Understanding Jobs and Positions in Oracle HCM

When structuring job roles in Oracle HCM, it’s important to understand the difference between Jobs and Positions, how they relate to each other, and when to use them.

1. Jobs vs. Positions: Key Differences

• Jobs are generic roles that exist across departments and locations (e.g., "Manager" or "Teacher").
• Positions are specific job instances tied to an organization, department, or location (e.g., "Senior Manager - Finance" or "Math Teacher - High School").
• You cannot use positions alone; they must be linked to a job.

For example:

• A company may have a job called Sales Manager.
• But they can create multiple positions under it, such as:
  • Sales Manager – North Region
  • Sales Manager – South Region

2. Job Components in Oracle HCM

Job Family

• Group jobs with similar functions for easier reporting.
• Example:
  • "Administrator Family" → Includes Admin Clerk, Admin Assistant, Admin Manager.
  • "Sales Family" → Includes Sales Manager, Sales Representative, Sales Consultant.

Job Function

• Defines the industry or department a job belongs to (e.g., IT, Healthcare, Real Estate).
• Custom functions can be created using Manage Job Lookups.

Job Levels

• Helps define the hierarchy within a job category (e.g., Level 1, Level 2, Level 3).
• Used in approval workflows (e.g., only Level 1 managers can approve a request).

Management Level

• Specifies where a job fits in the organization’s leadership structure (e.g., Director, Senior Manager, Supervisor).
• Custom values can be added in Manage Job Lookups under MANAGER_LEVEL.

Medical Checkup Requirement

• Indicates whether medical clearance is needed for the job before hiring.

Benchmark Job

• A standard job used as a reference in salary surveys and reports.

3. Career Progression in Jobs

Progression Job

• Defines the next step in an employee’s career path.
• Example:
  • Assistant Programmer → Associate Programmer → Senior Programmer → Program Manager.
• Used in Promotions & Transfers, where Oracle suggests the next career step.

4. Valid Grades for Jobs

• You can assign grades (pay levels) under the Valid Grades section.
• If positions are used, the grades assigned to the job will become default grades for the position.

Why is This Important?

✔ Clear job structures ensure accurate reporting and career planning.
✔ Job families and functions help group similar roles for easier management.
✔ Progression jobs guide promotions and career growth.
✔ Valid grades define pay structures to maintain salary consistency.

I hope this blog post was helpful for you. If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment below.