Recruitment, Selection and Appointment - Classification for Professional Staff

Parent Policy

Recruitment, Selection and Appointment

Preamble

Professional staff positions are classified according to the Higher Education Worker (HEW) classification descriptors. This procedure aims to ensure that position requirements are accurately documented and appropriately classified, taking into account the function and responsibilities of the role.

This procedure applies to the classification of all fixed-term and continuing professional staff positions. It is to be followed when establishing a new position or reviewing the classification level of an existing vacant position.

Definitions

Classification descriptors: means a summary of the range of skills, attributes and typical duties required for each classification level, to enable positions to be classified within the ten-level HEW structure.

Conflict of interest: refers to a situation where a conflict arises for an individual between two competing interests. These are often, but not exclusively, interests of public duty versus private interests. This refers to a reasonably perceived, potential or actual conflict of interest. Conflicts of interest can involve financial or non-financial interests of the staff member, and the interests of a business partner or associate, family member, friend or person in a close personal relationship with the staff member.

Dean or Divisional Director: means the Dean of the Faculty or Director of the Division (or Executive Director) or his or her nominee in any case where the Dean or Divisional Director has formally nominated a person to act as his or her nominee for the purpose.

Enterprise Agreement: means the Monash University Enterprise Agreement (Academic and Professional Staff) 2009.

Faculty or Divisional Cluster: refers to a cluster of Faculties and/or administrative Divisions that is serviced by a particular HR Service Hub. The Faculty or Divisional Clusters at the University are (1) Central Portfolios & PVC Gippsland, (2) Research & Information Services, (3) Social Sciences & Creative Arts, (4) Engineering & Sciences, (5) Arts, Education & Law and (6) Biomedical Sciences and (7) Administration.

Head of unit: means the head of an academic or organisational work unit, for example Head of School, Head of Department or where applicable, a person acting as his or her nominee.

HEW1 to 7 Classification Committee: is a Committee established within a HR Service Hub to classify or reclassify positions at HEW levels 1 to 7. The Committee will be comprised of a HR Business Partner and the Lead HR Business Partner for the Faculty or Divisional Cluster.

HEW8 and 9 Classification Committee: is a Committee established across HR Service Hubs to classify and reclassify positions at HEW levels 8 and 9. The Committee will be comprised of a HR Business Partner, the Lead HR Business Partner for the Faculty or Divisional Cluster and an external Lead HR Business Partner.

HEW10 Classification Committee: is a Committee convened to classify positions at HEW level 10. The Committee is comprised of a HR Business Partner, the Lead HR Business Partner for the Faculty or Divisional Cluster and the Senior HR Specialist, Remuneration & Sourcing from Monash HR’s Centres of Expertise.

HR Business Partner: is a member of the Monash HR community who operates as a strategic partner responsible for providing a range of human resources services for an assigned Faculty or administrative Division. HR Business Partners are located within a HR Service Hub.

HR Service Hub: is the centre for human resources services and activities within a Faculty or Divisional Cluster.

Lead HR Business Partner: is a member of the Monash HR management team who operates as a senior HR Business Partner responsible for the strategic and operational management of the human resources services and activities in a HR Services Hub.

Position description : is a description of the organisational context, primary objectives and key results areas and responsibilities of a position and the key criteria (qualifications, knowledge, experience and skills) required to perform effectively in the position.

Position description and classification evaluation

The University’s expectations are that:

• all professional staff will have a current and up-to-date position description;
• position descriptions will be reviewed and updated as part of the end-of-year performance review in the University’s Performance Development Process for professional staff (see Staff Development Procedure – Performance Development Process: Professional Staff); and
• position descriptions will be reviewed and updated when a position becomes vacant.

In accordance with Section 67.1 of the Enterprise Agreement, the Professional Staff Position Classification Descriptors are used to determine the classification level of professional staff positions. Positions are classified at the level which most accurately reflects the work required to be performed, taking into account the duties and responsibilities of the position. These descriptors comprise seven dimensions with each dimension containing criteria for how HEW positions are expected to operate at the various grade levels.

All Classification Committee members must be trained in position description evaluation or have equivalent experience and/or training.

No member of a Classification Committee may evaluate a position where there is an actual or perceived conflict of interest in classifying the position.

Classification of a new or vacant existing position

The following is a step-by-step procedure for classifying professional staff positions.

Step 1: Establishment and authorisation of a new position (or request to review the classification of a vacant existing position)

The supervisor and/or head of unit will identify the need for a new position, or the need to redesign a vacant existing position.

The Dean or Divisional Director must approve the establishment of any new positions within the Faculty or administrative Division.

Once the decision is appropriately authorised, the supervisor and/or head of unit will inform the relevant HR Business Partner of the requirement for a new position, or the need to review the classification of a vacant existing position.

Step 2: Development of the Position Description

The HR Business Partner will be responsible for coordinating the development of the Position Description.

The HR Business Partner will access Monash HR’s central repository of position descriptions to locate:

• the generic administrative and technical position description that most closely matches the proposed role; and/or
• recently classified position descriptions for similar or identical roles.

The supervisor will be asked to provide details in writing of the position purpose and the key results areas and responsibilities for the position.

The HR Business Partner will use an appropriate generic position description or recently classified position description and the position specific information provided by the supervisor to develop a draft of the Position Description.

Step 3: Approval of the Position Description

The HR Business Partner will then submit a draft of the Position Description to the supervisor and head of unit for approval.

Step 4: Evaluation of the position

Once finalised and approved, the HR Business Partner will undertake an evaluation of the position, using the Classification Tool, The HR Business Partner will then seek the endorsement of the other Classification Committee Member(s) by providing them with:

• the existing Position Description;
• the revised Position Description; and
• the Position Classification Tool

Depending on the proposed classification level of the position, the position will be valuated by:

• the HEW1 to 7 Classification Committee,
• the HEW8 and 9 Classification Committee, or
• the HEW10 Classification Committee.

The compositions of the Classification Committees are outlined in the Definitions section above. The HR Business Partner who developed the Position Description will be a member of the Committee.

All Classification Committee members must be trained in job evaluation or have equivalent experience and/or training. Where necessary, a Classification Committee may call upon a subject matter expert or the position’s supervisor for clarification of the specific requirements or components of the role.

Taking into account relativities to other positions within the Faculty/Division or across the University more broadly, the Committee will:

• determine the position’s classification level using the provided documentation and the Professional Staff Classification Descriptors [word];
• determine the classification proposal outcome and advise the supervisor of the outcome within ten days of receiving the approved Position Description.

Step 5: Initiation of appropriate staffing action

The HR Business Partner will ensure that:

• the position’s supervisor, the head of unit and Dean/Divisional Director are notified of the classification decision; and
• the approved Position Description is provided to the relevant HR Service Hub for staffing action.

Monitoring and auditing classification decisions

The Lead HR Business Partner will ensure that all relevant documents are kept for the purpose of reporting and auditing. Records in relation to HEW 1 to 9 positions can be destroyed seven years after the date superseded. Records in relation to HEW10 positions should be retained permanently and transferred to the University Archives when administrative use is concluded.

The Lead HR Business Partner is responsible for recording and monitoring the evaluations and classifications for their HR Service Hub, for the purpose of reporting and auditing.

The Lead HR Business Partner will submit the following information to Monash HR’s Workforce Information and Organisational Structure team on an annual basis:

• name name of Faculty/Division and unit;
• number of days taken to develop the Position Description;
• number of applications for evaluation of new positions;
• number of applications for evaluation of vacant existing positions;
• new positions classified by HEW level;
• whether existing positions are evaluated at the same HEW level or classified to a different HEW level, and the classification levels;
• number of days from the date the documentation is received by the Classification Committee to the outcome being communicated to the supervisor.

In August of each year, Monash HR will undertake a quality review process to ensure that the classification decisions are accurate and consistent across the University.

Responsibilities

Dean or Divisional Director

The Dean/ Divisional Director is responsible for approving the establishment of any new positions within the Faculty or Division.

Supervisor

The supervisor is responsible for:

• ensuring that the establishment of a proposed new position (or review of a vacant existing position) has been approved by the head of unit and Dean or Divisional Director prior to informing the HR Business Partner or the requirement for a new (or reviewed) Position Description;
• providing information about the position purpose and key results areas and responsibilities of the position to the HR Business Partner; and
• approving the content of the Position Description prior to the Position Description being submitted to the relevant Classification Committee for evaluation.

HR Business Partner

The HR Business Partner is responsible for:

• ensuring that this procedure is complied with;
• providing advice on the classification process and best practice in developing Position Description content;
• coordinating the development of the Position Description;
• evaluating the position against the HEW descriptors, using the Position Classification Tool;
• seeking the endorsement of the evaluation from the other members of the Classification Committee;
• notifying the supervisor, head of unit and Dean or Divisional Director of the Classification Committee’s decision; and
• initiating the staffing action following the classification decision of the Classification Committee.

Lead HR Business Partner

The Lead HR Business Partner is responsible for ensuring that:

• the relevant Classification Committee evaluates the position in accordance with the Professional Staff Position Classification Descriptors;
• the classification decision is consistent with other recent classification decisions across the University; and
• the supervisor, head of unit and Dean or Divisional Director is notified of the Classification Committee’s decision.

Senior HR Specialist, Remuneration and Sourcing

The Senior HR Specialist, Remuneration and Sourcing is responsible for:

• participating in the HEW10 Classification Committee; and
• ensuring that the position is appropriately and consistently evaluated.

Related procedures

• Recruitment, Selection and Appointment – Reclassification Procedure: Professional Staff Recruitment

Related Enterprise Agreement Clauses

• Monash University Enterprise Agreement (Academic and General Staff) 2009

Related Documents

• Classification Process Map
• Classification Guidelines
• Professional Staff Classification Descriptors

Related Forms

• Position description template
• Position Description Development Questionnaire
• Classification Tool and Instructions