ASU Job Architecture
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ASU is committed to building an innovative workforce.
When Workday HCM goes live on Dec. 23, 2024, employees will see ASU’s new job architecture in their employee profiles. The information below defines essential terms and clarifies project decisions.
The Job Architecture framework standardizes job titles, responsibilities and other job dimensions across departments and teams. It also helps recruit new employees and defines career paths for existing ones.
A job profile — defined below — combines a job family group, job family, management level and job level to describe the work’s nature and the expected performance level.
Job families, profiles and titles
Business Title: A descriptive job title detailing the position’s internal and external communications function. The Business Title is also the “working title” migrated from PeopleSoft.
Job Profile: A generic title used for job classification that links individuals to a management level, defined below. The job profile defines features like pay rate type, Fair Labor Standards Act — exempt/non-exempt — status and other federal compliance classifications. Note that Position will include this same language with an alpha-numeric designation.
Job Family Group and Job Family: A Job Family Group is a broad category of work grouped based on similar characteristics and required skills. The job family is typically a specialized subset within the Job Family Group.
Management Level
Management levels provide consistency across job families with progressing job levels based on the nature of the work performed. Note that the management level does not appear in your employee profile but is integral to the job architecture.
Job Level: Generally, a numerical designation that categorizes the scope, authority and responsibility required for a job differentiated by work dimensions. ASU has three management levels to support career planning and progression.
| Management level | Description |
|---|---|
| Operational contributor | Operational Contributors provide support or service in a “hands-on” environment and contribute to regular university operations. Generally, but not always, these positions are non-exempt and may include administrative, technical and operational work. |
| Professional contributor | Professional contributors design, implement, guide and deliver processes, programs or policies. They use specialized knowledge or skills, typically acquired through advanced education or equivalent advanced learning attained through experience. Positions in this category are normally exempt from earning overtime, though entry-level positions may be non-exempt. |
| People manager | People managers oversee broad portfolios of responsibility. They plan, prioritize and direct duties of at least two direct reports. They also manage strategy and policy development for a function, department or unit. These positions are typically exempt. |
Work dimensions
Job levels are determined by considering the six work dimensions listed below. While they do not necessarily determine progression, work dimensions identify an individual’s current standing and potential progression opportunities based on the factors listed below. Depending on the management level, some dimensions may be more heavily weighted.
| Work dimension | Description |
|---|---|
| Complexity of work | The complexity of job tasks, problem-solving or creative production. |
| Communication | The nature and scope of the communication or collaboration |
| Scope of accountability | Degree of sole or shared responsibility for the scope and impact of the task, project or initiative. |
| Autonomy | Degree of sole or shared responsibility for decision-making and degree of supervision. |
| Effective knowledge | Minimum education, training, skill and experience required to perform the job to the expected performance standard. |
| People Management | The degree to which a position must develop, influence and lead individuals and internal or external stakeholders. |
Guiding the job architecture project
Over 200 ASU leaders and an advisory committee reviewed job code mapping for positions within their academic or operational units. They worked with HR Business and Finance representatives and other subject matter experts who participated in the job profile review process.
A core work team — OHR compensation staff and outside consultants — reviewed the job code mapping and identified areas and positions where more information was needed. Assignments were based on duties performed within a given role, related roles university-wide and progressions within a school or unit. nbsp;
Future updates
We will work with HR leaders across ASU to establish a protocol for requesting changes, determining if the changes are necessary and how to communicate future updates to the job architecture.
Career transparency in the job architecture
The job architecture provides career transparency with a structured and consistent framework for job roles, levels and career paths at ASU. It helps employees understand where they currently are at the university and the available opportunities for growth.
Other benefits include:
- Employees gain clarity on the skills and qualifications needed to advance their careers, enabling them to focus on targeted professional development and training. Knowing the requirements for the next step in their career helps employees set realistic goals.
- Improved retention as employees feel they have a clear path to advancement. Knowing there are growth opportunities makes them more likely to remain engaged and committed to the university.
- Employees can map out a long-term career plan, identifying future roles and the qualifications needed to advance.
- Outlining all available roles allows employees to see opportunities for lateral moves or shifts to other departments. This transparency fosters internal mobility and encourages employees to explore various career paths within ASU.