The job grading evaluation method is the structured process classifiers use to evaluate Federal Wage System positions. Its five steps move from the highest level question of which pay system applies all the way down to documenting the final determination, and each step builds on the ones before it. Following the method consistently is how classifiers produce defensible, repeatable results.
- The method has five steps that move from pay system coverage to final documentation.
- Considering the total job, rather than any single factor, is the core principle of the evaluation.
- Clear documentation of the reasoning behind a grade level decision is what supports the final determination and helps future reviewers understand the analysis.
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The sections below walk through each of the five steps in the order they are applied, with notes on what each step requires and how it fits into the overall classification process.
Step One: Determine the Pay System
The first step is deciding which pay system covers the position. Sometimes the line between a General Schedule position and a trades, craft, or labor job is thin, so the paramount requirement test applies. If the paramount requirement is trade, craft, or labor experience or knowledge, the position belongs in the Federal Wage System. The introduction to the classification standards provides guidance for handling borderline cases, and consulting it early prevents misclassification further along in the process.
Step Two: Determine the Job Family
Once the pay system is settled, the next step is to determine which job family applies. The Handbook of Occupational Groups and Families provides series definitions and job code definitions, with part one covering General Schedule positions and part two covering Federal Wage System positions. Finding the right family narrows the list of applicable standards and moves the classifier closer to the correct occupation.
Step Three: Consider the Total Job
The third step is to consider the position as a whole. A classifier must read the position description in its entirety and then compare it to the grade level descriptions in the relevant job grading standard. No single factor should be given undue weight. All four grade determining factors, which are skill and knowledge, responsibility, physical effort, and working conditions, are analyzed together, and any relationships between the job elements are considered. The goal is to find the grade level description that fully matches the job being evaluated.
Step Four: Determine the Title
Once the grade level has been determined, the fourth step is to select the most appropriate title. OPM designates titling instructions for particular grade levels, and those instructions are included in the job grading standard. Following the titling instructions exactly ensures that every position is identified in a consistent way across the federal government.
Step Five: Document the Findings
The final step is to document the findings and the final determination. Good documentation identifies why one grade level was chosen over another and explains the reasoning in enough detail to support the decision. For a motor vehicle operator whose work could potentially fit grade five or grade six, the documentation should note which elements of each grade level description matched the job and which did not, and it should state clearly why grade six was the more appropriate match. Thorough notes protect the classifier, the position, and the employee by making the final determination transparent and defensible.
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