What is Job Evaluation?
Job evaluation is the system by which jobs in the NHS are compared with each other to decide at what band they should be paid. It underpins the NHS Agenda for Change pay structure and is overseen by the NHS Staff Council. The scheme was designed and is maintained by employers and trade unions, including the RCN, in partnership.
Ensuring equal pay for work of equal value was one of the primary reasons for the introduction of Agenda for Change, and this is delivered by effective use of the bespoke NHS job evaluation scheme. The scheme is transparent – all the information about how it should operate is online for all NHS staff to read. You can find this on the NHS Employers website.
It’s important to know that jobs are banded based on the requirements of the role rather than the personal attributes you bring to it. Roles are either matched with a national job profile, or evaluated against 16 weighted factors to determine a job “weight” score which then dictates the pay band. Bands cover a range of scores, e.g. band 5 has a score of 326 to 395, so sometimes changes to a role can increase the score but not necessarily the band.