Job evaluation with Abakaba

Abakaba is an analytical method for determining the value of work activities. The job evaluation forms the basis for your salary system as well as for staff appraisals with Abakaba.Person.

Abakaba is being successfully used in a wide variety of organizations and companies as a basis for new salary systems. We have already used Abakaba to analyse some 7,000 different positions in over 140 organizations.

Abakaba: the method

Abakaba captures the intellectual, psycho-social, and physical aspects of each activity as well as its (management) responsibilities in a way that is directly comparable and methodologically correct. Abakaba avoids confounding factors and records in a balanced manner those aspects that are typical of male- or female-dominated activities. They are measured according to a precisely operationalized, clearly defined scale with just a few steps and points values predefined by the system. The four factors listed here are weighted equally, with each factor able to achieve the same number of maximum points. The differential weighting of the four factors necessary for practical salary setting is undertaken in a separate, independent step. In fact, work science does not support the unequal weighting of the factors. The concept and structure of Abakaba ensures an objective assessment process. The results are transparent and traceable.

Since Abakaba is not a salary system but a job evaluation tool, all combinations with other pay components such as performance and experience factors are possible.

The resulting work value points (Abakaba points) are then converted into an existing or a newly created salary grade grid. Or you can calculate base salaries directly based on Abakaba points.

The analysis is usually done in a project group working with our support. If necessary, managers and employees are brought in to help with the analysis of their positions or those of their employees.

Abakaba for people with a disability

A special version of Abakaba allows the valuation of work activities of people with a disability. Their work can therefore be appropriately analysed and remunerated.

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Abakaba for teachers

We have developed an analysis method based on Abakaba that determines the number of weekly lessons that teachers in schools can take depending on the subject. This consideration is important because the different subjects taught by the teachers vary considerably. The greater the subject-specific demands and the preparation and follow-up work, the lower the number of lessons should be.

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What sets us apart

• Based on work science research, Abakaba uses requirements and burdens as criteria. Therefore, Abakaba is gender-neutral and non-discriminatory.
• The aspects are analysed independently (no confounding factors).
• The definitions of the various aspects are transparent and easy to handle.
• The gradations are relatively broad and therefore transparent. This means no pseudo-objective differentiation. This alone simplifies the evaluation process and considerably reduces the time required.
• The values assigned to each aspect are set by the system. This means no discussion is required concerning the point values, but merely regarding the issues related to the position.
• Abakaba is very good at distinguishing between basic and related functions, with the valuation of related functions taking up only a fraction of the time.
• Abakaba can be used for every type of job imaginable in every sort of operating structure (whether public or private sector, for everything from foresters to nurses).
• Abakaba transparently separates the valuation of activities (with unweighted points) and salary setting (with weighting of aspects and conversion into a pay scale). We separate those aspects based on research from those that have to be negotiated locally.
• Subsequent changes to a job can be taken into account with minimal effort.
• The results obtained with Abakaba are transparent and traceable.

History

We were contracted by the Swiss Federal Office for Gender Equality to develop Abakaba (Katz and Baitsch 1996). Abakaba is an acronym for "Analytische Bewertung von Arbeitstätigkeiten nach Katz und Baitsch" ("Analytical Evaluation of Workplace Activities According to Katz and Baitsch"). The version published two decades ago is now out of date. Several key points in the system have since been revised, simplified, and adapted to real-world requirements (Katz and Baitsch 2006).

We are EU-compliant

Researchers in Germany have shown that Abakaba is the only job evaluation method in the German-speaking countries that satisfies applicable EU standards: "Abakaba not only meets the requirements of European law, but also offers other benefits that speak in favour of choosing this instrument. Both the (...) underlying conceptual considerations as well as the search for non-discriminatory job evaluation methods have shown Abakaba to be the most advanced method currently available in German-speaking countries. Not only has its methodology been thoroughly checked to make sure that there is no overlap among its criteria, but it has also been widely tested in practice" (Krell, Carl, and Krehnke 2001). As far as we know, none of this has changed in the meantime.

Your expenses

The time and expense to complete the Abakaba analyses depends on the number of positions you need to evaluate and how you set up the project.

For the use of the Abakaba job evaluation system, we only charge our consulting costs. There are no additional software or licensing fees. Your advantage: you avoid the considerable cost and effort needed to develop your own job evaluation method.

How you benefit

With Abakaba, you choose an outstanding job evaluation method. Abakaba is research-based and field-tested.