Not happy with job role categories - AIBU

[chubbyspice]

I work for a science company. There are lab staff, staff who register products, staff work in supply chain, finance and admin. It is a small company (50pax) but is growing rapidly. There was recently a management exercise to grade the roles so that they are comparable across the company.
The roles were divided into 3 categories - scientific/technical, professional and admin. Each grade was then categorised against years of experience, professional qualifications and what level of spend/project responsibility. My role is the senior admin in the company. I'm quite upset that admin was made separate from 'professional'. It was made clear in the grading that people working in professional didn't have to have a degree/qualification although the lack thereof meant that you wouldn't get a job at the top grade without this. Admin only required that you finish school and have 4 years experience. There was no ranking for an admin who was a graduate, doesn't look like it matters.
Also, whereas other roles were assessed against the project budget, admin was assessed against how big an error they could make - so, a grade 3 manages projects of 30k whereas a grade 2 (admin) has capacity to make mistakes up to value of 5k. The lowest admin grade had the wording 'low impact' against it. I appreciate that this refers more to the a comparison with the top grade, in terms of the top grade being able to grow the business/increase sales/profitability etc but in what world is it a good idea to send out a document to everyone in the company and have the words 'low impact' against someone's role.
Seriously thinking of leaving now.
AIBU?

I suppose the thing is OP - an accounts exec might expect to be able to climb higher within their role. There is less scope for direct progression in an office manager role. That doesn't make it less important, but it does explain why admin roles only go so high in grading.

Let's say the accounts exec is called Mary. I might get asked by the boss if she asked me or Mary to do something. Obviously there are things that Mary does that I don't do but the same applies - Mary would never have been expected to run the away day/overnight or manage the office move. I would have thought that there was junior/entry admin - grade 1, admin - grade 2 and office manager - grade 3. This would have put me on the same grade as the accounts exec.
I can of course ask for clarification as to why the accounts exec is on a higher grade then me. As there is no grade 3 admin it's not possible to see what the admin role above mine would look like.
The company is not a start up but they are going through a period of growth. I have been feeling as though I'm being taken advantage of - it's difficult to take AL, nobody to replace me so the work has to be done when I'm back. I've worked ridiculous hours recently, boss is aware but hasn't offered to compensate.
I know that this wasn't what the exercise was about. I just feel embarassed that I was consistently going above and beyond but that I'm not valued as much as I thought.

I would not expect a school leaver with 4 year's experience to be able to competently do my role

You are being unreasonable. This would be a 22 year old with 4yrs experience. I was an office manager and then some when I was 21. I managed about 40 direct workmen plus subcontractors and did all the programming for the works. I did all our final accounts. I did all our material sourcing, I managed our relationships and accounts with hire companies and trade counters. I did all the office work. I dealt with our client and management in our company. I did all the payroll and finance stuff on coins. I dealt with all the householders we dealt with and all the booking in of works with them. I did all the office ordering. I organised all our social stuff. We were doing insurance & subsidence repairs for all of se London and Kent, and then we opened another office that covered n & e London and I trained and oversaw them, then we opened an office in Brentford and I did the same with them. So, yabvu with that comment.

Expecting an entry level admin to manage a sizeable event or office move is very unreasonable. And very unfair. I'd advise a manager against giving that task to an entry level admin.

If you're unhappy with your actual job that's fair enough. If it's just because you're not the same level as an accounts exec (which is right imo and ime) then I do think that's rather petty and an unrealistic expectation based on the info given.

It definitely sounds like you are doing non-admin roles, like the HR stuff. For that reason particularly it would be worth speaking to them about what your role level means.

I also had control of the credit cards and fuel cards.

I think my title was lead local service coordinator or some such bollocks though but the job was basically office management.

And also it's not unusual in small businesses for the work to just have to wait until you're back in. I've not had a role that someone can cover in about 10 years. Just have to try and manage my time and others expectations best as I can.

I apologise for the school leaver/4 year's experience comment. It wasn't so much regarding the workload, more the personalities involved in the job.
There have been many before me in the role who didn't last. It's probably my low self esteem that has kept me there....

I think you should be on more cash too. List all the responsibilities you undertake and email them to the boss, asking for clarification around your post as the grade doesn’t effect the responsibility

i've worked with a lot of larger orgs (either as supplier or as the client) and nowhere would an office manager be at the same grade as an accounts exec, it's not even remotely comparable in terms of the skills, experience, responsibility or risk to reputation/damage if there's a bad one.

i agree with PP now - your chipped shoulder seems to be coming from a legitimate query around exactly what your role title/job description is vs. reality... but i think you're focusing on the wrong thing here entirely ("office admin types=professional role").

your case for reconsideration should be based on the former (and it sounds like a strong case).. but arguing that office managers should get higher gradings weakens your argument massively and comes across as sour grapes... your line manager needs to hear the former to get this resolved OP...

Not sure about low self esteem op! have you been there long? Maybe you're just getting a bit stale and ready for something else and this change has brought that to the surface?

I think you should be on more cash too

How do you know who much the OP is on?

A change in grading won’t automatically change remuneration. Typically, there’s a lot of salary commonality across payscales linked to grades. As an example you could have-

Grade 1: £15-22k
Grade 2: £18-25k
Grade 3: £20-30k
Etc.

A lot of grading is also linked to salary progression and bonuses. Not aware of that’s the case in OP’s company, but they tend to allow strong performers to move up payscales faster, and encourage them to progress to more senior roles.

OP- how long have you been there? Have you been thinking about leaving for a while now? Would you consider having a think about what roles you could progress in to internally? There might be opportunities if the company is expanding?

The culture isn't great there. I didn't even have objectives last year and then no review. Given the fact that I'd put in so much extra effort and work it felt like a slap in the face to not even have a review and get a thank you.
I got full bonus but if I were a line manager I'd think that you thank you direct report for their efforts and let them know they were getting a full bonus. I only knew what I got when I opened my payslip.
And yes, I know that other companies are worse but bonus is 5% of a part time wage so isn't ever anything to sing about.

5% bonus is alright actually I think?

It sounds to me like you want somewhere a bit more structured where you're 'managed' (re: the review and objectives comment. I don't get any as I'm very much left to manage myself but i set my own and provide a monthly report to my boss so she can see what value I'm adding, might be an ideal?)

But it doesn't sound like your happy and I think the grades are a bit of a red herring.

Maybe I'm good enough for the role but not good enough to progress. I've been given a few projects to work on which I've done but the reality is that I'm full on trying to get everything done during my hours. When I started 3 years ago there were 22 people, now there are 45 and it's growing. I do all the onboarding, travel, facilities, IT/vendor management, some company secretarial, marketing support etc. Because I do the onboarding I get drawn in to things which aren't necessarily my role but not defined as anyone else's either - e.g. we have a new employee in Germany so I had to organise his company car, public health insurance, registered company address etc. A lot of things that land on my desk are new situations so you're not drawing on experience and it's all a learning - which is fine if you are allowed time for it.

When I say see, I just mean written down. I've found memories can be short term for very busy managers, a monthly overview of what I've done reduces that.

You have been through a job evaluation process. You as an individual were not being evaluated, only your role was being evaluated.

It seems entirely reasonable that admin roles and professional roles are assessed differently. That you are a graduate that happens to occupy an admin role is irrelevant because you are not being evaluated.

I see no issue with anything you have said.

So you don't manage staff op? Your list of duties do all sound admin related. I definitely wouldn't describe any of that as 'professional'. You don't sound happy, it sounds like time to take a look for a new job. However I think you still need to get your head around the fact that admin is not a professional occupation.

Tbh though by they are all things I did when I was an office coordinator(manager) in a small business, and the office manager at my last job did all those things. I think everyones always learning or having to learn new things in their jobs. I have to consult Google quite a bit to read up about something new heading my way!

Like I said it really does sound to me like you need more structure/support/direction to be happier.

OP what kind of progression do you expect or want?

I don't mean that in a snarky way - it sounds like your role is evolving but the company isn't going to be willing to progress you alongside that. To me, it doesn't seem like there is a direct career progression beyond office manager.

It sounds like you could move onto something different (and maybe better graded/ paid) if you wanted to. Exec assistant as you mentioned upthread.

I think it sounds like more of a capacity issue.

If you’re part-time and there’s a big workload, maybe there’s a need for an additional person, or to increase to full-time hours?

I suppose I saw the grading process as a way to recognise my contribution. I work closely with the project manager and he was wondering at my low grading.
One of the issues is they keep recruiting part time staff but the workload increases as the company grows. The part time staff try to manage the workload in part time hours but end up taking work home, working on their days off. Some of them went from full time to part time so they worry that if they complain they will be told to go back to full time.
I'm fed up. I'm also embarassed that I assumed I held a position of higher ranking than I did.

No, job evaluation is about the role and expectations of it, they should never be about the holder and their performance, otherwise yes you would have admin on the same level as account executive even though the roles are very different contribution and responsibility (and scale/impact of fuck ups!) wise.

The bonus and other reward would be the recognition of your efforts.

Lots of us have said your role wouldn't be on the same grade as an account executive so don't be embarrassed just because a few people in your company are stirring the pot a bit.

I suppose I saw the grading process as a way to recognise my contribution

I think you need to separate grading and performance management in your head.

Does the company have a formal performance management process? If it works well, you should have regular meetings with your manager, formal appraisals, and a clear link between your individual contribution and bonus/pay progression, regardless of grade.

You do sound very unhappy and disengaged, which can be very hard to pull yourself back from. What’s the market like where you are?

Thanks for all your advice.
I did expect a higher grade and still think that level 2 of 9 is not reflective of my responsibilities. I do take onboard the reason for the professional/admin distinction.
But it's part of a bigger problem that has been brewing for a while. When I asked for a review and asked to discuss performance, my line manager started telling me all the things that she didn't think I'd be good at. I know that I have limitations and probably the things that I bring to the company are not valued as much as they would be elsewhere.
Really need to think of my future there.