How Holly Finds and Scores Matches
Holly conducts comprehensive searches to find the most relevant comparisons for your job specification.
This analysis uses sophisticated scoring systems developed in partnership with HR departments and classification teams to ensure meaningful, actionable results.
For internal comparisons: Holly surfaces all matches above 60% similarity within your organization, helping you identify potential equity issues, merge candidates, and career progression relationships.
For external comparisons: Holly searches across all your comparator jurisdictions and aims to surface at least one match above 70% similarity per jurisdiction, giving you a comprehensive view of how comparable organizations structure similar roles.
What Goes Into Similarity Scoring
Holly evaluates four key areas to determine how similar job specifications are to each other. The specific weighting differs between internal and external analysis to account for different comparison purposes.
For Internal Comparisons:
Duties (50%) - Core functional tasks and responsibilities that define the role's purpose
Seniority & Supervisory Level (25%) - Organizational level, decision-making authority, and independence
Required Knowledge & Skills (15%) - Educational requirements, certifications, and foundational knowledge
Work Environment & Context (10%) - Physical conditions, safety requirements, and operational context
For External Comparisons:
Functional Responsibilities & Duties (40%) - Core tasks with focus on transferable functions across organizations
Seniority & Authority Level (30%) - Organizational level comparison across different organizational structures
Required Qualifications & Market Standards (20%) - Industry-standard requirements valued across similar organizations
Work Environment & Context (10%) - Working conditions and operational context
Journey Level Focus: When specifications include multiple grade levels, Holly focuses on the "journey level" - typically the core or standard level of the classification (often Grade II) rather than entry or senior levels. This ensures fair comparisons by matching equivalent organizational levels across specifications.
Detailed Analysis Available
When you expand any comparison, Holly provides comprehensive analysis explaining the relationship between specifications, including specific factors driving the similarity score and actionable recommendations.
Each detailed analysis includes:
Summary overview - High-level assessment of the relationship between the two roles and their alignment across core responsibilities
Key similarities - Specific shared duties, requirements, and responsibilities that contribute to the match score
Key differences - Important distinctions in context, scope, specialized requirements, or operational environment that affect comparison validity
Strategic evaluation - Holly's assessment of what the comparison means for your work, including:
Merge feasibility and considerations
Internal equity implications
Market positioning insights
Classification management recommendations
This analysis helps you understand not just how similar two specifications are, but why they match and how to use that information in your decision-making process.
Customization and Standards
Holly's similarity analysis represents standard methodology developed through extensive collaboration with HR departments and classification teams across the public sector. This ensures consistent, reliable analysis that meets professional standards for classification and compensation work.
Custom analysis available: Holly can work with organizations to customize similarity scoring criteria to meet specific organizational needs or classification methodologies.
This similarity analysis provides the foundation for informed decision-making about internal equity, external market positioning, and strategic classification management.