Help Centre
Frequently asked questions
Everything about how lvlst grades roles, builds salary bands, runs payroll and performance cycles, and manages leave. Can't find your answer? Email us at support@lvlst.com — one of us will get back to you personally.
About lvlst
What is lvlst?
lvlst grades any job role against a clear, proven methodology and shows its real market salary band — using live data for the GCC and Egypt. It helps you build a consistent salary structure and see how your people are positioned against the market. It also offers Payroll, Performance Management, and Leave Management together in the People Suite, with one shared employee directory. The name reflects what it does: it helps you level-set your pay and your people, getting every role onto one fair, objective scale.
What is a job evaluation platform?
A job evaluation platform is software that grades every role in a company against a consistent, objective methodology, then maps each grade to a market salary band — work that traditionally required an expensive consulting project. lvlst's job evaluation platform does this self-serve: you answer five structured questions about a role and get its grade, salary band, and market positioning in minutes, using live data for the GCC and Egypt.
Is lvlst job evaluation software or a consultancy?
Software. lvlst is a self-serve job evaluation and HR platform — rigorous methodology without the consulting engagement or waiting period. Evaluate roles when you need to and use the result to build a consistent salary structure.
Who is lvlst for?
HR leaders, founders, and finance teams — anyone who needs to set or review pay fairly and consistently across the GCC (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman) and Egypt.
How is this different from hiring a compensation consultant?
A rigorous, structured methodology delivered self-serve, with regional market data and results in minutes rather than months.
Which markets and currencies does lvlst cover?
Seven markets: the six GCC countries and Egypt. Salary figures are shown in your company's local currency, based on the country set on your account.
HR guidance
What is the difference between job evaluation and job grading?
Job evaluation compares roles by their relative scope, accountability, knowledge requirements, and business impact. Job grading then groups roles of a similar size into a shared grade. Put simply: evaluation helps you understand the role; grading gives that understanding a consistent home. Read the full comparison, or see how lvlst evaluates and grades roles.
How often should roles be re-evaluated?
There is no universal timetable. Set a review rhythm your organisation can maintain, then review a role sooner when its scope changes materially, the organisation restructures, or a genuinely new role is created. Re-evaluate the job, not the person in it. Our guide explains when to re-evaluate roles and what evidence to use.
What is performance management?
Performance management is the ongoing cycle of setting expectations, discussing progress, adjusting goals when priorities change, and reviewing contribution fairly. An annual appraisal can be part of it, but it should not be the only conversation. Read the practical guide, or explore lvlst Performance Management.
Which goal-setting framework should we use for performance reviews?
Choose for the work, not the acronym. OKRs can suit fast-moving, outcome-led teams; management by objectives can suit roles with clear commitments; and competency frameworks help describe how work should be done. Many organisations use a considered blend. Compare the main goal-setting frameworks before deciding what your managers can apply consistently.
How it works
How does lvlst grade a role?
You evaluate the role against five factors. For each, you pick the level that best matches what the role genuinely requires. lvlst combines these into a grade (one of 14), and maps that grade to a real market salary band for your country.
What are the five factors?
- Knowledge & Expertise
- Problem Solving & Decision Making
- Leadership & People Management
- Financial & Business Impact
- Stakeholder & Relationship Complexity
How long does it take?
A single role takes just a few minutes to grade.
Should I grade the role or the person in it?
Always grade the role, not the person currently in it — what the job genuinely and routinely requires when performed competently. If a role sits between two levels, choose the lower one unless the higher-level demands are a regular part of the work.
Do you show how the score is calculated?
The methodology is transparent — five clearly defined factors with described levels. lvlst shows you the grade and the level you selected for each factor, so it's explainable, not a black box.
Grades & salary bands
What grades does lvlst use?
14 grades, from entry-level roles up to C-suite. Each grade maps to a market salary band.
What salary figures do I get?
For each role, lvlst shows a salary band (minimum, midpoint, and maximum) across Basic, Gross, and Total Earnings, in your local currency — plus where a current salary sits within the band.
How is "positioning" decided?
lvlst compares the current gross salary you enter against the role's gross band and shows whether it's below, in, or above the market band.
Are the numbers adjusted for my country and company size?
Yes — bands reflect the local market for your country, and are adjusted for company size.
Job Evaluation pricing
Is my first evaluation free?
Yes. Each company can evaluate its first role free, with no credit card required.
How does Job Evaluation pricing work?
Job Evaluation is sold in one-time role bundles:
- Starter — $1,490 — up to 10 roles
- Growth — $2,490 — up to 30 roles
- Business — $3,490 — up to 50 roles
- Corporate — $5,990 — up to 100 roles
- Enterprise — custom (contact us)
Is Job Evaluation a subscription?
No. New Job Evaluation bundles are one-time purchases, valid for 12 months from purchase, with no automatic renewal. You can buy another bundle when you need one.
How long does a Job Evaluation bundle last?
12 months from purchase. There is no automatic renewal.
Can I add more roles later?
Yes. Buy another one-time role bundle whenever you need to evaluate more roles.
Performance Management
What is the Performance Management module?
Part of the People Suite, Performance Management is a complete performance-cycle tool for your whole organisation. You set up your company structure (departments, divisions, branches), add employees, and run evaluation cycles: employees set weighted goals, managers review and score goals and competencies, and HR approves the final results. Every employee ends the cycle with a clear, defensible score.
How does an evaluation cycle work?
Each cycle follows a structured flow: the employee drafts weighted goals, their manager approves them, the employee submits a self-assessment at the end of the period, the manager scores goals and competencies, and HR reviews and finalises. Manager scores stay hidden from the employee until HR finalises the result, so conversations happen at the right time.
How are performance scores calculated?
Each goal and competency is rated by the manager on a clear 1–5 scale, weighted by the importance you assign, and combined into a final score out of 100. Goal weights must add up to 100%, so every score is transparent and defensible — no black box.
What are competencies, and can I customise them?
Competencies are the behaviours you rate alongside goals — things like communication, leadership, or quality of work. lvlst comes with a ready-made library, and you can add, edit, or remove competencies and set how much they count towards the final score.
How do I set up my organisation?
A guided setup walks you through it step by step: company settings, locations, structure (divisions, departments, branches), grades, competencies, people, and reporting lines. You can add employees one by one or import your whole organisation at once from an Excel file.
Can employees see their manager's scores during the review?
No — manager scores and comments stay hidden from the employee until HR reviews and finalises the result. That keeps the process fair and makes sure feedback conversations happen at the right moment, not mid-review.
Do my employees need their own accounts?
Yes — you invite employees by email, and each signs in securely with their own login. Employees only see their own goals and results; managers see their team; and HR sees the full picture.
How much does Performance Management cost?
Performance Management is included in the annual People Suite subscription. Your plan's employee allowance is shared across Payroll, Performance Management, and Leave Management — employees are counted once, not separately for each workflow. Contact us for People Suite pricing.
What happens if I reach my plan's employee limit?
The People Suite covers a set number of active employees across all three workflows. If you grow past that allowance, upgrade to the next plan — or contact us for 501+ employees.
Can I cancel my Performance Management subscription?
Yes, any time — from your profile via the secure billing portal. Your access continues until the end of the period you've paid for.
Do I need Performance Management to use job evaluation (or vice versa)?
No. Job Evaluation is available separately as a one-time role bundle. Performance Management is included with the People Suite, alongside Payroll and Leave Management.
Leave Management
What is the Leave Management module?
Included in the People Suite, Leave Management is a complete leave tool for your whole organisation. You define your leave types (annual, sick, maternity, and any custom types) with days per year, accrual, carry-over, and document requirements; employees request leave from their own account; and requests are approved by the line manager first, then HR. Balances are tracked automatically.
How does leave approval work?
Each request follows your reporting lines: the employee submits a request, their line manager approves or declines it, and HR gives the final approval. Everyone sees only what they need — employees their own leave, managers their team's, and HR the full picture.
Can I set different entitlements for different people?
Yes — alongside company-wide defaults, you can set policy overrides for a department, a grade, or an individual employee. The most specific rule wins, and a built-in preview shows any employee's resolved balance before you commit.
How do I set up Leave Management?
A guided setup walks you through it: locations, your organisation structure (optional), people, reporting lines, leave types, and any policy overrides. You can add employees one by one or import your whole organisation at once from an Excel file — and if you already set up Performance Management, your organisation carries over automatically.
How much does Leave Management cost?
Leave Management is included in the annual People Suite subscription. The same employee allowance and directory are shared with Payroll and Performance Management. Contact us for People Suite pricing.
Do I need Performance Management to use Leave Management?
Leave Management is included with the People Suite, along with Payroll and Performance Management. Set up employees once and use the same directory across all three workflows.
Payroll & People Suite
What is included in the People Suite?
Payroll, Performance Management, and Leave Management in one annual subscription. They share one employee directory and one employee allowance, so an employee counts once across the Suite.
Which countries does Payroll support?
Payroll provides country-specific calculations for the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Egypt.
What does Payroll calculate in Egypt?
For 2026, Egypt calculations include employee social insurance at 11% of insurable salary, using a monthly insurable range of EGP 2,700–16,700; progressive employment income tax after an EGP 20,000 annual personal exemption; and a Martyrs' Fund deduction of 0.05% of monthly gross earnings.
Can I manage employee schooling benefits?
Yes. You can create country-linked schooling policies, choose one shared family balance or a separate allowance for each child, enrol dependants, collect claims and receipts, and review each claim. Your policy controls the benefit; lvlst does not decide statutory eligibility or submit reimbursements to an authority.
Does Payroll file taxes or guarantee compliance?
No. lvlst applies its implemented country-specific calculation rules, but it does not submit statutory filings, provide legal advice, or guarantee compliance for every situation. Confirm your obligations with the appropriate local adviser or authority.
Payment, refunds & reports
How do I pay, and is it secure?
Securely by card at checkout. Payments are processed by Stripe, our payment provider, which issues your receipt. Card details are handled by Stripe; lvlst does not store your full card information.
What's your refund policy?
Because a role's result is delivered immediately when you reveal it, revealed evaluations are non-refundable. If you think there's been a billing error or technical issue, contact support@lvlst.com and we'll review it in good faith.
What do I get at the end?
An on-screen result, plus a company report you can export to PDF and Excel, and a read-only share link that expires after 30 days.
Data, accounts & privacy
Where does the salary data come from, and how often is it updated?
lvlst is built on market data for the GCC and Egypt, refreshed quarterly so your structure reflects current conditions.
How do I sign up?
With your email — you'll receive a one-time code to verify. After signing up you'll add your company details (name, country, city, organisation size), which set your salary currency and report context.
Is my salary data confidential?
Yes. The company and salary data you enter is stored against your account and is accessible only to authorised users of your account. Shared report links are read-only and expire after 30 days. See our Privacy Policy for full details.
Is my employees' performance data confidential?
Yes. Goals, ratings, and review comments are visible only on a need-to-know basis: employees see their own finalised results, managers see their team, and HR sees the organisation. Performance data is never shared outside your company, sold, or pooled into benchmarks. See our Privacy Policy for full details.
What lvlst is — and isn't
Can lvlst tell me exactly what to pay someone?
Yes — lvlst gives you the market band and shows exactly where a salary sits within it, so you can make every pay decision with evidence behind it. The final call is always yours: lvlst equips you with consultant-grade data to make it confidently. For legal or regulatory questions specific to your situation, your own advisers remain the right port of call.
Still have a question?
Grade your first role free, or reach us directly — one of us will get back to you personally.
Grade a role free →Email support@lvlst.com · lvlst — level-set your pay