Get started - Tool 1

Before you begin a gender-neutral job evaluation and classification, there are a few actions needed.

Tool 1 helps you get organised, plan the work and bring the right people on board.

At this stage, you are not yet evaluating jobs. The goal is to create clarity and trust from the very start. A well-prepared set-up makes the whole process smoother and reduces resistance later on.

You will follow these four steps:

  1. Set up a job evaluation committee to lead the process (a small committee or designated people);
  2. Create a simple project outline to keep everyone on track;
  3. Explain the process internally to clarify that job evaluation and classification is about determining the relative value of jobs and is not an assessment of individual performance;
  4. Build a shared understanding of what a gender-neutral job evaluation and classification is.

Step 1. Set up a job evaluation committee

Why?

A small, gender-balanced job evaluation committee ensures that the job evaluation is credible and well-accepted. Different perspectives help in identifying and challenging gender biases.

How?

  • Bring together a team of two to five people who understand different areas of your organisation. In a small organisation (10–49 workers), a team of at least two people is usually enough (e.g. the owner/manager and one worker with a good overview of the work of the organisation).
  • Ensure the representation of women and men in the job evaluation committee.
  • Where possible, include worker or union representatives.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Relying only on management. This undermines workers’ trust, as the process will rely on the manager’s self-assessment of their role.

Job evaluation committee checklist

How have you composed your evaluation committee?

  • Do you have at least two members (e.g. an owner and a worker)?

  • Is there gender balance (as far as possible)?

    Is at least one worker or (if there are any in the organisation) worker representative included?

  • Do all members understand that the evaluation is about job characteristics, not the job holders’ performance?

If there are any boxes left to check, rethink the composition of your job evaluation committee. A well-composed job evaluation committee helps ensure fair, transparent and gender-neutral decisions.

  • Keep a record of who is involved and how diversity was considered; this strengthens trust and accountability.

If a collective agreement applies to pay settings and job evaluation and classification in your organisation, you may need to involve worker representatives or trade unions. You can use the collective agreement as a basis, but keep in mind that collective agreements are not guaranteed to be free from gender biases, and your organisation may need to go beyond their provisions to ensure equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between women and men.

Step 2. Create a simple project outline

Why?

A clear plan keeps the process focused and helps you explain it to others.

How?

  • Define the scope. You can evaluate all jobs (e.g. if you have never done a job evaluation and classification before) or a selection of jobs (e.g. if new positions have been recently created).
  • Assign roles and responsibilities. Who gathers information, who coordinates, who communicates?
  • Set a timeline with milestones.
  • Identify the resources needed (e.g. time, templates, HR support if available).

Mistakes to avoid

  • Making the scope too ambitious for the available resources.
  • Not assigning clear responsibilities.

Step 3. Explain the process internally

Why?

Transparency helps avoid confusion and resistance. Workers need to understand that job evaluation and classification is about the job requirements and demands, not individual performance or characteristics of the job holder.

How?

  • Use informal conversations or team briefings to introduce the process.
  • Prepare a short FAQ sheet to address concerns.
  • Repeat the message at different points of the process.

Step 4. Build a shared understanding

Why?

A reliable and gender-neutral job evaluation and classification depends on the job evaluation committee’s understanding of job evaluation and classification principles and the committee’s ability to identify implicit gender biases.

How?

  • Schedule a time for the job evaluation committee to familiarise itself with the toolkit, particularly the factor and subfactor plan.
  • Use the case study on Riverside Health Clinic (a small organisation) to understand concepts and get inspired by realistic examples.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Assuming prior knowledge. Not taking the time to get familiar with the toolkit materials and approach can lead to misunderstandings later.

Read the case study on Riverside Health Clinic (small organisation). 

Downloads

For more detailed guidance, download the step-by-step toolkit and check Tool 1.

EU-wide guidelines on gender-neutral job evaluation and classification: Step-by-step toolkit

Project outline template

Factor and subfactor plan