Hay Job Evaluation Methodology: The

Short Profile
In the Hay job evaluation methodology, the short profile is used as quality assurance (quality
control) checks. It is also called the Profile Check. It helps job evaluators review as to
whether they have develop the right “configuration”, “relative contribution”, or profile for the
job being evaluated.

Job “Shape” or Short Profile shows the relationship between Problem Solving points and
Accountability points. The short profile is used to check the accountability and decision
making evaluation.

The profile itself is not an indicator of the level of the job. There are high level jobs in
scientific research that have a minus 3 profile while there are low level management jobs
have a plus 3 profile.

What is a Job Profile?

Jobs have shape as well as size. The profile of a job refers to the shape of the job. It is
important in 3 ways:

 It is an independent check on the judgements made about job size.

 It describes the nature of the contribution expected from a job.
 It helps to establish a ‘best fit’ between people and jobs.

Job Shape VS Job Size

The evaluation score of a position gives an indication of its size, relative to other jobs. It
answers the question, “How big is this job?”

However, the relationship between the scores for the Problem Solving / Thinking and the
Accountability / Decision Making factors is indicative of the shape of the job and answers
the questions, “What sort of job is this?” “Is it characterized by thinking (Problem Solving) or
action (Accountability), or is the balance about equal?”

Source: Executive Group Position Evaluation Plan, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

4 Factors in Hay JE Methodology

In the methodology, the 3 Know-How, Problem Solving and Accountability are all linked
together. Working Conditions is more “contextual” in nature. The full points would look
something like this:

Know-How 460
Problem Solving 230
Accountability 132
Total Points (Contents) 822
Working Conditions (Context) 33
Full Points (Combined) 855

Just as a recap, here are the descriptions of the 4 factors.

The knowledge, skill, however acquired, needed for acceptable

Know How
job performance.
Problem Solving The thinking required in the job.
The relative degree to which the job when performed
Accountability competently, can affect the results of the organization, or a unit
within the organization.
Working Conditions The context in which the job is performed.

How Does the Short Profile Work?

“Short profile” assesses the relationship between Accountability (AC) and Problem Solving
(PS); with considerations given to Know-How.

PS and AC also have a relationship that provides information about the general nature of jobs
that when examined either validates the evaluation or challenges the results.

Jobs with significantly more Accountability points relative to Problem Solving are usually
very end results-focused, action or line jobs. When Problem Solving is greater than
Accountability, jobs are typically more research-oriented, staff or administrative-oriented.

Jobs with essentially the same AC and PS points tend to have an administrative/action
orientation.

Source: Hay Measurement, Hay Group

The profile is determined by identifying the step difference between PA and AC. The step
difference is determined by locating the PS points on the step value guide and counting up or
down until you have located the AC points. The number of steps taken in this procedur
establishes the step difference. The direction (up +, down – ) defines the nature of the
difference. You can see the job profiles of the job examples in the 2 illustrations below.

Source: Quality Assurance Checks:Short Profiles, HayGroup

Source: Time Rahul, R&D & Compliance, Karma Management Consultants

Source:Role of Job Evaluation in Salary Administration:Case Study of a Large Company in

Hong Kong, written by Tsui Lap Fung, The university of Hong Kong
Up, Down and Level Profiles

 An action or results oriented job (PS<ACC) is primarily oriented toward generating

end results. Problem Solving takes a secondary position in this position. Therefore,
the points given to Accountability / Decision Making will be higher than those for
Problem Solving / Thinking. This relationship is known as an Up, or “A,” Profile.
 A balanced or level job (PC=ACC) is one in which the Accountability / Decision
Making and Problem Solving / Thinking points are the same. The position will be
staff-oriented and have responsibility for managerial or supervisory functions. This is
known as a Level, or “0,” Profile.
 A thinking or research oriented job (PS>ACC) exists to apply Know-How in the
analysis, investigation and identification of situations. The Problem Solving /
Thinking points will be greater than those for Accountability / Decision Making. This
is known as a Down, or “P,” Profile.

If we turn the earlier “Relationships between Factors AC to PS” diagram 90 degree anti-
clockwise, we will obtain the following chart.

Source: Quality Assurance Checks:Short Profiles, HayGroup

Here is the explanation of the above chart. While there are no hard-and-fast rules, particular
types of jobs do tend to have predictable profiles:
 A4  Examples of this profile are unusual but can occur where the
Accountability for results is high but the Problem Solving or Know-How
content of the job is relatively low.

A2 A3  These profiles are found in line management jobs which have a

clear and well defined responsibility for achieving results, such as regional
director for operations.
Up Profiles
A1 Accountability / Decision Making points exceed Problem Solving /
Thinking points by one step. Jobs with A1 profiles are often hybrid jobs
with significant people management responsibilities (such as human
resources managers), line management positions, or jobs which receive a
significant degree of direction from functional units, such as project
managers or regional directors of administrative services.
L   Problem Solving / Thinking points equal Accountability / Decision
Making points. Jobs with these profiles will tend to involve providing
Level Profiles
support services in staff functions or supervisory positions such as financial
analysts or heads of functional specialties.
P2 P1  Problem Solving / Thinking points exceed Accountability / Decision
Making points by two steps or one step, respectively. Applied research or
policy development jobs will tend to have these profiles.

Down Profiles P4 P3  Problem Solving / Thinking points exceed Accountability / Decision

Making points by four or three steps, respectively. Jobs with these profiles
will tend to be concerned with basic or pure research, with little orientation
to, or regard for, development aspects. P4 Jobs will rarely be found outside
a university.

Up, Down and Level profiling allows the validity of evaluations to be checked against typical
job profiles. Discrepancies, if found, may indicate an incorrect evaluation. However, they
might also indicate an inappropriately structured job. Therefore, it is important to avoid
letting profiles drive the evaluation process.

Source: Executive Group Position Evaluation Plan, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Method of Calculation

Here is the method for checking the accountability / decision making evaluation.

Step 1:Determine the step difference between PS and AC, using the Hay step-values table

 Find the Problem Solving (PS) points on Step Value table.

 Count up or down until you reach the Accountability (AC) points.

The following is the step value table. The difference between each value is 1 stop. 1 stop
equals 15%

STEPS
3200
2800
2432
2112
1840
1600
1400
1216
1056
920
800
700
608
528
460
400
350
304
264
230
200
175
152
132
115
100
87
76
66
57
50
43
38
33
29
25
22
19
16
14
12
10
9
8
7
6
5
4

Step 2: If AC > PS, then A profile. If PS> AC, then P profile. If PS=AC then Level profile.
The short profile number is determined by the amount of step difference.

 If you count up two levels, the job is said to be +2 or A2 or “up 2.” If you count down
one level, the job is said to be -1 or P1 or “down 1.” If the points are equal, the job is
said to be = or level.

Step 3: The percentage profile can be read off an intersection of problem solving % and step
difference.

Characteristic Hay Profiles (Percentage of KH-PS-AC) Table

Here is how the characteristic Hay Profile table looks like:

Source: Job Evaluation Manual, Financial Management Board Secretariat, Northwest

Territories.

The following is the short profile table without the scores. A4, A3,A2, A1 corresponds to
4UP, 3 UP, 2 UP, 1UP respectively. P1, P2, P3, P4 corresponds to 1 DOWN,2 DOWN, 3
DOWN, 4 DOWN.
 TO FIND PROFILE: IN COLUMN BELOW THAT CORRESPONDS TO STEP
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AC & PS POINTS, READ PROFILE OPPOSITE %
%PS PS
PROBLEM SOLVING
ACTION PREDOMINATES AC-PS
PREDOMINATES
A4 A3 A2 A1 LEVEL P1 P2 P3 P4
87%

76%

66%

57%
50%

43%

38%

33%
29%

25%

22%

19%
16%

14%

12%

10%

If we look closer at part of the short profile table (now with the scores) , this is how the
Action Predominates and Level looks like

A4 A3 A2 A1 LEVEL
87% 29 26 45 32 27 41 33 29 38 35 30 35 36 32 32
76% 32 25 43 34 26 40 36 28 36 38 29 33 40 30 30
66% 36 23 41 38 24 38 40 26 34 42 27 31 44 28 28
57% 39 22 39 41 23 36 43 25 32 45 26 29 46 27 27
50% 42 21 37 44 22 34 46 23 31 48 24 28 50 25 25
43% 45 20 35 47 21 32 49 22 29 52 22 26 54 23 23
38% 49 19 32 51 19 30 53 20 27 55 21 24 56 22 22
33% 53 17 30 55 18 27 56 19 25 59 19 22 60 20 20

If we look closer at part of the same table (now with the scores), here is how the Problem
Solving Predominates looks like.

P1 P2 P3 P4
87% 38 33 29 40 34 26 41 36 23 42 37 21
76% 42 31 27 43 32 25 44 34 22 45 35 20
66% 45 29 26 46 31 23 47 32 21 49 32 19
57% 48 28 24 49 29 22 51 30 19 53 30 17
50% 52 26 22 53 27 20 55 27 18 56 28 16
43% 55 24 21 56 25 19 58 25 17 59 26 15
38% 59 22 19 60 23 17 62 23 15 62 24 14
33% 62 20 18 63 21 16 65 21 14 66 22 12

Example
Source: Job Evaluation Manual July 2001, Financial Management Board Secretariat,
Northwest Territories.
 Let us use the above example to demonstrate how we derive the short profile.

The score for problem solving is 29.

The problem solving percentage is 25%

The score for accountability is 33.

From the step value table, we found that AC is 1 step up from PS.

So the job is a +1 or A1 or up1

Next look at the intersection of column A1 and the PS percentage 25%, we find the 3 possible
answers for the profile 65, 16, 19.

Normally, the middle number would be selected.

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This entry was posted in Salary Structures and tagged Hay Accountability Guide Chart, Hay
Job Evaluation Methodology, Hay Problem Solving Guide Chart, Hay Quality Checks, Hay
Short Profile, Job Shape. Bookmark the permalink.

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