Considerations for Using Jobs and Positions

Jobs and positions represent roles that enable you to distinguish between tasks and the individuals who perform those tasks.

Note the following:

• The key to using jobs or positions depends on how each is used.

• Positions offer a well-defined space independent of the person performing the job.

• Jobs are a space defined by the person.

• A job can be defined globally in the Common Set, whereas a position is defined within one business unit.

• You can update the job and department of a position at any time. For example, if you hire someone into a new role and want to transfer the position to another department.

During implementation, one of the earliest decisions is whether to use jobs or a combination of jobs and positions. The determinants for this decision are:

• The primary industry of your enterprise

• How you manage your people

Primary Industry of Your Enterprise

The following table outlines information about Primary industries and how they set up their workforce.

Primary Industry	Workforce Setup
Mining	Positions
Utilities	Positions
Manufacturing	Positions
Retail Trade	Positions
Transportation and Warehousing	Positions
Educational Services	Positions
Public Transportation	Positions
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting	Jobs
Construction	Jobs
Wholesale Trade	Jobs
Information	Jobs
Finance and Insurance	Jobs
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	Jobs
Management of Companies and Enterprises	Jobs
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	Jobs
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	Jobs
Accommodation and Food Services	Jobs
Other Services (Except Public Administration)	Jobs

Management of People

Consider the following scenarios how industries manage their employee turnover:

• Scenario 1: Replace employees by rehiring to the same role.

• Scenario 2: Replace headcount but the manager uses the headcount in a different job.

• Scenario 3: Rehire employees to the same position, but the manager requests reallocation of budget to a different post.

The following table displays suggestions of what the industry should use, either jobs or positions, in these three scenarios:

Industry	Scenario 1	Scenario 2	Scenario 3
Project (An industry that supports project-based forms of organization in which teams of specialists from both inside and outside the company report to project managers.)	Positions	Jobs	Jobs
Controlled (An industry that's highly structured in which all aspects of work and remuneration are well organized and regulated.)	Positions	Positions	Positions
Manufacturing	Positions	Jobs	Positions
Retail	Positions	Jobs	Positions
Education	Positions	Jobs	Positions
Other	Positions	Jobs	Jobs