Sysarb’s Factor Plan is a structured job evaluation model used to compare roles in a consistent and transparent way. It creates a common language for describing work, supports fair and defensible pay decisions, and forms the backbone of a job architecture.
The plan breaks down roles into a set of clearly defined compensable factors. Each factor is scored across levels based on the requirements of the role – not the performance or seniority of the individual in the job. The combination of factor scores results in an overall job value that can be used for job grading, pay structure design, and pay equity analysis.
The factor structure is designed to be:
Comparable: similar logic applies across different job families and organizational levels.
Transparent: criteria and levels are described in everyday business language.
Aligned with standards: the education factor is calibrated against the European and Swedish Qualifications Frameworks (EQF/SeQF).
The factors are applied both to specialist and managerial roles and allow for meaningful differentiation without relying solely on job titles.
2. Overview of Sysarb’s Factors
Sysarb’s Factor Plan consists of the following factors:
Education – theoretical knowledge required to perform the job.
Experience – length and relevance of work experience needed to perform independently.
Social Skills – communication and collaboration demands.
Cognitive Skills – complexity of problem-solving and need for analysis and new solutions.
Impact – breadth and depth of influence on operations, strategy, and results.
Leadership – responsibility for leading, coordinating, or managing people.
Responsibility for People* – professional responsibility for the health, development, care, or safety of third parties.
Responsibility for Resources – responsibility for tangible and intangible assets of economic value.
Physical Working Conditions – physical strain and risk associated with the work environment.
Psychological Working Conditions – mental and emotional demands over time.
*The factor Responsibility for People is specifically intended for public sector, healthcare, and similar environments. It can be removed for organizations where this type of responsibility is not relevant.
Each factor has defined levels that describe increasing requirements or demands. Evaluators determine the level that best matches the role as designed and normally expected, not the individual jobholder’s personal profile.
3. Factor Descriptions and Levels
3.1 Education
Purpose
The education factor measures the theoretical knowledge required to perform the role. It focuses on the foundational knowledge normally acquired through formal education or structured training. The levels are aligned with EQF/SeQF to ensure consistency with European education standards.
Key questions
At which educational level is the baseline knowledge for this role usually obtained?
How does the education requirement interact with the experience requirement (i.e., can more experience compensate for lower formal education)?
What is the minimum acceptable education level – not the “nice to have” or ideal profile?
Typical levels (paraphrased)
Very brief instruction, simple practical skills.
Short on-the-job training, roughly equivalent to basic schooling.
Targeted courses and structured training for specific tasks.
Knowledge normally gained from upper secondary education or equivalent vocational program.
Advanced practical or vocational education, such as apprenticeships or higher-education-linked professional courses.
Academic degree at basic university level (e.g., Bachelor’s).
Second-cycle academic degree (e.g., Master’s).
Doctoral-level scientific qualification (PhD or licentiate) or equivalent.
Education and experience can complement each other; evaluators should be critical before requiring both very high education and very long experience.
3.2 Experience
Purpose
The experience factor assesses how much relevant work experience is required to perform the role independently and with expected quality. It assumes the organization provides normal onboarding and reasonable guidance.
For managers, both leadership experience and functional experience are considered.
Key questions
How many years of relevant experience are needed for independent performance of the role?
Can experience from other industries or job families be considered transferable and relevant?
Should a lower education requirement be balanced with a longer experience requirement?
Typical levels
No prior professional experience required; able to perform after basic introduction.
Up to 1 year of experience.
Around 1–3 years of experience.
Around 3–5 years of experience.
Around 5–8 years of experience.
Around 8–10 years of experience.
More than 10 years of experience.
More than 15 years of experience.
3.3 Social Skills
Purpose
This factor captures the extent and complexity of communication and collaboration the role requires, both internally and externally. It focuses on the nature of interactions, from basic information exchange to negotiation and influencing, and the degree of discretion in shaping messages and relationships.
Key questions
What stakeholder groups does the role interact with regularly?
Are interactions mainly internal or also external (customers, suppliers, authorities)?
Does the role adapt communication to different audiences and, if so, to what extent?
To what degree does the role engage in persuasion, conflict handling, or negotiation?
Typical levels
Basic, friendly interaction within the immediate team or nearby units.
Regular, professional communication with internal contacts and customers requiring empathy and clarity.
Communication that frequently involves conflicting interests and requires well-developed social skills.
Explaining and discussing complex issues in a clear and structured way with varied stakeholders.
High-level persuasion, diplomacy, and negotiation with significant impact on outcomes.
The complexity of topics and interaction with senior stakeholders tends to drive higher scores.
3.4 Cognitive Skills
Purpose
Cognitive skills reflect the level of mental effort needed to perform key responsibilities, from repetitive tasks to innovative work in highly complex environments. It covers the balance between routine vs. novel problems, the breadth of information to analyze, and the degree of critical thinking and creativity required.
Key questions
Does the role mainly follow existing procedures or regularly need to analyze and design new approaches?
How often does the role encounter new, previously unseen problems?
To what extent does the role rely on domain expertise to adapt or develop solutions?
Typical levels
Mainly repetitive, routine tasks following well-defined procedures and limited choice between predefined options.
Identifying and solving recurring problems using known solutions and available expertise.
Tackling new problems where existing methods can be adapted; more complex issues are escalated or solved with experts.
Analyzing and adjusting known solutions for new situations; methods are not fully given and require own judgment.
Handling multifaceted problems that require gathering and evaluating extensive information and perspectives (e.g., theories, laws, methods, impact analyses) and developing new solutions.
Developing innovative concepts, strategies, or frameworks, often in research or advanced development contexts with high complexity.
3.5 Impact
Purpose
The impact factor measures how far the role’s decisions and responsibilities extend within the organization. It spans from executing tasks in a limited area to making strategic decisions affecting the entire organization. Both operational and strategic influence are considered.
Key questions
Does the role primarily execute tasks, or does it also plan, prioritize, and decide for others?
At what level are decisions made: individual tasks, team, department, division, or whole company?
Are decisions tactical (short- to mid-term operations) or strategic (long-term direction, resource allocation, and strategy)?
Typical levels
Very narrow scope of action, limited to a personal work area or workstation.
Responsibility for own tasks within established guidelines focused on efficiency and accuracy.
Planning and organizing own work and contributing to planning and improvements in the immediate workplace.
Either: making operational/tactical decisions within one unit, or influencing the unit’s work through higher-level strategic decisions.
Either: making operational/tactical decisions within own unit and subordinate units, or influencing a wider domain via strategic decisions.
Strategic decision-making that affects an entire division.
Strategic decisions and measures that shape the whole organization’s direction and results.
3.6 Leadership
Purpose
The leadership factor captures formal and informal responsibility for guiding, coordinating, and managing people. It includes responsibility for performance management, work allocation, feedback, and, at higher levels, formal HR responsibilities such as salary setting and disciplinary matters.
Key questions
Does the role have formal management responsibility (budget, personnel, operations), or is it more about coordination and guidance?
How many people and hierarchical levels does the role lead directly or indirectly?
Are team members specialists or non-specialists, and how complex are their tasks?
Typical levels
Focus on own tasks and possibly helping to onboard new colleagues.
Coordinating activities in a team, training and guiding colleagues.
Supervising a group without formal line-management authority.
First-line manager responsible for operational execution for a team, primarily of non-academic roles.
First-line manager leading professional or specialist employees, usually with academic qualifications.
Second-line manager leading managers and having direct responsibility for a department.
Third-line manager with several management levels beneath.
Fourth-line or top-level manager leading multiple hierarchical layers.
Managing specialists is generally weighted more heavily than leading non-specialist roles at the same structural level.
3.7 Responsibility for People (optional factor)
Purpose
This factor captures professional responsibility for the health, development, care, or safety of third parties, such as patients, students, or citizens. It is relevant primarily in healthcare, education, social services, and similar sectors, where neglect or mistakes can have serious consequences for individuals and where professional licenses can be revoked.
Key questions
Does the role follow predefined programs and instructions, or does it independently design and decide on interventions?
How significant and long-lasting are the consequences of the role’s decisions for individuals or groups?
What level of professional authority does the role hold?
Typical levels
Basic consideration and normal care for others’ well-being.
Personal, professional responsibility for others’ health, care, development, or safety.
Independent responsibility to assess needs and apply interventions according to existing rules, instructions, or programs.
Independent responsibility to design, change, and decide on measures that affect others’ health, care, development, or safety.
Independent responsibility to evaluate and make critical decisions about programs, instructions, or interventions with major impact on individuals or groups.
3.8 Responsibility for Resources
Purpose
Responsibility for resources measures accountability for the organization’s tangible and intangible assets, such as property, equipment, inventory, intellectual property, and other high-value resources. It considers the potential financial and operational consequences of errors, negligence, or misuse.
Key questions
What is the approximate economic value of resources under the role’s control?
How direct is the responsibility – using, maintaining, managing, or strategically deciding over resources?
What consequences could arise from incorrect handling (financial loss, operational disruption, legal issues)?
Typical levels
Normal care for resources, with no special responsibility.
Professional responsibility for correct use, storage, and maintenance of resources with significant value.
Independent responsibility to manage or develop high-value resources according to defined rules and programs, where negligence becomes visible in operations.
Independent responsibility to manage or develop very high-value resources, where failures can have serious business consequences.
Overall strategic responsibility for resources; poor decisions can lead to extensive economic and operational impact.
3.9 Physical Working Conditions
Purpose
This factor assesses physical demands, strain, and risk of injury or illness associated with performing the job. It covers whether the role is performed indoors or outdoors, the level of exertion, and the risk of accidents or long-term strain.
Key questions
Does the work involve heavy lifting, repetitive movements, or awkward positions?
How often is the employee exposed to physically demanding tasks?
What is the likelihood and severity of injury or illness from the physical environment?
Typical levels
Some physical effort for short periods with access to relief, and low risk of injury or illness.
Occasional physically strenuous work situations, but still limited risk of injury.
Regular exposure to uncomfortable positions and physical strain each shift, with elevated risk of accidents or injuries.
Work where physically demanding positions and very strenuous conditions dominate, with very high risk of accidents, injury, or illness.
Noise, pollution, and similar environmental factors are considered to the extent they increase risk despite normal safety measures.
3.10 Psychological Working Conditions
Purpose
The psychological working conditions factor evaluates long-term mental and emotional strain linked to the nature of the work. It looks at time pressure, unpredictability, concentration demands, emotionally challenging interactions, and potential exposure to threats or conflict.
Key questions
How often does the role deal with unexpected tasks under time pressure?
Does the role require regular deep concentration on complex tasks?
How frequent and intense are difficult interpersonal interactions or emotionally loaded situations?
Typical levels
Mainly routine and predictable tasks with good possibilities to plan and organize work.
Regular time pressure and unplanned events requiring quick adaptation.
Daily mentally demanding tasks, such as strong time pressure, complex communication, difficult relationships, or potential threats.
Mentally demanding situations dominate most of the working time, with high frequency of pressure, difficult relationships, or threats.
The focus is on job demands inherent to the role, not on organizational culture or temporary workload peaks.
4. Applying the Factor Plan – Example: “Alltid Swedish Sensibility”
To illustrate how the factor plan works in practice, Sysarb applies it to a fictional retail and e-commerce brand, “Alltid Swedish Sensibility.” The company operates both physical stores and an online platform, focusing on sustainable fashion for modern, eco-conscious customers. Roles evaluated include frontline, back-office, and specialist positions.
Below are examples of job evaluations using the factor plan.
4.1 Sales Associate
Role summary
The Sales Associate manages client accounts, drives sales, and nurtures key customer relationships. The role coordinates with internal teams to ensure service delivery and identifies business opportunities through performance tracking and market insights.
Factor interpretation (example)
Education: Vocational or associate-level knowledge (Level 5).
Experience: Several years of experience to work independently (Level 4).
Social Skills: Significant need for relationship-building and some negotiation within set parameters (Level 3).
Cognitive Skills: Regular analysis of trends and decisions based on established methods, but not deep strategic development (Level 3).
Impact: Responsibility for planning and organizing own work; limited strategic influence (Level 3).
Leadership: Responsible primarily for own work and possibly onboarding new colleagues (Level 1).
Responsibility for Resources: Some responsibility through contract and price handling, but not high-value asset management (Level 2).
Physical Conditions: Office- and customer-oriented work with low physical strain (Level 1).
Psychological Conditions: Occasional stress due to client expectations and targets, but not extreme or continuous pressure (Level 2).
4.2 Finance Administrator
Role summary
The Finance Administrator supports the Finance Manager with transaction processing, reconciliations, reporting, and compliance tasks. The role ensures the accuracy of financial data and supports budget monitoring and regulatory requirements.
Factor interpretation
Education: Vocational or associate-level finance/accounting education (Level 5).
Experience: Approximately 1–3 years of relevant finance experience (Level 3).
Social Skills: Routine communication related to transactions and reporting; limited negotiation (Level 2).
Cognitive Skills: Work is primarily process-driven, using established routines and rules (Level 2).
Impact: Execution of predefined tasks with limited discretion (Level 2).
Leadership: No direct leadership responsibilities (Level 1).
Responsibility for Resources: Focus on data quality rather than direct asset responsibility (Level 1).
Physical Conditions: Standard office role with low physical strain (Level 1).
Psychological Conditions: Some time pressure around closing periods, but overall moderate mental demands (Level 1).
4.3 HR Business Partner
Role summary
The HR Business Partner (HRBP) acts as a strategic partner to business leaders, aligning HR initiatives with business goals. The role covers talent management, employee relations, performance management, and compliance with labor regulations.
Factor interpretation
Education: Bachelor’s degree in HR or related field (Level 6).
Experience: At least 5 years of HR experience, preferably in relevant contexts (Level 5).
Social Skills: Strong communication and influencing skills to support leaders and employees, but not yet at top-level executive negotiation (Level 3).
Cognitive Skills: Complex problem-solving in people and organizational matters; adapting policies and processes (Level 4).
Impact: Influences HR practices at a unit or functional level, guiding operational planning (Level 4).
Leadership: Coordinates and mentors but has limited formal line-management responsibilities (Level 2).
Responsibility for Resources: Indirect influence on human capital but not direct asset management (Level 2).
Physical Conditions: Office-based role (Level 1).
Psychological Conditions: Handles conflict, employee relations, and change processes, causing periodic emotional strain (Level 2).
4.4 Store Manager
Role summary
The Store Manager is responsible for day-to-day store operations, staff leadership, financial performance, and customer experience. The role ensures adherence to policies, merchandising standards, and safety regulations.
Factor interpretation
Education: Vocational or applied business knowledge; bachelor’s degree preferred but not mandatory (Level 5).
Experience: Several years of retail management experience (Level 4).
Social Skills: Managing staff, customers, and internal stakeholders requires strong social and negotiation capabilities (Level 3).
Cognitive Skills: Daily problem-solving based on known practices and operational judgement (Level 3).
Impact: Responsible for operational and financial performance at store/unit level (Level 4).
Leadership: First-line manager leading store employees, typically without academic requirements (Level 4).
Responsibility for Resources: Responsible for inventory and store assets of meaningful value (Level 2).
Physical Conditions: Indoor retail work with limited physical strain (Level 1).
Psychological Conditions: Frequent time pressure, customer issues, and staff matters create moderate stress (Level 2).
4.5 Web Designer
Role summary
The Web Designer designs and maintains the e-commerce website, focusing on user experience, design, technical updates, and collaboration with marketing and IT to support business goals.
Factor interpretation
Education: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as web or graphic design (Level 6).
Experience: Around 3 years of relevant web design and e-commerce experience (Level 3).
Social Skills: Regular collaboration with internal teams, but limited conflict or negotiation (Level 2).
Cognitive Skills: Balances technical and creative problem-solving, often using known tools in new combinations (Level 3).
Impact: Manages own work with some influence on web design and user experience, but not overall business outcomes (Level 3).
Leadership: No formal leadership responsibility (Level 1).
Responsibility for Resources: Impacts digital presence but does not own the underlying platform or core assets (Level 1).
Physical Conditions: Standard office/remote IT role (Level 1).
Psychological Conditions: Mostly predictable tasks and improvements with moderate mental load (Level 1).
4.6 Warehouse Worker
Role summary
The Warehouse Worker receives, stores, and dispatches goods. The role handles inventory, operates equipment such as forklifts, and collaborates with logistics and store teams to ensure efficient flow of goods.
Factor interpretation
Education: Upper secondary education plus practical certifications (Level 4).
Experience: Around 2 years of warehouse or logistics experience (Level 3).
Social Skills: Basic coordination and cooperation inside the operation; limited complex communication (Level 1).
Cognitive Skills: Uses established procedures to solve issues like stock discrepancies (Level 2).
Impact: Works within set routines with limited influence (Level 2).
Leadership: No leadership responsibilities (Level 1).
Responsibility for Resources: Operates valuable equipment and manages stock with financial implications (Level 2).
Physical Conditions: Regular physical work, lifting, and moving goods; noticeable but manageable risk (Level 2).
Psychological Conditions: Routine and predictable work with limited emotional strain (Level 1).
4.7 Facilities Manager
Role summary
The Facilities Manager oversees maintenance and leases for store locations, manages facility budgets and contracts, ensures compliance with regulations, and coordinates crisis responses when needed.
Factor interpretation
Education: Vocational/applied education, sometimes complemented by higher studies; bachelor stated but practical route common (Level 5).
Experience: At least 5 years in facilities or property management (Level 5).
Social Skills: Negotiates leases, manages vendors, and handles compliance-related discussions (Level 3).
Cognitive Skills: Applies industry knowledge to recurring but context-specific problems such as equipment failures or inspections (Level 3).
Impact: Ensures operational consistency across multiple locations and influences standards and practices (Level 4).
Leadership: Coordinates vendors and activities but lacks formal line-management responsibilities (Level 2).
Responsibility for Resources: Manages facilities, leases, equipment, and service contracts of significant value (Level 2).
Physical Conditions: Mostly office work and site visits with low physical strain (Level 1).
Psychological Conditions: Occasional crisis handling but generally moderate mental load (Level 1).
5. Summary
Sysarb’s Factor Plan offers a structured, transparent framework for evaluating jobs through clearly defined factors and levels. By systematically assessing education, experience, social and cognitive demands, impact, leadership, responsibilities, and working conditions, organizations can:
Build a robust job architecture.
Support pay equity and fair grading.
Improve transparency in role expectations and career progression.
The example of “Alltid Swedish Sensibility” demonstrates how the factor plan is applied consistently across different job types, from frontline retail roles to specialist and managerial positions.