Organizational design and job evaluation can be simple things to understand. By not focusing on the simple, clear, and purposeful aspects of work, many HR “gurus” have made this simple starting point more complex than it needs to be. The result is staff and managers who are unclear about their purpose and role, which results in ineffective organizations. To clear things up, we need to go back to the basics.

Birches Group Community™ is an integrated talent management solution that’s simple to use and brings clarity around the value of work. We fuse job design and evaluation, compensation management, skills development, performance management, and consulting to bring order to your business.

This eBook, written by Birches Group’s Managing Partner, Gary McGillicuddy, examines Birches Group’s approach to Job Design, our conceptual models, and analogies that help form the foundation of everything we do in Human Resources – Job design. 

Birches Group Community™ Jobs utiliza un método sencillo y claro para evaluar los puestos de trabajo, que aporta a las empresas la claridad y la diferenciación que necesitan para fomentar prácticas equitativas e inclusivas. 

Birches Group Community™ Jobs est une approche simple et directe de l’évaluation des emplois, qui offre aux organisations la clarté et la différenciation dont elles ont besoin pour être efficaces, en soutenant l’équité et la justice.

For an organization to work efficiently and achieve team cohesion, a well-balanced salary scale is crucial as it drives all other critical HR programs — everything from recruitment, staff retention, promotion, and ultimately career development. Designing a salary scale requires skill and expertise, balancing the internal considerations and team dynamics with the external market. It’s an art form, not just math.  

To properly differentiate pay and reward performance, two separate approaches must be applied. In this eBook, we cover how managers can explicitly measure their employee’s experience without relying on time or tenure as a proxy. Instead, we’ll show you how you can measure growth in your staff’s skills through clearly defined milestones and a simple and objective framework.

It’s easy to see why many organizations have chosen to give up on performance management entirely. Before throwing in the towel, we should consider alternatives to the traditional approach. One that brings the entire performance management exercise back to what it was originally meant to measure – results.

The International Potato Center (commonly known as CIP) is part of the CGIAR consortium of research centers dedicated to agricultural research and food security. With headquarters in Lima, Peru, and country offices in 20 developing countries, CIP was facing stiff competition for talent and other issues with its pay structure.

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation was seeking assistance with the management of its compensation program. Prior to engaging Birches Group, they centralized the responsibilities for pay management at headquarters and created salary structures. But the team recognized the need for professional guidance and expertise, choosing a co-sourcing arrangement with Birches Group.

The Institute of International Education developed a strong, market-driven approach to compensation for their field offices, including salary structures and a consistent grading system. But they lacked the internal resources to maintain the structures across a very diverse group of countries. They faced additional challenges in selected markets due to economic volatility, and the response time from headquarters HR was slow. IIE engaged Birches Group to assist in maintaining the salary structures and to guide the organization towards a policy-driven approach for special measures.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) encountered significant challenges in recruiting and retaining talent due to inconsistent compensation management practices. These issues created a pressing need for a comprehensive review and modernization of IUCN’s compensation system, aiming to create a more equitable and competitive pay structure to attract and retain the skilled workforce needed to achieve its crucial conservation mission.

Salaries are an organization’s biggest expense, and just like any expense, it needs to be managed. The best way to manage your salary budget is with a salary scale.

Part of good workforce management is demonstrating transparency and fairness to staff. But how can you ensure it happens?

You Need to Have a Policy for “Special Measures.” The common thread in all the above uncontrollable events is uncertainty — nobody knows what’s going to happen, how long it will last, and what tomorrow may bring. A Special Measures Policy is a way to assist managers and staff when a crisis occurs. The policy outlines what the company will do when certain uncontrollable events occur.