a job. Compensable factors may be adapted from existing point evaluation plans or may be custom designed to reflect the unique values of an organization. Regardless of how they originate, factors should be weighted relative to their importance. For example, a research-and-development firm may assign more points to education and experience factors than would a manufacturing facility. Conversely, the manufacturing facility may assign more points to a working conditions factor than would an accounting firm. The point evaluation system presented in Exhibit 12.6 has six compensable factors. The total maximum number of points in this system is 1,000, and the total minimum number of points is 225. Notice that the maximum points assigned to the factors can easily b translated into weights expressed in percentages. To obtain the factor weights, simply divide the maximum points for each factor by the total points possible (1,000). This yields the following weights for factors 1 to 6, respectively: 20 percent, 26 percent, 24 percent, 5 percent, 10 percent, and 15 percent. Once factors are chosen and weighted, the next step is to construct scales reflecting the different degrees within each factor. Exhibit 12.7 shows descriptions for five degrees of the problem-solving factor in Exhibit 12 Notice that each degree is anchored by a description of the typical tasks and behaviors associated with that degree.