By Russ Dickow, HR Business Partner
We have now entered the third year of conducting UIC’s campus-wide Job Analysis Project. This project, originally created to comply with requirements of the State Universities Civil Service System (SUCSS), has become more complex and time consuming than was originally anticipated. However, in the past two years 11 campus units have gone through the job analysis process, accounting for 1100 academic professional positions receiving job descriptions. This is already one third of the positions that were identified to be analyzed throughout the project.
Reasoning for the Job Analysis Project
Initially the need to conduct a campus-wide job analysis of Academic Professional positions resulted from audits by SUCSS. It was determined in these audits that many jobs were inappropriately classified as Academic Professional because there were similar classifications within the Civil Service Class Plan. The Job Analysis Project will appropriately classify jobs as Academic Professional or Civil Service, and create a job description for each position in a standardized, campus-wide format.
Through the ongoing project other practicable, long term benefits have been determined. These include creating the foundation for establishing compensation programs, career development, and promotional and training opportunities for Academic Professional employees. An online job library containing job descriptions for use across the campus is also being planned.
Conversions
A critical outcome of the Job Analysis program is the necessity to correct the inappropriate exemption of jobs covered by SUCSS. This does not mean that all employees currently classified as Academic Professional will now be converted to a Civil Service classification. Any Academic Professional employee who is determined to be converted to Civil Service will be given substantial information about the conversion process and plenty of opportunity to ask questions before the actual conversion to Civil Service is completed.
An Ongoing Process
The Job Analysis Project will be continuing as an ongoing process until all campus units are completed. Each unit will be given sufficient notice and a Project Plan outlining the job analysis process when they are scheduled to participant in the program. A process has also been established to help a unit that has a need to fill an open position before it is scheduled for a complete job analysis. An interviewer has been dedicated to conduct a job analysis for these open positions, determine if the position is Academic Professional or Civil Service, and create a job description that the unit can use to fill the position. Finally, all efforts are being made, through a Consistency Check Team, to assure that all positions will be consistently classified, Academic Professional or Civil Service, whether within a unit or campus wide.
If there are questions about the job analysis and job description process contact Joe Fowler, Assistant Director Compensation/Job Analysis, fowlerj@uic.edu or visit the UICHR website where you will find more detailed information (e.g. FAQ’s).
