2026-05-14 WS & City Council Packet

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THE CLASSIFICATION PLAN A Classification Plan provides for a systematic arrangement of positions into classifications. A position, often referred to as a job (e.g., Public Works Director), contains a specific set of duties and responsibilities,and that is the objective of the classification process,not the person currently holding that job. A classification is a grouping of positions that have similar levels of knowledge, skills,and abilities needed to perform the job. The positions are also similar in nature of work, level of work difficulty,and responsibilities. Positions allocated to the same classification are sufficiently similar with respect to the types of factors enumerated above to permit them to be compensated at the same general level of pay. The positions do not have to be identical;they can be in different departments, dealing with different subject matters,and performing different duties. It is this arrangement of positions and resulting classification structure that forms the basis for the Classification Plan. As noted in the previous section, a Job Evaluation and Classification Plan is not intended to assess individual performance. To that end, a position that belongs in a certain classification is not entitled to be placed in a higher classification simply because the individual performs with a high degree of success and efficiency, nor is it placed in a lower classification simply because the incumbent performs with low competence or productivity. Variations in individual performance are not recognized by differences in classifications; instead,they are management issues. Similarly, there is a tendency in some workforces to use the Classification Plan to reward longevity, even though the duties and responsibilities of individual positions may not have changed over time. Longevity is not a classification factor, and the Classification Plan should not be used in this manner. As an assessment of duties performed and responsibilities exercised, a Classification Plan is an exceedingly useful managerial tool. It provides the fundamental rationale for the Compensation Plan and helps management identify positions that have taken on (or, in some cases,reduced) duties and responsibilities. Through proper maintenance of the Classification Plan, employees ctg"cuuwtgf"qh"ocpcigogpvҀu"eqpvkpwkpi"eqpegtn about the nature of the work that they conductand its reward in the form of appropriate pay levels and relationships. The Classification Plan also provides the basis for recruitment, screening, and selection of employees in direct relationship to job content. Promotional ladders, as well as opportunities for lateral career development,are also evidenced by the logical grouping of allied occupational classifications and hierarchies. City of Centerville, MN| May 2026 5 CLASSIFICATION, COMPENSATION, AND PAY EQUITY 11 REPORT