So when people talk about job evaluation, they usually mean figuring out how valuable a job is in a company — but it’s not just about numbers or data. There's this qualitative side too, which honestly? Matters a lot more than people realize. It's about understanding the kind of work being done, not just counting hours or tasks.
Anyway, in the world of job evaluations, there are two main methods that fall under the “qualitative” category. Here’s a breakdown — without the fluff.
1. Ranking Method
2. Job Grading Method
Ranking Method — Just Putting Jobs in Order, Basically
This one’s kinda old-school. You just take all the jobs and, well… rank them. From the least important to the most important. Or from easiest to hardest. Whatever the scale, you go one by one.
Usually, a group of managers or higher-ups sits together and tries to decide which job sits above the next one. There’s no strict checklist — they just kinda use their judgment based on what they know. Things like:
- What kind of work is it?
- How hard is it?
- Does it need a lot of supervision?
- What are the responsibilities?
That kind of stuff. But yeah, nothing is scored formally — it's all kinda based on feeling or experience.
How it Works:
a) Job Descriptions (optional, but helpful)
Even though technically you don’t have to write job descriptions for this, it really helps. Otherwise, people might rate jobs completely differently.
b) Pick Who’s Doing the Ranking
Jobs are ranked by type — like, you wouldn’t compare a mechanic’s job to a receptionist’s. That’d be weird. So, you group similar jobs together.
c) Choose a Few ‘Key Jobs’
You pick a handful of important or well-known jobs from different departments. These will act as your benchmark jobs.
d) Rank Everything
After that, the rest of the jobs are slotted in — either from top to bottom or bottom to top — based on how they stack up to those key jobs.
Where Ranking Works Best
Honestly? It works best in small companies. If you only have, like, 10-15 roles, ranking is manageable. In big orgs? It gets messy, fast.
Pros:
- Super simple. You don’t need fancy training or tools.
- Fast setup. Can get started quickly, without much prep.
- Low cost. No software, no big budget.
Cons:
- Totally subjective. It’s all based on what someone feels, not actual standards.
- No breakdown of job parts. You don’t look at effort, skill, or anything separately.
- Doesn’t show “how much more” one job is worth than another.
- Risk of mistakes. Some jobs might be ranked way too high or low by accident.
- Can cause drama. People might not agree with the ranking, and that leads to frustration.
Job Grading Method — A Bit More Structured
Alright, this one’s a little more organized. Instead of putting jobs in one long ranked list, you group them into categories or “grades”. Like:
- Unskilled labor
- Skilled workers
- Clerical staff
- Admin roles
Each group gets a general description and a matching pay scale.
How do you know which job goes where? You use job analysis — basically, collecting info on what the job involves, how hard it is, how much responsibility, etc.
Step-by-Step Process:
1) Create Grade Descriptions
You describe what each grade should include — duties, difficulty, level of supervision, and so on.
2) Pick Grades + Key Jobs
Just like in ranking, you choose some jobs that are typical or representative of each grade.
3) Put Key Jobs into Grades
Once you’ve picked them, you assign each key job to a grade. This helps give structure.
4) Classify the Rest
Everything else gets sorted into the appropriate grade. Like all clerical jobs go in Grade C, all unskilled ones in Grade A — something like that. Everyone in the same grade gets roughly the same pay.
Why Use Job Grading?
If you’ve got a decent number of employees and want some consistency, this works better than just ranking.
Pros:
- More clarity. People can actually understand what each grade means.
- Easy to explain. No jargon or technical stuff.
- Helps with pay decisions. You can link salary directly to grade level.
- Works well in government jobs. It’s super common there.
Cons:
- Still kinda subjective. Since there aren’t exact standards, personal opinions sneak in.
- Can misclassify jobs. If job analysis isn’t detailed enough, things get placed wrong.
- Not great for massive companies. Too many jobs = too much chaos.
- Rigid. Once you set grades, it’s hard to adjust without redoing a lot.
Final Thoughts
So yeah — both ranking and grading get the job done, but each has its vibe.
If your company’s small and you just need a quick way to compare roles? Go with ranking. If you need structure and plan to stick with it long-term? Grading is the way to go.
Neither method is perfect, but they’re good starting points when you’re trying to make sense of how to value different roles. And honestly? Sometimes just starting with something is better than nothing.
Take a look at the detailed post on the topic -
