THE SADOWSKI PERFORMANCE RUBRIC:

Creating the Criteria for Pay Increases

What follows is a sample of what we call a “performance

rubric” used to connect the job description for a
position with employee performance reviews and
pay increases. You can use this as a template to develop
a tool that ties your job descriptions to the specific skills
your employees need to advance in their positions. To use the rubric:
1. Start with a position’s job description—ensure it is updated and clearly
communicates expectations.
2. Determine the job functions on which you will evaluate employees in that position.
3. Clearly articulate the skills and abilities that are necessary for an employee to move
into the next level of proficiency, and therefore the next quartile in the pay range.

This example is for the position of Accounting Manager. The job functions chosen
reflect skills (accounting skills, regulatory and compliance knowledge, and staff
management skills) as well as behaviors expected of all employees (organizational
skills and orientation to change, for example.

The clarity and specificity of this kind of rubric system creates a development
roadmap for employees and managers alike, eliminates misunderstandings,
reduces bias, and ties pay to demonstrated skills and abilities. As a result, an
employer can ensure pay equity both within positions and across positions in
an organization.

This rubric was developed by Sadowski Consulting Services, LLC and used with permission
in the 2020 Leaders for Equity and Equal Pay (LEEP) pilot program, a joint project of
Change The Story VT and Sadowski Consulting Services. For more pay equity resources,
including the LEEP Equity Management Tool and The Pay Equity Playbook:
Tools for Small and Mid-Size Organizations, visit changethestoryvt.org.

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 Sample Performance Rubric (tied to pay ranges)
Moving Toward Moving Toward
Novice Excellence
Competence Excellence
1st Quartile 2nd Quartile 3rd Quartile 4th Quartile
(0-25th percentile in (26-50th percentile in (51-75th percentile in (76-100th percentile in
the pay range) the pay range) the pay range) the pay range)
New in the position; actively Has mastered core skills and Consistently performs at or above Performs at a consistently
Defined As

building the skills and knowledge of job functions; standard; is able to perform job high level in all areas without
knowledge to perform the role is moving toward more functions without supervision; supervision and is looked to as a
well. independent work. takes on additional activities when model for others in the position;
needed. takes on stretch projects.
Position: Accounting Manager
Accounting Functions Accounting Functions Accounting Functions Accounting Functions
Job Function 1

•P  erform monthly • Independently perform • Perform and trouble-shoot all •T  rain subsidiary staff to
reconciliations of various monthly reconciliations reconciliations.Consistently reconcile various general
general ledger accounts of various general ledger identify issues and bring to ledger accounts and perform
with frequent guidance from accounts. manager’s attention portfolio accounting, as
management. • Independently perform • Independently prepare appropriate.
• Perform accounting for all accounting for subsidiaries spreadsheets for budget. Collect • Assist in the preparation of
subsidiaries with assistance and investment portfolio. and track data from managers. Board package for the Bank’s
from management. Perform limited analytical review annual budget. Calculate
of collected data. various ratios.
Regulatory Reporting and Regulatory Reporting and Regulatory Reporting and Regulatory Reporting and
Job Function 2

Compliance Compliance Compliance Compliance

• Participate in regulatory • Continued participation • More active participation • Participate in regulatory
and external audits. Some in audits and workpaper in audits and workpaper and external audits. Some
workpaper preparation. preparation. preparation. workpaper preparation.
• Prepare certain regulatory • Assist with reports and • Assist with regulatory • Meet with external auditors,
reports (call report, etc.) with exams. Field some questions exams and field questions regulators and internal auditors
management guidance and with guidance from manager. with minimal guidance from and answer all relevant
reminders. manager. questions. Generally without
management support.
Staff Management Staff Management Staff Management Staff Management
Job Function 3

• Interview job applicants, make • Perform all described staffing • Use management skills to • Advance staff skills and
hiring decisions, evaluate functional responsibilities— enhance the level of the team knowledge so team
performance, recommend salary making appropriate decisions— to meet the future goals and takes on more advanced
adjustments, implement PIP with limited assistance from objectives of the department. functional responsibility while
actions, terminate employees management/HR. • Independently delegate maintaining an efficient, cost-
with frequent guidance from • Manage daily department assignments to others. justified staffing level.
manager and HR. workflow with no input or • Develop leaders to provide
• Manage daily department guidance from manager. ‘next generation’ succession
workflow with minimal for higher level opportunities.
guidance and input from
manager.
Organizational Skills Organizational Skills Organizational Skills Organizational Skills
Job Function 4

• Set appropriate priorities • Set appropriate individual • Assist in the coordination of • Make recommendations to
and realistic target dates. and team priorities, target department priority setting. management regarding long
Generally meet individual dates. Almost always meet Almost always meet deadlines range planning ideas.
and team deadlines with little individual and team deadlines relating to own and team
assistance from management. with minimal assistance from activities.
management.
Orientation to Change Orientation to Change Orientation to Change Orientation to Change
Job Function 5

• Accept change imposed by • Receptive and flexible in • Embrace change. Proactive • Proactive in developing
others though generally in a accommodating change. in developing suggestions for improvements that impact
responsive mode. Identifiy problems ripe for process improvements that the control of other areas or
improvement. May contribute to affect efficiency. departments. Recommend,
effective solutions. May be part foster and drive change.
of process improvement teams.

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VT WOMEN’S FUND | VT COMMISSION ON WOMEN | VT WORKS FOR WOMEN