What is a gender-neutral job evaluation and classification?

A gender-neutral job evaluation and classification is a systematic and transparent way of comparing jobs.

It focuses on the job itself, not the person holding it. It uses four objective criteria (also known as factors): skills, responsibility, effort and working conditions and it is crucial that these criteria are applied in an objective, gender-neutral way, making them free from gender bias.

Explore the job evaluation factors:

  • Skills: knowledge, abilities and soft skills needed to do the job.
  • Responsibility: accountability for people, information, money or equipment.
  • Effort: physical, mental and emotional demands.
  • Working conditions: environment, risks and hours involved.

By applying gender-neutral objective criteria when carrying out job evaluation and classification, organisations can:

  • ensure equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between women and men
  • correct the undervaluation of jobs often done by women
  • build trust in their pay structures among workers and workers’ representatives.

The results of the gender-neutral job evaluation and classification enable employers to establish a fair and transparent structure for pay, including basic pay and complementary or variable pay components.

Understanding what a pay structure is

A pay structure is the framework an employer uses to determine pay for different jobs. It sets out how jobs are grouped or ranked (pay grades) and defines how much is paid for each job and how workers can progress in pay over time.  

In line with the Pay Transparency Directive (EU) 2023/970, pay structures must be based on objective, gender-neutral criteria, including: skills, effort, responsibility and working conditions. 

Pay structures can look differently depending on the size and capacity of the organisation. For example, some pay structures have only a few pay grades while others have many, and pay grades can be set as a single fixed amount or as a pay range. The format can be simple or more detail, but it should always be fair and consistent for all job roles, and reflect the value of the work performed.

This toolkit will help you use the results of the gender-neutral job evaluation and classification to establish a fair and transparent pay structure and ensuring the distribution of complementary and variable pay elements in your organisation is also gender-neutral.