CAREER BANDING

1

• CAREER BANDING
• Accounting Career Bands

2
Todays Purpose
--Review the meanings behind confusing competency
terminology --Overview Accounting career band
applications at UNC Charlotte --Competency
Assessment Changes -- What to do before
September 30
3
Career Banding Crosswalk for Accounting
Implementation
Admin. Supp. Specialist
4
Career Banding Competencies

• Competencies - Competencies are a set of
  attributes which encompass skills, knowledge and
  behavioral characteristics that employees need to
  successfully do their jobs must be demonstrated
  on the job measured according to standards set
  by the organization, and required of the job
  based on the organizations need.
• Competency terminology can be misleading!

5
Contributing Competencies

• The span of knowledge, skills and successful work
  behaviors
• ---consistent with competencies required in
  positions paying at the lower end of the entire
  career band range
• ---meeting a business need as described by the
  contributing level of the competency profile.
• ---Positions requiring contributing competency
  may be entry level, of more limited scope, or
  have less delegated authority than journey level
  positions.
• ---This is the best placement for employees
  entering a new band with new competency
  requirements.

6
Journey Competencies

• ---Fully acquired knowledge, skills and
  successful work behavior demonstrated within the
  band that demonstrate development beyond the
  contributing competencies.
• ---A position requiring journey competencies will
  pay in the mid range of the career band and meets
  a business need as described by the journey level
  of the competency profile.
• ---In most career bands, the majority of
  employees will be demonstrating journey level
  competency.

7
Advanced Competencies

• ---The highest or broadest scope of knowledge,
  skills, and work behavior demonstrated within the
  career band, which illustrates attained
  knowledge, skills, and competencies that are
  beyond journey competencies.
• ---Positions requiring advanced competencies pay
  at the higher end of the career band and
  incumbents serve in unique roles of leadership,
  applying advanced institutional and program
  knowledge and/or highly developed technical
  expertise as described by the advanced level of
  the competency profile.
• ---This term is not related to performance.
• It describes market position.

8
Career Band Market Range (Accounting Technician)
24,605 37,200 52,374
C-MRR 27,831
J-MRR 37,200
A-MRR 44,752
Questions We Ask What is this set of required
competencies worth in current market? What does
the pay factor of internal equity and basic
good judgment allow on our campus?
9
Career Band Market Range (Accountant and Manager)
34,113 57,650 94,675
J-MRR 57,650
C-MRR 46,642
A-MRR 76,156
49,600 78,256 108,876
C-MRR 63,935
J-MRR 78,256
A-MRR 94,690
Questions We Ask What is this set of required
competencies worth in current market? What does
the pay factor of internal equity and basic
good judgment allow on our campus?
10
Campus-Wide Equity

• Amazing Fact In July of 2006, Five (.04) SPA
  employees had salaries above 79,000.
  Twenty-four (2) above 70,000.
• In July of 2008, Thirty (2) have salaries above
  79,000 and Sixty-four (4.5) above 70,000
• The average salary has increased from 34,427 to
  37,651.
• Only 8.5 of employees today exceed 60K

11
Example of Competency Profile
Career Band Accounting Technician Role
Description by Competency Level
12
Leveling Factors Considered

• Size of unit in terms of employees, occupational
  groups represented, funding sources, overall
  budget, and impact
• Nature of supervision given Does administrator
  delegate or control?
• Education and Experience
• Comparable jobs and salaries

13
Example of Market Rates and Ranges
Career band Contributing Range
Journey Range Advanced Range
Market Reference Rates
Market Reference Ranges -- calculated to create
a continuous pay band and allow for overlap
between levels. These ranges represent the salary
span within which an employees salary in a
position assigned to a particular career band and
level will fall, ideally based on demonstrated
competencies. Not always 90-110
14
CB Salary Administration

• Salary increases may be approved when
• employee demonstrates new or better
• developed competencies within the same band
  level in response to business need
• Funds must be available
• Must have a business need
• Internal alignment must be considered
  

15
Your Role as Supervisor

• Evaluate employees initial competency level
• Discuss CA with employee
• Observe changes in demonstrated competency levels
  and level required to meet business need
• Plan for budget requests including career
  progression increases for employees who have
  increased competency
• Revise and submit competency assessments with
  career progression increase requests

16
Your Role (contd.)

• Provide detailed documentation for
• positions band/level placement of the
• employee CA
• proposed salary adjustments
• Plan career development activities
• with each employee
• Assess and apply pay factors equitably

17
Assessing Competencies

How to Assess Functional Competencies
18
Step 1 Identify Competencies
List competency title and definition
19
Step 2 Define Expectations

• Consider your expectations for the position (not
  the person in the position) In most cases, will
  be consistent with overall position level.
• Use the Competency Profile for language to
  describe expectations (shortened here due to
  space)

Language for Contributing Expectations
Language for Journey Expectations
Language for Advanced Expectations
20
Step 2 Define Expectations

• Competency Expectations are copied from the
  competency profile.
• (If the expectation is considered too vague, the
  supervisor may add qualifying statements, but
  must be careful that the level of the competency
  expectation is not changed.)
• Identify Level of Expectation

Competency Expectation at Journey level
EXAMPLE Journey . Verify and ensure accuracy
and validity of moderately complex transactions
and examine accounting records to assure
adherence to accounting standards and regulations
21
Step 2 Define Expectations
Describe expectations
Indicate level needed for this position
22
Step 3 Document Results

• Write an assessment statement for the employee.
• Describe how the employee has demonstrated the
  competency
• Assess against expectation

Assessment statements for employee
EXAMPLE Jill verifies and ensures the accuracy of
_(types of transactions)______________________
by ______________________ She examines
_____(types of accounting records)______________
to assure adherence to (which) _____________accoun
ting standards and regulations.
23
Step 3 Document Results
Step 3 Document Results
24
Step 3 Document Results

• Use of shortened documentation is a new option
  if employee is demonstrating expected level of
  competency
• Must provide documentation for any assessment
  ratings above or below position level
• Short-cut documentation may not be best option
  for employees
• Short-cuts cannot be used when a salary
  increase above market is requested

25
Step 3 Document Results
Indicate demonstrated competency level J
Step 3 Document Results
26
Step 5 Determine Overall Level
Shortened documentation
27
Step 5 Determine Overall Level

• Overall level same level as majority of
  individual competencies
• Exception - if one or more competencies is more
  critical to the organization, may carry more
  weight in overall assessment. Explain and
  justify in Comments section.
• If overall competency level varies from position
  competency level, the Reviewer and HR must review
  the assessment before obtaining employee
  signature
• Be sure to record overall employee competency on
  first page of form

28
Step 6 Plan Career Development

• Organizational need?
• Competencies to develop or strengthen to meet
  organizational need?
• Employee interests and motivation?
• Attainable in current position work unit?

29
Step 6 Plan Career Development

• Resources available?
• Reasonable time frame?
• Specific activities and/or training
• to improve the competency?
• Responsibilities employee supervisor

30
Career Development Plan
The career development plan section is required.
31
Review of Steps for Initial Competency Assessment
due by September 30, 2008.

• Step 1 Identify competencies
• For each competency..
• Step 2 Identify expectations (use
  profile)
• Step 3 Document results
• Step 4 Determine level C, J or A
• Step 5 Determine overall level
• Step 6 Plan Career Development

32
Summary of Impact

• Moves focus to market compensation
• Allows option for compensation differences within
  a market range based on employee competency
• instead of E E credit
• Provides clearer career development paths for
  employees
• Adds person element as salary factor to
  position/business need element

33
Career-banding salary example(Administrative
Support Associate-Contributing position)

• Competency Assessment, Spring 06
• Verbal/Interpersonal J
• Problem Resolution C
• Records Administration J
• Use of Technology C
• Written Communication C
• Program Knowledge C

Competency Assessment, Summer 08 Verbal/Interpers
onal J Problem Resolution C Records
Administration C Use of Technology
J Written Communication C Program
Knowledge J
Supervisor could document observed changes and
request pay action based on development of
additional Journey level competencies. Contributin
g MRR 24,788 Contributing range max on 7/1
27, 812
Salary Increase Approved from 24,788 to 27,000
Employee hired here
34
Improving the System

• Changes
• All employees should have an overall competency
  assessment that is aligned with their positions
  competency assessment.
• Any overall competency assessment rating that
  varies from the position competency level (above
  or below) is an exception which must be reviewed
  by the supervisors Reviewer/Manager and an HR
  analyst before obtaining employee signature.
• A job audit may be conducted by HR to determine
  if business need and employee competency have
  been accurately accessed. Disparate ratings
  signed by employee prior to HR review will not be
  recorded until validated.

35
Improving the System

• After the initial competency assessment has been
  submitted, the form should be retained in
  electronic format and revised and submitted to
  the HR Department only
• ----when competency changes have been
  demonstrated by employee to the extent that a
  request for a career progression adjustment seems
  warranted.
• ----Revised competency assessments must include
  detailed documentation identifying changes in
  demonstrated competency for HR review.

36
Improving the System

• Work Plans and Annual Appraisals (the Performance
  Management part of the PCAC) will be separated
  from the Competency Assessment process.
• Supervisors will share competency profiles and
  level expectations with employees during the
  initial work planning discussion, but competency
  expectations will not have to be written into the
  work plan.
• Initial competency assessments on employees new
  to the position will be completed after six
  months re-submitted only when business
  need/competencies have changed.
• Annual appraisals at end of cycle (end of
  February of each year)

37
Myths and Misunderstandings

• Career banding will result in pay increases for
  everybody. Employees at or over market rate for
  the work they are doing (most of ours) will not
  benefit from career banding unless they begin to
  fill a business need for doing something more
  difficult, with less supervision, with greater
  consequence of error, with impact to larger
  groups or business operations

38
Myths and Misunderstandings

• Career banding will require less paperwork.
  Until technology changes current processes, there
  is more paper required than before. Now both
  competency assessments and position descriptions
  may be required in some cases to change a salary.
  Competency assessments require much thought,
  more conversations with employees, and more
  documentation. Competency assessments MUST
  document advancement BEFORE position can move.

39
Myths and Misunderstandings

• All jobs provide unlimited career growth
  opportunities. Some jobs provide no opportunity
  for career growth. Some supervisors have a
  management style which prohibits employee growth.
  Some employees do not enjoy a heavier weight of
  responsibility and facing greater consequences of
  error. Some jobs meet a business need that will
  not change much over time.

40
Myths and Misunderstandings

• All outstanding employees are Advanced
  employees. Outstanding employees are found at
  all market levels. The C, J, A terms define
  positions in terms of market and business need.
  Employees may be demonstrating a variety of
  competency levels (defined by the competency
  profile) in their work. Where does the work
  compare in the market?

41
Human Resources Contacts

• All Classification, Career Banding, Salary
  Inquiries on current employees
• Amy Braun, ext 74270 (AA, DA, CU, Fin. Svcs, no
  IT)
• Hal Walter, 74660 (IT, Bus. Aff., Bus. Svcs.,
  FM)
• Kathy Helvey, ext 72010 (Forms and processes)
• All Recruitment, New Hire, Promotion Inquiries
• Kieffer Gaddis, ext 74272
• Ruby Lewis, ext 72279
• Robyn Flowers, ext 76290 (advertisements)