Hay Grading

I am a head of service with a local authority and am about to be Hay Graded .. while I understand the principle of the evaluation process, what I would like to know is how points are arrived at against the various tasks outlined in the cv which I am about to prepare.

Are there key words that are picked up and scored higher than others.

Many thanks
John

Reply by Peter Fisher

In the Hay Guide Charts, the requirements of a job are regarded as universal, and are termed factors, these being sub-divided into "dimensions".

The three universal factors are said to be:

• Know How

• Problem Solving

• Accountability

The dimensions within each factor vary. Typically the dimensions break down as follows:

Know How

• Technical Knowledge

• Management Breadth

• Human Relations Skills

Problem Solving

• Thinking Environment

• Thinking Challenge

Accountability

• Freedom to Act

• Magnitude

• Impact

The power of the Guide Chart lies in the scoring system and relations of the factors (or the Profile.) This helps to give an understanding of the 'shape' of jobs - an understanding of the nature of the work performed and the type of job involved e.g., results oriented versus back office support.

A criticism leveled against the Hay Guide Chart is that the choice of factors is skewed towards traditional management values.

Therefore to answer your question, the words in your CV must be specific and include the use of 'management' terms which relate to and demonstrate your 'grasp' and capacity for the dimensions within each factor of the Hay Grading system.

Unfortunately the Hay Guide chart uses generic descriptors which it is said enables the comparison of 'like with like', but being generic, these are vague and without being too critical, can be biased. The bottom line is that quite often management get what they want out of this system and the best you can do is accept the inadequacies, but be very clear and precise when you prepare your CV.

You might want to refer to some recent CV examples I have produced for clients, to compare against your own when you are ready.