| Course | HRMG 3001 Human Resource Management |
|---|---|
| Week | Week 6 |
| Paper type | Pay structure memo |
| Length | About 640 words, 4 pages |
| Format | Memo, APA 7 citations |
| School | Walden University |
| Program | BS in Business Administration |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HRMG 3001 Week 6
Memorandum
To: Owner, Birchline Cabinet Works
From: HR Consultant
Date: April 6, 2026
Re: Proposed job evaluation and pay grades for the shop's eight jobs
Purpose
You asked for a pay structure after two assemblers doing similar work turned out to be paid $3.50 an hour apart, with no record of why. This memo proposes a simple point-factor system: each of the shop's eight jobs is rated on four factors, the ratings are added into a total, and the totals are grouped into four pay grades with ranges. The result is a structure that explains every rate and shows employees how to move up.
Job Evaluation
Each job was rated on four factors with points assigned from written definitions. Skill covers training and experience needed (up to 40 points); effort covers physical and mental demands (up to 20); responsibility covers the cost of mistakes and oversight of others (up to 25); and working conditions covers hazards and discomfort (up to 15).
Table 1
Job Evaluation Points by Factor
| Job | Skill | Effort | Responsibility | Working conditions | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shop helper | 10 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 38 | |
| Office coordinator | 18 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 40 | |
| Installer | 24 | 16 | 15 | 8 | 63 | |
| Assembler | 26 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 62 | |
| Finisher | 28 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 72 | |
| Estimator | 32 | 8 | 20 | 2 | 62 | |
| CNC router operator | 36 | 10 | 22 | 6 | 74 | |
| Shop lead | 38 | 12 | 25 | 8 | 83 | |
Points assigned by the consultant with the shop lead from written factor definitions; composite shop.
Pay Grades
Every current employee falls within the range for their grade except one assembler, paid $21.50, who is below the grade 2 minimum. I recommend raising that assembler to $22.50 now. The $3.50 gap between the two assemblers would then be explained by position within the range: one has eight years at the shop, the other two.
Table 2
Proposed Pay Grades
| Grade | Point range | Jobs | Hourly range | Employees in grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 to 49 | Shop helper, office coordinator | $18.00 to $22.00 | 6 | |
| 2 | 50 to 69 | Assembler, installer, estimator | $22.50 to $28.50 | 10 | |
| 3 | 70 to 79 | Finisher, CNC router operator | $26.50 to $33.50 | 4 | |
| 4 | 80 and above | Shop lead | $32.00 to $40.00 | 1 | |
The ranges overlap on purpose: a long-serving assembler may out-earn a newly hired finisher. The owner is outside the structure.
Why Finishers Rate Higher Than Expected
Finishers scored 14 of 15 on working conditions, the highest in the shop, because they spend much of the shift in a warm spray booth, wearing a respirator and working with solvent finishes. That lifts them into grade 3 alongside the router operator. This may explain part of the finisher turnover the shop has had: the job has been paid like an assembler's job while being harder to do and harder to endure.
What the Grades Signal
Pay structures communicate what an organization values (Gerhart & Rynes, 2003). These grades say that running the router is valued: it sits in grade 3, above assembly. They also show a path. An assembler who learns to operate the router can move into grade 3, which supports the training plan to build a second operator.
Equal Pay
Consistent grades also help the shop meet the Equal Pay Act, whose core rule, at 29 U.S.C. § 206(d), bars paying men and women at different rates for jobs alike in the skill, effort and responsibility they call for and done under similar conditions at one workplace, except where seniority, merit, output or some factor other than sex explains the gap. A documented structure makes every difference explainable on one of those grounds (Dessler, 2020).
Next Steps
Review the point ratings with the shop lead and adjust any you see differently, raise the one assembler to the grade minimum, and explain the grades to the crew at a shop meeting before the next round of raises.
References
Dessler, G. (2020). Human resource management (16th ed.). Pearson.
Equal Pay Act of 1963, 29 U.S.C. § 206(d).
Gerhart, B., & Rynes, S. L. (2003). Compensation: Theory, evidence, and strategic implications. Sage.
Reading the HRMG 3001 Week 6 instructions
In Week 6 you design a simple pay structure for an organization and explain it to its owner or manager. Score every job on a few compensable factors defined in writing, show the points in a table and total them. Group the totals into pay grades with ranges, and show where each current employee falls. Explain any results that may surprise the reader. Discuss what the structure communicates to employees about what the organization values. Note the legal reasons consistent pay matters, such as equal pay law. Close with next steps. Write in memo form, in plain language.
How the HRMG 3001 Week 6 example is put together
The memo opens with the $3.50 gap and the purpose of a point-factor system. It defines four factors with point ceilings and shows an eight-row evaluation table, from shop helper at 38 points to shop lead at 83. A grade table sets four grades with overlapping ranges and the number of employees in each, and the text identifies the one assembler below range. A section explains the finishers' high working-conditions score. A section on signals, citing Gerhart and Rynes, shows the router in a higher grade as a path upward. The equal pay section cites the Equal Pay Act and Dessler. Next steps cover reviewing ratings, raising the one assembler and explaining the grades to the crew.
Where the marks sit in the HRMG 3001 Week 6 rubric
Pay structure memos are graded on method, consistency and explanation. Factors should be relevant to the jobs and defined in writing, and points should be applied consistently. The grade structure should cover every job, with sensible ranges and every employee placed. Strong memos explain results that challenge the reader's assumptions, connect the structure to problems such as turnover and discuss what pay signals to employees. Legal context should be accurate and specific. Next steps should be practical. A memo that presents tables without explaining them, or ignores employees outside the ranges, does not meet the standard.
HRMG 3001 Week 6 help from the desk
List the jobs and choose three to five factors that separate them, for example how much skill or physical effort each demands. Write a sentence defining what high and low mean for each factor, then rate each job against those definitions, not against your sense of who is worth more. Add the points and look for natural breaks to form grades. Set ranges that overlap a little, then check every current employee against them. Expect at least one surprise and explain it. Common errors are rating people instead of jobs and skipping the step of placing current employees. Share your list of jobs, and we can help build the evaluation table. When you present the structure, show the reader one job's rating in full so they can see how the method works before reading the tables.
Get a HRMG 3001 Week 6 example written to your instructions
Share the pay scenario your section provides, the prompt and the rubric; the memo rates those jobs and builds grades from them. Free for the first custom sample, delivered in 24 to 48 hours. The shop's eight jobs are invented, and the grades in the sample describe no real employer's pay.
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- HRMG 3001 Week 7: Training Needs Proposal
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- HRMG 3001 Week 10: HR Practice Integration Paper
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HRMG 3001 Week 6 questions, answered
Where can I find a free HRMG 3001 Week 6 sample paper?
The pay structure memo and both tables are printed here, free for anyone.
How are jobs rated in the HRMG 3001 Week 6 memo?
On skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions, with points assigned from written definitions and totaled.
How many pay grades does the memo propose?
Four, with overlapping hourly ranges from $18.00 to $40.00.
Why did finishers rate higher than expected?
They scored 14 of 15 on working conditions because of the spray booth, solvents and long periods in a respirator.
Why does the Equal Pay Act matter here?
A documented structure explains pay differences on permitted grounds, such as seniority or skill, rather than leaving them unexplained.