complex job roles.
Job Leveling Matrix
A job leveling matrix is a visual guide to organizational structure and role requirements. It's often used for strategic workforce planning and to show employees and candidates what they must do next to advance their careers.
Formatted as a table or chart, each column represents a different job level and each row is assigned corresponding competencies. The intersecting cells then describe the role's duties and skills.
Example of a Job Leveling Matrix
Although job leveling varies widely between organizations, the following is a brief example of a leveling matrix that may be found in a small company.
| Associate | Junior Manager | Senior Manager | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communication | Strong communication with customers, collaborates well with peers, and shares feedback with junior manager. | Sets expectations, explains tasks clearly, steps in to assist with tricky customers, and shares feedback with senior managers. | Reports to C-suite, cascades information to junior managers, and produces company newsletter. |
| Time Management | Manages own time and knows how to prioritize tasks. | Manages own time, oversees time management of their team, and can identify people struggling with deadlines. | Oversees junior managers and checks overall performance on time-tracking tools. |
| Leadership | Responsible for their own individual tasks. | Capable of leading a team, mentors others, resolves minor disputes, and escalates major concerns to senior manager. | Oversees all teams, conducts performance reviews, and chairs town hall meetings. |
| Strategy and Planning | Can effectively plan and manage their own schedule. | Sets budget for their own team, works with senior managers on strategic planning, and ensures knowledge transfer when employees leave the business. | Sets departmental budgets, analyzes relevant data, and works with the C-suite to produce strategies. |
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