Department of Human Resources
Exempt Job Description
Job Title: Human Resources Specialist, Compensation & Job Evaluation
Job Number: X-236
Band: 7
NOC: 1121
Department: Human Resources
Supervisor Title: Associate Vice President, Human Resources
Last Reviewed: June 10, 2014
Job Purpose
Reporting to the AVP, Human Resources, the HR Specialist - Compensation & Job Evaluation leads, supports, develops and enhances University-wide compensation and job evaluation programs, policies and processes by providing analytical and technical expertise to senior administration, managers, supervisors and employees. The HR Specialist, Compensation & Job Evaluation provides expert, seasoned advice regarding compensation, job evaluation, position control and salary administration with respect to the development, enhancement and maintenance of these programs. The HR Specialist, Compensation & Job Evaluation is also called upon to lead projects of substantial impact to employees and the broader university community. Trent University’s strategic directives include employee recruitment & retention, performance management and compensation & benefits. This position is essential to attaining these objectives.
Key Activities
Compensation Management;
1. Provide expert advice to senior administration, managers and supervisors with respect to compensation, job classification, and organizational design in support of the organizational objectives of recruitment & retention.
2. Regularly reviews compensation practices and policies, salary structure and processes, conducts research and analysis and makes recommendations to senior administration for changes, improvements and enhancements to same.
3. Makes recommendations regarding legislative requirements and implications with respect to compensation and job evaluation (Pay Equity, Employment Standards, Compensation Restraint, etc.).
4. Conducts annual and in-year market competitiveness assessments (Exempt, OPSEU and Chairs/Deans), and provides recommendations to the AVP, Human Resources regarding market adjustments that may be required to ensure that Trent’s compensation levels remain competitive.
5. Participates in collective bargaining process by providing expertise and conducting analysis related to compensation both internally and external to Trent (other universities, local market, etc.).
6. Provides technical advice and leadership in the development, implementation and maintenance of Pay Equity programs for employee groups, ensuring appropriate application of Pay Equity guidelines, adherence to relevant legislation and communication to employees and managers.
7. Reviews, recommends and approves compensation changes for salary actions including new hire compensation, promotional and market adjustments and temporary assignments.
8. Calculates severance and generates termination documentation, factoring in legislative and collective agreement requirements.
9. As Association of Ontario University Human Resources Professionals (A.O.U.H.R.P.) compensation management representative, incumbent regularly utilizes network to investigate compensation matters of urgency at Trent. Responding to similar requests from other universities requires seasoned judgement and knowledge of Trent’s compensation practices.
Job Evaluation;
1. Leads the job evaluation process for OPSEU and Exempt positions which includes recruiting and/or training committee members, chairing meetings, negotiating outcomes, preparing documentation and correspondence, and managing numerous one-off job evaluation requests for new positions, job postings, temporary upgrades, pre-submission reviews, budget estimates, etc.
2. Conducts research and investigates historical data, qualifications, and precedent to support job evaluation process and outcomes.
3. Attends arbitrations and mediations as Employer JJEC representative providing insight into committee decisions, history, and expertise with job evaluation process and tool.
4. Makes recommendations with respect to changes to compensation and job evaluation related sections of collective agreement.
5. Designs and maintains automated job evaluation tools and systems (OPSEU and Exempt master tracking spreadsheets, point sheets, evaluation documents) to improve administration of process.
Performance Management;
1. Leads the development and implementation of the performance management program for Exempt employees including project planning, execution during the annual cycle, ongoing process improvement and effective integration of current and future policies and procedures.
2. Provide second level consultation to employees and managers in the completion of the performance planning and review cycle.
3. Reviews annual performance appraisals and provides direction and feedback to managers, where applicable, with respect to the Exempt Performance Management Policy and Procedures.
Position Control;
1. In support of organizational design projects and restructuring initiatives, works with managers to clarify required ongoing and additional job responsibilities, conducts preliminary job evaluation and classification assessments for all restructured jobs and makes recommendations to assist with planning and decision making process.
2. Reviews all proposed position title changes or position titles for new jobs, with a view to ensuring organization-wide consistency, and recommends changes, as appropriate.
3. Accountable for ensuring an effective and accurate position control system for the university. Responsible for data management and integrity, and documentation. Develops and implements processes to ensure position control is kept up-to-date and integrated with related HR and Payroll functions.
4. Ensures that all positions are appropriately coded for Employment Equity purposes under the National Occupational Classification system.
Salary Administration;
1. Manages annual salary review process for exempt employees, including market, cost-of-living and Pay Equity analyses and calculations and provides a detailed summary and recommendations for senior administration regarding salary adjustments.
2. Acts as Trent University representative with A.O.U.H.R.P., completing annual salary survey benchmarking Trent’s positions against Ontario University comparator positions. Process requires a substantial amount of knowledge about Trent’s operations and structure and incumbent must use significant judgement when providing information.
3. Prepares annual salary letters for all exempt employees based on approved salary adjustments.
4. Responsible for the review and redesign of faculty compensation policy and structures. Assesses internal and market equity and recommends best practices (e.g. review of parity, examining comparator data validity).
5. Prepares annual step increase spreadsheet for all eligible OPSEU employees.
Special Projects/Other;
1. Leads initiatives, as assigned by AVP, Human Resources to support academic plan and/or organizational objectives. Examples include employee satisfaction survey, development and delivery of workshop for managers, H.R.I.S. project work, etc.
Analytical Reasoning
The duties of this position are varied and multifaceted. Compensation analysis, job classification and salary administration are very sensitive and detailed matters that tend to be of high importance to employees, managers and senior administration. The process can be quite complex with many challenges to effectively navigate through.
Under the general direction of the AVP, Human Resources, the incumbent provides expert compensation analysis, job content review and advice, and classification administration. The incumbent is expected to demonstrate initiative, as well as conceptual and analytical thinking skill by identifying opportunities for improvement, and recommending policy, process and reference material improvements to the AVP.
The incumbent must be able to support the classification process and results for the university community, using substantial diplomacy and a detailed understanding of the position, job evaluation system and evaluation rationale. The job evaluation system is complex and the incumbent must exercise a significant degree of judgment when considering the relativity of a particular rating with ratings of other positions across campus. The integrity of the job evaluation system is largely dependent upon the analysis and the decisions made by the incumbent both independently and collaboratively through the job classification process; therefore, the incumbent must exercise attention to detail and possess strong analytical thinking skills.
The incumbent is required to perform market competitiveness assessments whereby market data is collected for comparator positions and central tendency statistics are calculated. A mathematical variance analysis is then conducted to compare Trent’s compensation levels versus compensation levels at other Ontario universities. This requires considerable attention to detail, as well as sound judgment and analytical thinking skill when identifying comparator jobs and making appropriate adjustments.
The incumbent is also required to conduct an annual analysis of compensation adjustments for employees. This requires multiple calculations and consideration of multiple variables and decision rules in order to ensure accuracy and a complete understanding of the impact of these planned compensation changes on each employee. As well, the incumbent is responsible for planning, coordinating and implementing salary scale increases, Pay Equity and promotional increases, which requires considerable attention to detail and consideration of multiple variables, legislative requirements and decision rules. The compensation analysis and salary administration responsibilities of this position are multifaceted, detailed and complex.
Decision Making
The incumbent deals with management from all levels of the University, and provides advice and guidance on job classifications and compensation. The incumbent leads job evaluation efforts and implements decisions without reference to superiors. Managers rely on the incumbent’s assessment to make business decisions. Errors in the job rating can lead to serious, ongoing financial consequences for the individual, the department and the university. Furthermore, an inappropriate rating can result in grievances and lead to costly arbitration and potentially lead to Pay Equity complaints.
The incumbent is also responsible for the annual compensation review of Exempt and Management compensation. In doing so, the incumbent makes recommendations for changes to the compensation system based on considerations such as the legislative environment (e.g. Public Sector Compensation Restraint legislation), cost of living adjustments (by monitoring changes in the Consumer Price Index), as well as observations about inefficiencies and/or inequities.
The incumbent is responsible for generating compensation surveys and performing market competitiveness assessments. The impact of these assessments has bearing on the university’s ability to attract and retain all levels of employees.
The incumbent makes decisions regarding compensation being offered to new employees and managers (at all levels), promotions and/or temporary assignments, typically without reference to superiors. Consideration must always be given to internal equity, market competitiveness, as well as individual qualifications and experience.
The incumbent handles sensitive information with respect to organizational design and restructuring initiatives and must maintain confidentiality when reviewing position descriptions. The incumbent’s involvement in organization design requires the utmost discretion.
Impact
Trent’s strategic objectives have consistently included such issues as recruitment and retention of excellent staff and faculty, employee engagement, and rewarding performance. A strong compensation program is key to achieving these objectives and helps an organization remain competitive. Errors in job evaluation and/or compensation decisions can lead to serious, ongoing financial consequences for the individual, the department and the university. Furthermore, inappropriate ratings impact other job evaluation decisions, and can also result in grievances and lead to costly arbitrations, Pay Equity complaints and investigations. If the incumbent makes recommendations that are not in compliance with legislative requirements, Trent could be exposed to substantial financial penalties and consequences.
Education Required
Honours University Degree (4 years) in a related field with specialization in Human Resources and formal Compensation, Job Evaluation and Pay Equity training. CHRP designation preferred.
Experience Required
1. A minimum of 5 years senior human resources level work experience is required in the areas of compensation, job evaluation, salary administration, market analysis, Pay Equity, position control and job evaluation systems.
2. In-depth knowledge of compensation program design concepts, principles and practices coupled with strong mathematical aptitude, research and analytical skills
3. High level of attention to detail, accuracy, and confidentiality required.
4. Solid understanding of human resources legislation including Employment Standards, Pay Equity, Human Rights, Compensation Restraint and other related acts and regulations.
5. Strong communication skills, both written and verbal; strong presentation skills.
6. Demonstrated tact, diplomacy, and objectivity.
7. Negotiation, conflict resolution, and client service skills.
8. Ability to work under minimum supervision and as part of a team.
9. Proficiency in a variety of software applications including word processing and presentation software, advanced spreadsheet creation and data manipulation, demonstrated understanding and use of database concepts, report writing tools
10. Ability to multi-task with proven organizational skills.
Responsibility for the Work of Others
Indirect Responsibility for the Work of Others:
- Leads job evaluation committees (Exempt and OPSEU), providing direction and training to committee members.
- Provides guidance and delegates work to student assistants, as required.
Communication
Internal:
- Communicates with all levels of management with the purpose of presenting, clarifying information (e.g., findings from data analysis).
- Requires sound judgement in discussing problems, summarizing information and making recommendations.
- Compensation and job evaluation can be contentious for employees and managers. Incumbent must be sensitive to concerns and communicate effectively to ensure outcomes are understood and accepted.
- Strong negotiation and facilitation skills are required in this position and incumbent must be able to tactfully communicate decisions to employees and all levels of management.
- Sensitivity, tactfulness and discretion required when dealing with confidential information.
External:
- Communicates with members of the H.R. community (including Association of Ontario Human Resources Professionals) and outside agencies to share compensation and best practice information, participate in compensation surveys, etc.
- Communicates with government agencies to clarify legislative implications of compensation and job evaluation decisions and outcomes.
Motor/ Sensory Skills
- Keyboarding - Accuracy is imperative when dealing with compensation.
- Minute-taking - Accurate, detailed notes are essential for ensuring that documentation is relevant and thorough for future reference.
Effort
Mental:
- Sustained concentration required for extended periods of time during job evaluation meetings (OPSEU and Exempt; scheduled and numerous ad hoc requests). Incumbent leads all job evaluation efforts, so sustained focus and concentration is essential part of work and presents a particular challenge when trying to capture information discussed but also focus on speaker, process information and probe content appropriately.
- Sustained concentration required for annual salary review process (Exempt and OPSEU), as well as compensation analyses.
Physical:
- Facilitation of job evaluation meetings requires sitting for extended periods.
Working Conditions
Psychological:
- Complaints regarding job evaluation process and committee and/or individual decisions.
- Frequent time pressures and lack of control over pace of work with respect to required and/or requested turnaround for job evaluation requests, particularly for posting purposes.
- Time pressures with respect to annual compensation processes and ad hoc compensation requests.
- Dealing with frustrated, angry or confrontational people following communication of job evaluation outcomes, during appeals process and at mediation/arbitrations.
Job Number: X-236 Page 6 of 7 Last updated: June 2014