Job/Position evaluation is conducted by Human Resources in order to review a job/position description and establish the job/position's level or grade. Managers/department administrative officers must submit a job/position description so that Human Resources can assign the appropriate level or grade. Job/Position descriptions should be prepared by the responsible manager/appropriate department administrative officer, in conjunction with the employee when appropriate. Reference should be made to the Job/Position Description Template* for format and content required in a job/position description.

The job/position evaluation process should be conducted for either a job/position that is newly created or for one that currently exists but is believed by the manager/department administrative officer to be inappropriately graded based on new or revised responsibilities and/or requirements.

Once a new or revised job/position description is submitted to Human Resources, Compensation will work in conjunction with the department's Human Resources Officer (HRO) and the requesting manager/department administrative officer to review the job/position. Both internal and external factors will be considered when determining the level or grade of a job/position.

Internal factors include equity issues, the structure of the Department or School where the job/position resides, similar job/positions elsewhere in the Institute, and the knowledge, skills, and expertise required of the incumbent. External factors include data from salary surveys for similar job/positions in similar settings as well as information collected during the recruitment process; e.g. where applicants are coming from and their salary requirements. This information is gathered through interviews with the HRO, recruitment staff, the requesting manager, and the department's personnel administrator and/or administrative officer.

In addition to determining a level or grade at the time of evaluation, the job/position title, job/position code, and exempt/non-exempt status (based on Fair Labor Standards Act guidelines) are determined.

View the Process Steps for New Jobs/Positions flowchart

Job/Position Titling
For some job/positions, there may be two acknowledged titles. One is the "official job/position title," i.e., the title agreed upon by the department and Human Resources as the primary identifier for the job/position description. This is generally a generic title and is often the title used on documents generated by Human Resources. The secondary title, or "position title," is the title unique to the position and/or the department and must be approved by the appropriate manager or department administrative officer and, where required, the designated senior officer.

Job/Position titles should reflect, as clearly as possible, the nature of the work performed, be distinct enough to differentiate the job/position from others, and be consistent with other titles where similar work is done in other areas of the Institute. Human Resources encourages the use of generic titles for groups of similar positions. This will allow Human Resources to determine more readily where the Institute has "like" job/positions and provide us with the ability to compare them.

Remember - using unique titles may complicate attempts to gauge pay equity within the Institute, as it is difficult to determine appropriate pay levels for employees who are doing similar work but have different titles. In addition, using unique and possibly "inflated" titles can result in an employee's disappointment if the expectations based on the title do not match the reality of the job/position.

Fair Labor Standards Act
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was created in 1938 to establish a minimum wage and a limit on the number of hours that may be worked in a standard workweek. It also provided standards for equal pay, overtime pay, record keeping and child labor. As amended in 1967, coverage of the Act was extended to private university employees.

The following definitions apply:

Exempt employees are those employees who, because of their job/position duties, responsibilities and salaries, are not covered by, and are therefore "exempt" from the overtime provision of the Act. "Exempt" does not connote status, nor is it a title. It is a legal classification based largely on job/position content. Listed below are the exemptions most commonly used at the Institute and a description of the qualifications for each exemption. These descriptions are not intended to be exhaustive. Consequently, departments should contact Human Resources if there is a question regarding status.

• Executive - employees whose primary duty is management of the organization, department, or recognized unit/subunit; who direct the work of other employees; who have the authority to hire and fire or make recommendations which are given particular weight regarding decisions affecting the employment status of others.
• Administrative - employees whose primary duty is the performance of office or non-manual work which is directly related to the management or general business operations of their employer or their employer's customers; who regularly exercise high levels of discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance. There are many factors to consider when determining whether an employee exercises discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance, including, for example, whether the employee has authority to formulate, affect, interpret or implement management policies or operating practices, whether the employee has authority to commit the employer in matters that have a significant financial impact, and whether the employee is involved in planning long- or short-term business objectives.
• Professional – (A) Learned Professional: employees whose primary duty is the performance of work requiring knowledge of an advanced type in a field of science or learning that is customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction; whose work is predominantly intellectual and requires the consistent exercise of discretion and judgment; (B) Creative Professional: employees whose primary duty requires invention, imagination, originality or talent in a recognized field of artistic or creative endeavor.
• Computer Employees – employees whose primary duty is (1) the application of systems analysis techniques and procedures, including consulting with users to determine hardware, software or system functional specifications; or (2) the design, development, documentation, analysis, creation, testing or modification of computer systems or programs, including prototypes, based on and related to user or system design specifications; or (3) the design, documentation, testing, creation or modification of computer programs related to machine operating systems; or (4) a combination of these duties requiring the same level of skills.

Non-Exempt/Overtime-Eligible employees are covered by the overtime provisions of the Act and are entitled to overtime for all hours worked over 40 hours per pay week. If a non-exempt employee works more than 40 hours in a workweek, then he/she is entitled to overtime pay that is one and one-half times the regular rate for each hour worked over 40. In most departments, overtime may be worked only with the prior approval of the responsible manager.

Evaluation of a Job/Position
In order to accurately evaluate a job/position, the requesting manager/department administrative officer, the HRO, and others where appropriate, should meet to:

• Discuss current titles being used, both in the department and across the Institute, to determine if an appropriate title already exists.
• Review a department's organization chart to obtain clarity around reporting relationships and job/positions with similar breadth and scope.
• Discuss whether there are similar roles that exist within the Department or School. If yes, these roles should be described and the relationship(s) understood.
• Determine how this job/position compares/contrasts with similar positions in other Departments or Schools at MIT.
• Discuss which job/position(s) within the Department or School function at a higher level. Discuss which function at a lower level.
• Determine that the action verbs used to describe the principle duties and responsibilities clearly reflect the actual duties of the job/position. Based on statements made in the job/position description, clarification of responsibilities may be necessary. For example, statements that begin with phrases such as "represents", "coordinates", "assists with…" often requires a greater understanding of what the actual tasks are and who the other individuals are that work to accomplish those tasks.
• Reference applicable market data when available.
• Discuss whether the hiring manager/department administrative officer has salary information that would help determine the appropriate salary range for this job/position.
• Obtain an understanding of all job/position descriptors used to describe the level at which an incumbent is expected to function, ensuring that the levels are accurate.

Results of the Job/Position Evaluation
Once a job/position is evaluated, there are a variety of outcomes, including:

• creation of a new job/position
• promotion for an employee who is currently in the job/position
• reclassification of a job/position to a higher or lower level/grade with or without a change in salary.

There will also be instances when an existing job/position is evaluated and it is determined that the current level or grade is correct and no change is necessary.

In all cases, the evaluation process should be concluded with Human Resources prior to having discussions with employees or prospective employees regarding level or grade of a job/position.

* MIT Certificate Required

revised December 1, 2004