Andy Hibel
Welcome to the HigherEdJobs podcast. I'm Andy Hibel, the chief operating officer and one of the co-founders of HigherEdJobs.

Kelly Cherwin
And I'm Kelly Cherwin, the director of editorial strategy. Today, we're happy to have Chris Lee back for our Ask the Expert series. Thanks, Chris, for joining us today.

Christopher Lee
My pleasure.

Kelly Cherwin
Today's question is can you provide advice for working with your supervisors on your job description and job duties no longer match or the years? When should I bring this up to my supervisor. Chris, what are your thoughts on how to handle this?

Christopher Lee
Yeah, this is a age old question that people get all the time. It's an important one, but it's also one that's misunderstood. So I'm going to kind of separate the question into two parts. One is to what degree did the job change and then why did it change? So those really kind of drive the response in how one goes about seeking a change. So I'll start with the idea that all jobs change over time. Our jobs evolve. The requirements from the institution change, government regulations change. Customers need change. Technologies change. So things just kind of morph or evolve over time So, I've worked places where people see a change in their job and they want to be, quote, reclassified. Right. So classifications kind of the idea that your job is kind of described with other jobs like that and that there's a salary expectation for, you know, different jobs. So just because of job changes that necessarily mean that one gets extra compensation or the job title changes, but that's what people might expect. And then further with that, the question is to what degree did it change which triggers that, quote, reclassification? Because obviously when things change just kind of dramatically, one should be, you know, treated differently and accordingly. And I've seen policies and practices with as little as 15% or as much as 30%, meaning that you might work somewhere and you know, your job is to change 20%. But that's considered just kind of a natural growth, right, a natural change. And so that's not a reclassification. Now people don't like to hear that necessarily, right, Because people have an economic goals like my job. So, hey, I should get more pay. So then it's going back to that. You know, the issue of why did it change? So did the job change Because your capacity to perform change and you can do more and at a higher level, that's one. Or did it change because the employer's requirements change? That's a different issue. Very, very different issues because one compels a change and one is really about, you. And then when you depart that position, the position kind of reverts. Recently we were talking about professorships. It's kind of like that whole idea. You're an assistant professor in your associate professor and you're full professor. You got better over time. And because, you know, the organization recognizes that promotes you in compensation, different, you know, but you're still a professor in your classification change. But when you leave, they're not going to hire another full professor. They're going to hire an assistant professor, See what I'm saying. So two different factors, two different dimensions, and it needs to be recognized. The challenge is if you're in a position where organization didn't have a policy that people get promoted based upon their ability to perform because they're like, Hey heres the job it's the job? You know, need for the job, the change. You may be really good at it and you've got better at it but we don't have a need to change the classification of the position. So that happens as well. Man is really hard to talk about with people, you know, when that's the case where there aren't growth opportunities. So as you see it as a mixture of kind of reasons how and why jobs change and how organizations would choose to respond to that. right. And then, you know, there's a Dilbert cartoon that it's kind of funny that kind of speaks to this issue where Dilbert, you know, has an administrative assistant who gets her MBA part time. And of course, she wants, you know, a job title and pay increase. But again, the job didn't change So, again that's the growth part. You know, where it's tough. The good news there's some organizations do have an opportunity for people to grow in place where they kind get promoted. And it's back to that professor example where some people can be a good analyst one become an analyst, too. They continue doing the same kind of job, but they can do it at a higher level, a greater capacity and possibly more volume because of their expertise. So in those they can move from, you know, again, assistant to associate professor or analyst, one or senior programmer and things like That's the good news. And there's reason for optimism if the organization has that policy. And even if it doesn't have that policy, that's an opportunity to ask for that. Right as individual to say, hey, I've been doing this, and compared to my peers, you know, I'm doing a good job. a Is there a way I can be properly recognized for that? So that's more of a promotion. Then a reclassification, but is also a part of that, you know, overall issue. So when do you bring up the issue with your supervisor? You know. person asked? Well, it depends on those two situations. If you're growing. And then your supervisor recognizes that organically she might come to you and say, Hey, Mike, can you do X? And Mike is thinking, well, you know, that wasn't what I was hired for. You know, they're not asking me, you know, I was hired to be a general practitioner and now they're asking me to do surgery. I did a couple of surgeries, but man, you know, they're not really kind of recognizing that that's kind of a higher level responsibility and skill. Right. And so he might say, Hey, yes, Kelly, I'll be happy to do that. And have you noticed that you've asked me to do things like this over time? You know, I like to do the stuff. I'm good at it. And is there an opportunity for you and I to sit down and have a conversation about how my job has changed? Right. That's a good segue way. The other is most organizations have an opportunity annually to talk about goals and performance and compensation and things like that. That's doesn't organic Time talk about how a job is changed And been going back to the point about how jobs have changed. Some changes are just changes in volume and variety. And, you know, technology, may not be more complex, and that's the key. For reclassification Experts call these things compensable factors is the fact that people create classification schemes used to determine levels. So things like complexity, autonomy, responsibility, supervision, those things are higher order. So if you are, you know, seeing changes in your job, ask is it just volume or is it just variety? Is it content? But is it complexity? Autonomy, responsibilities. And things like that. And usually your organization has that buried in the H.R. manual or the employee handbook about what the organization values or sees as important. You know, they call compensible factors may not be written that way, but I guarantee you there's a process in information at your institution that talks about what we're talking about. So your first goal before you approach your supervisor is to do that research within the employee handbook on the section on classification. Make compensation and things like that. Let me give you a couple of clues about, how to talk about these issues with your leader.

Kelly Cherwin
Do you have ideas of what I know you are doing your research and figuring out the why. So then you get to the steps of, you know, you're going to talk to your supervisor. What should someone have for why don't you want to call it evidence? Like to support their case? Yes. Hey, look at me. Listen to me.

Christopher Lee
Yeah, that's a really good question, Kelly. I would say artifacts and evidence. Right. You know, so samples of work haven't been done. It could be emails, it could be reports, it could be pictures, it could be documents. It could be anything to show what you have done. Right. So if you were hired to be an editorial assistant, then you started writing articles and you would bring an article. Right. You have the old job description, right? And then, you know, you know, you come and say, you know, this said, assist, support, breath in over here, I'm writing, editing and you something. So, you know, it kind of helps to have that conversation to have some evidence with you. So it's not just all memory. Hmm. Right.

Kelly Cherwin
Thank you.

Andy Hibel
I'd also caution in those instances, if you're in a position and you're given an opportunity to do something in addition to the position I would suggest that because you've done one of those things does not mean the position now requires it. I think a good employer is going to give you opportunities to grow and experience new things, but unless you're doing that thing regularly as part of your role, that doesn't mean what, Hey, now I can do this. I should be compensated more. That was more of a growth opportunity the employers offered you. Don't mistake those opportunities, which is good supervision and good stewardship of your team as something and as a chance to be able to demonstrate that you should be compensated more.

Christopher Lee
Agreed. Andy, this is very good point. So it's not doing it one or two times. It tends to it needs to be a pattern over time. Right. So it's kind of like somebody is out sick, you know, somebody is having a baby, somebody, you know, is taking a, you know, long vacation or whatever. And you're doing for a temporary period of time. That's necessarily want, you know, a that deserves a bonus or recognition, but that's not necessarily a job change. So it has to be, kind of sustained. And so usually these things happen afterwards, not beforehand. So it's not like, you know, someone comes to Mike and say, we want you to do X and then you say, I want to re classification right? Because first of all you got to do the job and you got to perform at a sufficiently high level to warrant that, right? So this is actually retrospective versus prospective.

Kelly Cherwin
That's great advice. Thank you, Chris.

Andy Hibel
Thanks, Chris. That was fantastic. If you have questions for experts like Chris, please email us at podcast@HigherEdJobs. com or send us a direct message on X @higheredcareers. Thank you for listening today and we look forward to talking again real soon.