What is a Job Family and why do we need it?

A job family is a group of jobs with similar characteristics and which are engaged in similar work. Although the level of responsibility, skill or capabilities may differ, the essential nature of activities or tasks carried out are similar across the job family.

A Job Family model aims to define the common work that is performed at an organisation by grouping functionally similar positions that have related skills, capabilities, tasks and knowledge. Having a Job Family Framework will enable you to understand your workforce better and you will be better placed to value add by providing strategic direction to the business and enable you to meet your business objectives. If you know what jobs you have, you will be in a better position to know what jobs you need to deliver your strategic direction. It is an integral tool in your workforce planning arsenal!

Benefits of a Job Family Framework

  • provides a structure for the jobs we currently have and the jobs we need
  • vastly reduces the amount of position descriptions needed in an organisation
  • provides valuable data for workforce analytics
  • creates consistency for similar roles within and across different functional areas
  • assists in building bench strength and identifies development needs based on capability gaps
  • provides a latticed approach to career planning and supports workforce mobility across functions.

How a Job Family Framework can be used

Used in partnership with a behavioural core and technical Capability Framework, a Job Family Framework provides a basis to inform the following strategic people processes:

  • job analysis and design
  • position description development
  • success profiling
  • organisational and leadership development
  • career planning using a career pathways model
  • workforce analytics, planning and reporting
  • succession and talent management
  • mobility and rotation.

Job family model diagram

How we can assist you?

StressLess Learning has extensive experience in developing best practice organisational development strategies that link organisational capability to performance. We have developed and delivered job family model frameworks for the public, private and tertiary/higher education sectors.

Our experienced Organisational Development consultants will work with your organisation to develop a comprehensive Job Family Framework that will begin with an job analysis audit of your workforce, we will identify the functional job families and align jobs to the job families and work with your HR Business Leads to develop generic position descriptions for each Job Family. We will also ensure that all your existing HR processes are aligned to the Job Family Framework. We can also assist with the development of a behavioural core and technical capability framework.

Contact us if you would like us to provide a consult for your organisation.

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