| Step 1: Establishment and authorisation of a new position (or request to review the classification of a vacant existing position) |
| Check that the position has been authorised |
It is the responsibility of the position’s supervisor to ensure that the position has been appropriately established and that funding is available. However, it is the responsibility of Monash HR to ensure that the classification procedure has been complied with. It is therefore important to check with the position’s supervisor that the position has been appropriately authorised. Where necessary, you can check budget with the relevant Finance or Business Manager. |
| Keep an email trail |
From the start of the classification process, you should keep an email trail of all communications as evidence that the procedure has been followed appropriately. |
| Check for secondment arrangements |
Where the position is a vacant existing position, you should check to ensure that the job is not “owned” by another staff member who has been seconded to another position.
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| Step 2: Development of the Position Description (PD) |
| Locate a generic or similar position description |
As the HR Business Partner, it is your responsibility to “coordinate” the development of the Position Description. In practice, this means that you should first locate an appropriate generic position description or recently classified position description to use as a basis and obtain position specific information from the position’s supervisor.
You can do this by following these steps:
- Access the Classification Google Docs Site for generic roles. Entry is via the my.monash portal -> Google Email -> ->Documents
- Select the generic position description that most closely matches the proposed role.
- Browse the Position DescBrowse the Position Description Bank for similar or identical roles from the recently classified bank.
- Refer to Working with the PD bank document for detailed instructions on using the Google Site.
- The “Search Docs” function can be used for particular terms eg. “working with children”. Select “Search all items containing “***” from the drop down after you have entered the relevant search terms.
- When searching the database for a generic or similar position, be mindful that organisational structure can affect complexity.
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| Obtain the position specific information in writing from the position’s supervisor |
- How you obtain the position specific information from the position’s supervisor will vary depending on the particular arrangements within your area. At a minimum, you will need details of the position purpose and the anticipated key results areas and
key selection criteria for the position. Some supervisors may wish to write this information directly into the generic position description that you have located. Others may wish to simply email you with a list of the duties and responsibilities. You should be prepared to be flexible in how you obtain this information.
- Where necessary, you may need to interview the supervisor or other staff in the work unit to ensure that you have a strong understanding of what is required in the role. The Position Description Development Questionnaire is also designed to assist you with this task.
- You will also need to source an organisational chart. HR Service Hubs may be holders of organisational charts in some areas but in other areas, you may need to obtain the organisational chart from the supervisor.
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| Review the above to draft the Position Description |
Once you have the position specific information from the supervisor, you should review the content of the Position Description to ensure that the Position Description is clear, concise and consistent with the Guidelines for Developing Position Descriptions.
You are encouraged to consult a subject matter expert, eg. for a technical role, it may be wise to seek a view from a trained classification evaluator well versed with the technical nature of the role. |
| Check for equivalence |
Positions that are identical or substantially similar to existing positions may be able to be assessed as “equivalent”. “Equivalent positions” do not need to be classified by the relevant Classification Committee.
- Assess whether the changes to the Position Description are minor (ie. less than 20%)
- If the changes are minorIf the changes are minor, prepare a brief memo outlining any (minor) changes, a template memo is communication.
- Submit memo to the Lead HR Business Partner for approval.
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| Step 3: Approval of the Position Description |
| Arrange for the Position Description to be approved |
Email a draft of the Position Description to the position’s supervisor for content approval. A template email is available for this communication.
You should ask for confirmation from the position’s supervisor that the Position Description accurately and appropriately describes the role.
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| Step 4: Evaluation of the position |
| Evaluate the Position Description |
Once the Position Description has been approved, you should undertake an evaluation of the position, using the Position Classification Tool.
In evaluating the position description, you should take into account relativities with similar positions within the particular Faculty/Division or across the University more broadly. For example, Executive Assistants are generally classified according to the level of the executive they are supporting (ie. HEW8 if supporting the Vice-Chancellor, HEW7 if supporting one of the Vice-Chancellor’s direct reports, HEW6 if supporting the direct reports of the Vice-Chancellor’s direct reports and HEW5 at “Director” or equivalent level).
You are strongly encouraged to consult a subject matter expert in the particular nature of the role when developing your recommendation (e.g. if the role is located within a laboratory, you could consult with staff who currently work in that environment to ensure that you thoroughly understand the nature of such a role).
If you suspect that the classification may be a HEW10 classification, you should consult your Lead HR Business Partner before making a recommendation. |
| Seek endorsement of the Classification Committee |
You should 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 link to the Position Classification Tool.
A template email is available for this communication
In terms of who the documentation should be sent to:
- for HEW 2 to 7 proposed classifications - the Lead HR Business Partner;
- for HEW 8 and 9 proposed classifications – the Lead HR Business Partner and an external Lead HR Business Partner or approved equivalent; and
- for HEW 10 proposed classifications – the Lead HR Business Partner and the Senior HR Specialist, Remuneration and Sourcing.
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| Further details on evaluation |
See Guidelines for Classification Committees on Evaluating Position Descriptions.. |
| Step 5: Initiation of appropriate staffing action |
| Notify the supervisor, Head of Unit and Dean/ Divisional Director |
Once all Committee
members have had an opportunity to evaluate the position you must immediately
send an email to notify of the outcome to notify to the supervisor, head of unit
and the Dean/Divisional Director, a template email is available for this communication. |
| Attach the final Position Description to the email |
Attach the final Position Description to the email, ensuring that you have:
- updated any agreed changes to the Position Description following any Committee recommendations;
- removed any reference to “proposed” HEW level;
- included the position number in the Position Description.
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| Staffing action for all classified Position Descriptions |
You should then:
- retain the Classification Tool as a record of the Committee’s deliberations;
- save the final version of the Position Description to your HR Service Hub’s folder for classified Position Descriptions;
- record the required reporting information in the Classification Evaluation Report.
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| Staffing action for new positions |
For new positions, you must then progress the recruitment process in accordance with the relevant recruitment procedure. |
| Staffing action for vacant existing positions |
For vacant existing positions, you should put through any changes to SAP position titles via Organisational unit and position management. |
| Monitoring and auditing classification decisions |
| Reporting and auditing |
You may be required to participate in an annual audit (quality review) of reclassification activities. For this reason, it is important to keep reporting up-to-date (in the Classification Evaluation Report) and to comply with the university’s filing/archiving requirements
- Records in relation to HEW 1 to 9 positions must be kept for 7 years
- Records in relation to Level 10 roles should be retained permanently and transferred to the University Archives when administrative use is concluded
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To assist you in carrying out your steps in the process and communicating wwith your clients, a suite of Classification Template Emails & Memos are available.
