Professional Services

The vendor is required to provide professional services for classification and compensation study.
- Information meetings:
• Executive overview briefings with the chief executive officer (CEO), chief operations officer (COO), board of commissioners (BOC), human resources (HR), and department heads regarding methodology and stakeholder expectations.
• Hold recorded employee orientation sessions to explain the study’s objectives, processes, potential outcomes, and employees’ role in contributing to the study.
• The responder will also explain the position information questionnaire (PIQ) process
• HR to provide project updates, receive feedback, and ensure progress at critical milestones
- Classification component:
• The county code and administrative procedures in all areas related to classification and compensation, organizational charts, existing classification and compensation pay plan, county salary schedules, and other related information.
• Develop a concise position information questionnaire (PIQ) with clear instructions for completion and distribution to employees
• For standardized job classifications, such as crew workers, it may not be necessary for every employee to complete the questionnaire
• Utilize best practice methodologies to develop a classification structure that aligns with the county's needs
• Additionally, department head titles in the county code should be reviewed and updated based on the responder's recommendations
• Assess current classifications of positions and develop or revise classification specifications in a format approved by hr.
• Include minimum knowledge, skills, abilities, core competencies, and fair labor standards act (FLSA) status
• Additionally, physical requirements and environmental factors should be accurately detailed to align with the work performed
• The selected methodology must align with the county’s objectives, adhere to best practices, and ensure desired internal equity
• A classification hierarchy that reflects the county’s desired internal equity, which shall include the development of career ladders.
• Recommend classification series and levels as deemed necessary
• All employees to an appropriate job classification, including corresponding job classification numbers ensuring that all classifications within a job family and series are similarly numbered.
• A clear and user-friendly classification maintenance system for the HR department to ensure the system remains current and equitable
• The system should be provided in an electronic format and include guidelines for annual updates, as well as procedures for HR to review and adjust the classification of individual jobs as necessary.
- Compensation component
• The current compensation structure and pay practices to identify opportunities for improvement, including the appropriateness of range spreads, the use of open ranges versus salary steps, compression issues, and pay components such as longevity pay, educational incentives, specialty pay, bilingual pay, hazardous duty pay, and shift differentials. based on the analysis, the responder will develop and propose alternatives to enhance pay practices and address identified areas for improvement
• Identify benchmark jobs for comparison including but not limited to:
a) Classifications widely acknowledged as having universal job duties
b) Classifications that have the largest number of employees, commonly found in most jurisdictions
• Identify other critical classifications as follows:
a) Classifications for which recruitment and retention have been difficult
b) Classifications that have high public interest (i.e., public safety)
c) Classifications that are highly technical and vital to the organization
d) Executive level classifications
e) Elected and non-merit administrative positions in the executive, legislative and judicial offices
• Collect and compile survey data to establish the current competitive market using a combination of the following:
a) Comparison with pay plans for metro jurisdictions including counties, and city.
b) Custom surveys for regional
c) Published survey data for comparable private sector salary data
d) Utilize 2024 salary data or aged data to match similar positions; and may consider the county’s current fringe benefit level for comparison.
e) Design a salary plan and assign grades for all classifications to establish a pay plan that is externally competitive and reflective of the appropriate internal equity.
f) Determine methodology to place each employee within the range based on objective criteria and identify any outlying current individual or group compensation inequities and to provide a recommended corrective action plan and process to remedy these situations.
g) Conduct a compression analysis to include any recommendations for implementation to address future compression; entry-level positions have been impacted due to the increasing minimum wage over the years.
h) Recommend employees may progress through established salary ranges, i.e., if pay chart with steps is recommended, how would employees progress through steps, i.e., longevity pay, pay for performance, annual colas, etc. also, if pay chart with ranges recommended; how would employees progress through the ranges, i.e., longevity pay, pay for performance, annual colas, etc. or other recommendation for pay chart.
i) Develop guidelines to assist county staff with determining the starting pay for new employees based on knowledge and experience above the minimum requirements of the position, how difficult the position is to fill, and market competitiveness.
j) Determine whether the proposed changes conflict with code, procedures and/or suggest changes to code, procedures and practices to allow smooth implementation.
k) Calculate the cost of implementation of new pay plan, incorporating alternative proposals, spreading the cost over multiple years, if necessary.
l) Work with HR, to recommend strategies to CEO/COO and BOC for implementing new pay plan, giving due consideration to funding availability, with emphasis placed on correcting existing pay issues in a fair and equitable manner.
m) Design and facilitate, in conjunction with HR, an employee appeals process for the impact/results of the study that conforms to county policy.
n) Recommend improvements to compensation policies and procedures, and on-going maintenance of pay plan, incorporating performance appraisal process, career ladders, and other methods used to move employees through pay ranges.
o) Provide consultation, review, and technical support for one year after completion of the study.
p) The county is not under any obligation to implement the successful responder’s recommendations.
- Contract Period/Term: 12 Month
- Non-Mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference Date: March 03, 2025
- Mandatory County First Agency Meeting Date: February 26, 2025, or March 05, 2025
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: March 07, 2025