Classification and Compensation is responsible for administering the State of North Carolina Classification and Compensation Plan for all ECU positions subject to the State Personnel Act (SPA). Its objectives are to: 1) maintain campus-wide equity in job classifications by applying consistent criteria to the duties and responsibilities assigned to SPA positions; and 2) assist the campus in effectively and appropriately utilizing the State Classification System to address classification/organizational design needs.
The Classification and Compensation staff provides a number of services to campus which assist in ensuring that its employees are in positions which are appropriately classified:
Classification and Compensation achieves its objectives primarily through job analysis and position classification. This process usually begins with a description of the position to be evaluated. The job description is the principal documentation used by the Classification Analyst although supplementary data is also considered.
A job analysis is a review of a position's assigned duties and responsibilities. The analysis involves research, examination, and clarification of a job's distinct functions, objectives, and organizational relationships to fully reflect the role of the position within the organization.
The Classification Analyst collects the required data through the following:
The job description should be written by the department head or supervisor. The primary focus of the job description should be based on job content and not the performance or qualifications of the individual in the position.
A complete, effective job description should include the following:
Each employee should have a copy or access to a copy of his/her job description. To maintain an accurate and complete job description (and appropriate classification), the job description should be reviewed and revised, if necessary, when a new employee is placed into the position, or if there has been change in the organizational unit. A job description should be reviewed at least once a year by the supervisor to ensure that it is still accurate.
An organizational chart provides an overview of the department or organizational unit involved in a classification review and is a ready reference to each position's placement within the organization. The chart provides a basis for understanding the relationship between positions and delineating the various levels of supervision and distribution of responsibilities.
The chart should be clearly defined so that someone unfamiliar with the organization can readily understand its structure. It should include the following information:
Each request for classification should be accompanied by a current and accurate organizational chart.
The Classification Analyst may meet with the employee and/or supervisor to discuss the duties and responsibilities of the position and the organizational structure of the department, to answer any questions from the job description or to obtain additional and clarifying information needed to complete the review of the position.
Position Classification is the formal assignment of a classification title, salary grade, and descriptive title to a job or a group of jobs which are so similar in duties and responsibilities that they justify common treatment in selection, compensation, and other employment processes.
Positions at the University are classified according to designated occupational categories. The following are examples of some of the occupational categories and some of the classes used at ECU.
Jobs are evaluated and measured against standard criteria applied consistently for all jobs within designated occupational classes. The analytical process involves an examination of the relative degree of common job characteristics present in a position. Major characteristics or allocation/classification factors include:
Classification is not an exact science; it is reasoned judgment based upon knowledge of the classification system and the requirements of a position.
A department may submit a request to Classification and Compensation for:
Before submitting a classification request, the supervisor or department should ensure that the classification request is justified (for existing positions). They should contact the Classification Analyst assigned to their division to discuss the changes in the position. This will result in a better description of the position's duties and prevent employees and supervisors from submitting requests prematurely. The supervisor or department head should ensure that sufficient funds are available for establishing a new position or making reclassification salary adjustments. To request a classification action, the department forwards the following items to the Department of Human Resources:
The Budget Office verifies that adequate funds are available to establish a new position or to reclassify an existing position. To avoid delay in the process, funding and support information on the ECU One Form should be complete and accurate and approved prior to submitting to Classification and Compensation.
The ECU One Form (and other materials) should be submitted to the Classification and Compensation Section at least 60 days prior to the anticipated effective date of the proposed (re)classification (or other personnel action).
When Classification and Compensation receives an official classification request with the required documents, the steps in processing a request to establish a new position or reclassify an existing position are as follows: