VIU Administration (Excluded) Employee Group

VIU Administration (Excluded) Employee Group Position Information Form - Guidance

The Position Information Form is used to document a role and provide information to support a variety of purposes. Because an important purpose for the form is to provide information for job evaluation, this Guidance describes how raters will use information and how different factors are weighted. However, the form is used for other purposes including position postings.

Process  Before completing this form, the supervisor is asked to consult with an HR Advisor. Consult the Process Overview documentation for the full process http://www.viu.ca/humanresources/documents/Manager-SupervisorProcessOverview- Oct112012.docx.  The supervisor for the role in question is responsible for ensuring this form is completed. They may ask the employee to prepare a first draft for discussion, but the process should be collaborative, with the form content being developed and agreed together.  Where there are differences of opinion between the employee and supervisor on different aspects of the role, these should be resolved before proceeding to job evaluation.  The employee and supervisor should agree on the content of this form before submitting it to the supervisor’s manager for approval. By signing the form, the manager, supervisor and employee are all agreeing that the form is representative and accurate, and that they stand behind the content.  Given there may be stress on the employee through this process, supervisors are expected to do their part to complete each process step within 2 weeks from when that given step in the process is started. However, there are often unforeseen circumstances or complexities requiring consideration that can extend the timeline for job evaluation.

General Guidance  The focus here is on the job, not the incumbent or any other individual.  Responses that are brief, clear and focused on what is most important are helpful to evaluators. They get an immediate sense of the most significant aspects of the role. When responses are lengthy and include lots of less important details, the most important highlights can sometimes get lost. There are length guidelines included in the document.  At the start of the form there are two questions that provide an overview of the role, to help evaluators understand the context and nature of the work. After that, the questions generally align with each of the factors used in the job evaluation, although raters may consider any part of the form in their deliberations.  All of the tools that the Job Evaluation Committee use for rating are shared. It may be helpful to review the rating criteria to understand what the raters will be looking for.  To tick a box, double click on the box and change the default value to ‘checked’.  Action verbs and direct language are powerful. When describing responsibilities, try to use action verbs at the start of the sentence. Some examples are below.

acquire control file operate schedule administer counsel hire order screen advise deliver implement organize search analyze design inform perform sell answer develop initiate plan supervise approve direct inspect prepare teach assess disseminate instruct process test assign distribute interpret program train calculate edit interview purchase type check ensure maintain recommend visit coach enter make recruit word process compile establish manage repair write compose estimate mediate represent conduct evaluate negotiate research consult extract notify review

 You may wish to consult the Guidance for Rating document as well. This document is used by the Job Evaluation Committee to rate each factor. It will give you a sense of what the committee is looking for as well as the relative weights of each factor.  Filling in a form such as this one requires some work but should generally be a straightforward exercise in describing what the role does. If you run into challenges explaining things or instructions are not clear, ask HR for guidance.

Additional Guidance Per Question

Question Guidance and Examples Core Purpose This question provides evaluators with an immediate sense of Provide a brief description of why the role exists and how it contributes – where it fits in to the the core purpose of the role. bigger picture. What does it exist to do? How does it contribute to the Your answer should be a brief paragraph or a few (2-3) bullets. Department and align with This does not need to be a long description. the University’s strategic goals? Please limit your Example: The Analysis and Support Manager (ASM) leads a response to a maximum of team of technical/professional staff to provide advice/specialist 150 words. support. This role ensures that A&S staff are fully trained and provide accurate and helpful analysis and support. The end result is that other Departments at the University can get their work done efficiently.

January 2013 Page 2 Major Responsibilities This question provides a deeper look at what this role is What are the typical major responsible for. The most important responsibilities to include responsibilities of your are those that are either a big part of the job in terms of frequency position? Consider the or have high priority - rather than providing a long list of smaller variety of tasks you normally duties or activities. In fact, you are asked to limit your response perform, and list your major to a maximum of 8 core responsibilities. job duties and responsibilities. Start each For each responsibility, use action words (described above) to sentence with an action provide a short, clear bullet or sentence that explains the words to help provide clarity. responsibility. Then, add information on Frequency and Priority For each responsibility, to help evaluators understand how significant a portion of the job identify the Frequency and it is. Priority. Frequency: Please limit your response to Think about how often you are delivering on the responsibility, a maximum of 8 most on average. If necessary you can say that it falls between two significant responsibilities. ratings by ticking two boxes.

If the scale feels like it doesn’t work for a given responsibility, feel free add a note in words. (For example: “Catalogue is produced on a quarterly basis but work goes into it almost daily”.)

Priority: Think about how important a given responsibility is to the core purpose of the job. The “highest” priority items are those that must get done and take precedence over all others. Often they are those that have the biggest impact on your own results or those of others. Lowest priority items are those that are still worthwhile but can be delayed when higher priority work must be done.

Sometimes it helps to fill in the responsibilities first and then go back and assign priority. It is understood that if you have listed something as a priority it is important (especially since you have selected a maximum of 8 most important responsibilities), so think about which are most important within all of those you’ve included. If you identify most or all as “highest”, it will make it more challenging for evaluators to really understand what is most significant.

Example: Acts as a technical reference for the team as well as to staff and students, and maintains up to date knowledge of own area of expertise. Frequency 1 (Daily). Priority 1 (Highest).

January 2013 Page 3 1. Problem Solving This question helps raters understand the nature and complexity What are the typical of problems that this role needs to solve. It is also about problems and challenges that understanding what guidance exists – whether that’s in the form arise in this role? Provide of precedents and policies, or a supervisor who can assist. examples of typical problems as well as how they are This is really about the thinking challenge and complexity in the generally solved. To what role. It is weighted at 12% of the evaluation. extent are past experience, precedents, policies, etc. You are asked to provide just 5 examples, rather than trying to available? What is the role describe every problem or challenge. Consider choosing of your supervisor when examples that show the range of problems you solve so that these problems or challenges raters get a full picture. are faced? (Do they advise you, coach you, act as an Example: Dealing with routine technical challenges or escalation path, etc.?) questions on a day-to-day basis. How solved: Using past experience and past precedent, perhaps adapting slightly to Please limit your response to a reflect the exact case. Role of Supervisor: Not involved. maximum of 5 examples.

2. Guidance in Decision This question helps raters understand decisions that this role Making makes, and the guidance that is available. What decisions does this role typically make, and what You can see that it is similar in some ways to Problem Solving. guidance is generally The difference here is that the focus is on decisions (which are available for those decisions? about responsibility and accountability) rather than the thinking Please identify significant challenge of problem solving. Like Problem Solving, is also routine decisions and new weighted at 12% of the evaluation. decisions without precedent. For each, identify the You are asked to describe two types of decisions – routine and guidance available in the new decisions without precedent. This is to give raters a sense of form of policies, precedents every day decisions you make as well as the things that may only or advice or supervision from come up occasionally, but may therefore be more complex as a others. result. Please limit your response to a maximum of 3 examples Example – Routine: Making day-to-day calls on how to handle under each category. specific situations that are fairly routine and impact just one student. Guidance available: Past precedent, written policy. Supervision 4 (Informed after). Frequency 1(Daily).

Example – New decisions without precedent: Changing a process or practice within the department. Guidance available: Past practice, log of issues, input/advice from peers. Supervision 1 (Formal approval). Frequency 4 (Annually).

January 2013 Page 4 3. Impact of Decisions This question helps raters understand the impact that this role’s What decisions does this role decisions can have in terms of the scope (how broad reaching is make that have the most the impact) and the time frame (how lasting is the impact). This significant impact? For each, factor is weighted at 12% of the evaluation. describe the scope and timeframe of impact, as well As with the previous question, you are asked to describe two as the frequency with which types of decisions – routine and new decisions without precedent. these decisions arise. Add While these is a link back to Guidance in Decision Making, you rows if required. do not need to use the same examples here – focus on providing Please limit your response to a the examples that will be convey the impact of decisions. maximum of 3 examples under each category. Note that for scope our focus is on the impact to VIU. If a decision has external impact (on students, the community, etc.), describe those in terms of the implications for VIU in terms of reputation, sustainability, etc.

Example – Routine: Determining which case files are a priority and will receive responses first. Scope 3 (Other Groups at VIU). Timeframe of Impact 1 (Days). Frequency 1 (Daily).

Example – New decisions without precedent: Dealing with complex issues or problems, especially involving students. Scope 3 (Other Groups at VIU). Timeframe of Impact 3 (Months). Frequency 3 (Monthly).

January 2013 Page 5 4. Internal Contacts This question provides insight into the individuals and groups What other jobs at the within VIU with which this role interacts. This factor is University (not students or weighted at 9% of the evaluation. external contacts) does this role have contact with on a Here we are concerned about both what roles or groups the regular basis, excluding those contacts are with, but also what needs to be accomplished that this role may directly together. What the raters are trying to understand is the supervise? This may include relationships, influence and communication required in the role, individuals, groups or and the internal profile/network for the role. committees. For each, identify what must be Note that students are covered under External Contacts. accomplished (provide information, reach a decision Example: Other Departments at VIU. What must be together, influence or advise, accomplished? Exchange information and share results of persuade, etc.) Please limit analysis conducted for them. Provide good internal customer your response to a maximum service. Frequency 1 (Daily). of 4 primary contacts.

5. External Contacts This question provides insight into the external profile and Who outside the University relationship for the role. External Contacts include students as staff (students, community well as community members, external committees, suppliers and members, committees, others outside of the VIU organization. This factor is weighted suppliers, etc.) does this role at 9% of the evaluation. have contact with on a regular basis? For each, As with the internal contacts, we are concerned about both what identify what must be roles or groups the contacts are with, but also what needs to be accomplished (provide accomplished together. What the raters are trying to understand information, reach a decision is the relationships, influence and communication required in the together, influence or advise, role, and the external profile/network and relationship risk for the etc.) Please limit your role. response to a maximum of 4 primary contacts. Example: Prospective VIU students. What must be accomplished? Provide them with information to support their decision-making. Leave them with a positive impression of the organization through customer service. Frequency 1 (Daily).

January 2013 Page 6 6. Supervision This question concerns the impact that a role has by guiding the Supervision of People work and decisions of others. The question considers both Who does this position “traditional” supervision of people as well as different kinds of supervise, formally or guidance or oversight a role might provide. This factor is informally? weighted at 10% of the evaluation.

Functional or Process For Supervision of People, we want to understand what roles are Oversight supervised, what their employment status is, what the supervision Some positions have includes and how often it takes place. This is because ownership for standards, supervision can be a bigger or smaller part of the job. functions or processes. Supervising a seasonal student employee once a week by These positions may own a providing some training and guidance is different in scope than process, provide functional formally managing a team of people and managing their advice and guidance, or performance daily. monitor standards. They may contribute through For Functional or Process Oversight, we want to understand the committees or other bodies. other ways that a role may influence decisions and guide the What is this position work of others. It might include things like sitting on a responsible for in terms of committee that sets policy, providing advice in specific domain functions, processes and to others across the organization, or managing a university-wide standards? What action is process. required? Example – Supervision of People: Project Coordinator. Status FT (Full time employee). Nature of Supervision: Formal reporting – hiring, training, assigning tasks, managing performance. Frequency 2 (Weekly).

Example – Functional or Process Oversight: Responsible for providing advice across the whole organization in own functional area, and for ensuring functional standards are met. Achieves this through advice and influence. Member of VIU Analysis Standards Committee.

January 2013 Page 7 7. Education We ask about Education and Experience together because they are 8. Experience closely related. Both are concerned about the skills and knowledge required for the role. Education is weighted at 11% of the evaluation and Experience is weighted at 15%. This question concerns the What knowledge or skill impact that a role has by guiding the work and decisions of others. is required for this The question considers both “traditional” supervision of people as position? well as different kinds of guidance or oversight a role might provide. How would that It is important to focus on the baseline required to be successful in the knowledge or skill role, however that is developed/acquired – not the specific typically be acquired background of the incumbent, or a “wish list” for the ideal candidate. through (a) education and (b) years/ type of The first part of the question is intended to provide an explanation of related work experience? the knowledge and skill required before exploring how it is acquired. It is worthwhile to include professional/technical knowledge, What mandatory managerial knowledge and specific interpersonal or other skills minimum education, required for success. certification or credential is required? The second part of the question asks about how the knowledge and skill are typically acquired. If there’s no single typical way, In a hiring process, examples are helpful. Please describe both the education and the would an equivalent years and type of experience. combination of education and experience The next two questions provide an understanding of how flexible the be considered as an hiring criteria are – whether, for example, a specific credential is an alternative to the absolute requirement or rather just a typical way that knowledge of a mandatory minimum domain can be confirmed. Is there a specific minimum mandatory education described education or credential? And if so, is it absolutely required, or would above? an alternative be considered in some cases?

Example: Knowledge or skill required: Intermediate analysis skills, day-to-day guidance and mentoring of others, customer service, understanding of an academic institution. How typically acquired: Most analysts in similar roles have a business, economics or finance degree, as well as 4+ years of experience in similar roles, with progressive responsibility. Understanding of an academic institution is valuable but can be learned on the job if required. What mandatory minimum education, certification or credential is required? Relevant degree – typically business or finance. Would a combination of education and experience be considered? Yes. Conceivably a candidate could have developed these skills after studying in a different program, or with more work experience on top of a diploma or certificate.

January 2013 Page 8 9. Effort This factor looks at the kinds of effort required in this role. Four types of effort are considered – Light Physical Effort, Heavy Physical Effort, Visual What kind of effort Effort and Manual Dexterity/Coordination. Altogether, the 4 types of effort is required in this are weighted at just 5% total, so this factor is not a primary driver of the job role? If the effort evaluation. required in this role is different Because many VIU Admin employee group roles are fairly similar in this than the Typical regard, the form is pre-filled with a “norm” or typical level checked off. If VIU Admin Role the level for a specific role is different, this should be identified on the form description, please and an explanation provided. Note that we do not expect the hours per day provide an to add up to 7 hours. It might be more or less than that. explanation of how it differs in terms It is important to read the descriptions and then to calibrate back to the of the type of hours per day that the type of effort is actually required. For example, effort and hours many roles require reading email, spreadsheets and documents throughout per day. Note that the day. The Visual Effort category is specifically concerned with Effort does not “concentrated” effort, such as close and careful analysis of a spreadsheet, or need to add up to 7 proofreading a document. hours per day. Example: (d) Manual Dexterity/ Coordination. Level 3 (Occasional – 2/4 hr/day). Explanation of Differences: This role prepares confidential correspondence and documents for the VP, and requires specific keyboarding skills at 60wpm with high accuracy. This work occupies at least 2 hours per day, on average.

9. Environment This factor looks at the work environment in which this role operates. Altogether, the 7 types of effort are weighted at just 5% total, so this factor What is the work is not a primary driver of the job evaluation. environment for this role? If As with Effort, the form is pre-filled with a “norm” or typical level for VIU exposure to Admin checked off. If the level for a specific role is different, this should environmental be identified on the form and an explanation provided. Again we do not factors is different expect the hours per day to add up to 7 hours. than the Typical VIU Admin Level, Example: (c) Peak periods requiring accelerated work pace. Level 2 please explain. (Limited – 1-2 hr/day). Explanation of Differences: While this role has peak periods/ deadlines, in practice this is less than ¼ of the time – generally just the last few days of each month - so that averages out to perhaps 1.5 hours per day.

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