Job architecture: A clear framework for roles, levels and progression

By Brightmine

What is job architecture?

Job architecture is a way of organising roles so everyone is clear what jobs exist, what work they involve and how people fit into them.

This practical job architecture framework creates consistency across the organisation. It brings together job families, functions, career paths and job levels to show how work is organised, where roles sit and how they relate to the external market.

Why do organisations use job architecture?

Organisations use job architecture to establish a clear framework for job roles, responsibilities and career progression.

Create clarity and consistency

• HR, leadership and employees have a shared understanding of roles, levels and expectations

Improve pay equity and benchmarking

• Matching roles to the right level and market data ensures fair and consistent reward decisions

Support career growth

• Employees have visibility of what progression looks like and how they can move across teams or functions

Enable better workforce planning

• A common role structure supports organisation design, budgeting, mobility, succession and talent planning

Job evaluation and job architecture: common questions

What is the meaning of job evaluation?

Job evaluation looks at the job itself and the skills, effort, responsibility and impact of that job to determine where it should sit in a hierarchy and how it should be rewarded. Job evaluation is not about evaluating or assessing an individual’s performance or capability.

What happens during job evaluation?

During job evaluation, organisations collect job information, assess it against consistent factors such as skill or expertise required, compare it with other roles and use the outcome to place the job fairly within their organisation.

What are the steps in job evaluation?

The steps in job evaluation are:

1. Understand the role: Review what the job involves and what it’s accountable for.
2. Assess the job: Evaluate it against consistent factors like skills, responsibility .and impact.
3. Compare roles: Check how the job sits relative to other roles.
4. Place the job: Assign it to the appropriate job level or grade.

What are the 5 methods of job evaluation?

The five most commonly used job evaluation methods are:

1. Ranking method: Jobs are ranked from highest to lowest based on overall value to the organisation.
2. Job classification (or grading) method: Jobs are matched to predefined grades or classes with standard descriptions.
3. Point factor method: Jobs are scored against defined factors such as skill, effort and responsibility, with points added to determine relative job value.
4. Factor comparison method: Jobs are compared against benchmark roles using key factors such as responsibility, often linking results directly to pay rates.
5. Market pricing method: Jobs are evaluated by comparing them to similar roles in the external labour market.

What is an example of job evaluation?

An organisation defines a set of job grades (for example: Administrator, Officer, Manager, Senior Manager), each with a clear description of responsibility and decision-making. A role is then matched to the grade that best fits the job overall. For example, an HR Advisor role might be compared against the grade definitions, if it aligns with the “Officer” description it is place in that grade. Pay, benefits and progression then follow the rules of that grade.

How to perform job evaluation?

Job evaluation involves analysing a role, assessing its demands and placing it at the appropriate level based on its relative value.