Since the launch of the SFU's new job evaluation system, APSA received numerous questions about the Hay Job Evaluation Project from its members. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions.
Was APSA involved in the SFU's Hay Job Evaluation System?
Although per the Colin Talyor award APSA should have been involved, SFU HR opposed our involvement. SFU HR unilaterally chose the Hay system and managed the process and phases. SFU informed APSA of the results of the Hay Job Evaluation Process shortly before they communicated this to our members. APSA had no input into any stage of the process before its launch. Here's the information that SFU HR provided on the process and methodology.
How does the Hay Job Evaluation Method work?
According to this infographic, the system works through assigning points in four key areas:
- Know-How
- Problem Solving
- Accountability
- Working Conditions
The infographic also outlines how SFU re-evaluates your job. First, your supervisor sends your job description to the compensation team in HR. Then the team uses the Hay Method to determine the number of points assigned to your job. The number of points or "job size" set your position grade.
Why is the process so vague and non-transparent?
Although SFU HR claims that this process is transparent in the infographic, we don't know how points are assigned. Only Hay employees have access to this methodology. We do know that your job description determines the total number of points for your job.
Why didn't HR ensure they were evaluating the actual up-to-date jobs staff were doing?
APSA doesn't know why HR did not ensure that employees updated their job description for the job evaluation process. HR did not include APSA in such decision making.
Why wasn't there any communication or employee input on the job evaluation system?
If the question is about communication before the launch of the results, APSA doesn't know why this didn't happen. We do feel that understanding how a system works before implementing it would create a smoother transition for everyone.
Why did my job get reassessed to a lower grade?
APSA can’t give a definite answer as we need more information on the job in question. The general answer is that after evaluating your job description, the Hay system assigned it a certain number of points and matched it to a lower grade.
My job description was outdated by over (x number of) years, so I did not qualify for re-evaluation. Now HR is saying they will not re-evaluate or review my revised job description until later in the fall. Will I be compensated for the one-year delay?
We can’t give you a concrete answer to this question as this is case-specific. We need more information and would encourage you to contact the APSA office directly.
If you have any further questions on the new job evaluation system, please contact APSA. Your discussions with APSA are completely confidential.