An investigation of gender composition, pay rates and evaluator gender on job evaluation ratings

The present study investigated the extent that job evaluation ratings were influenced by the gender composition of a job, the pay level associated with a position, and the gender of the evaluator. The sample consisted of 60 male and 60 female personnel practitioners who rated four job descriptions on three factors; complexity, education and experience. Little evidence was obtained to support the assumption that gender composition influenced the evaluation of job worth. By contrast, the pay level associated with a job, consistently influenced job evaluations. Finally, results provided strong support that evaluator gender affected ratings, whereby females rated jobs higher than males did. Results are discussed in terms of job evaluation as an effective mechanism for addressing the issue of equal pay for work of equal value