Compensation and Classification Study Services

The vendor is required to provide to conduct a compensation and classification study of its employees.
- Evaluate the county’s current compensation and classification system, to include all policies related to hiring, retention, salary increases, etc.
- Identify internal equity and external competitiveness.
- Ensure positions performing similar work with essentially the same level of complexity, responsibility, and knowledge, skills, and abilities are classified together.
- Recommend updates to pay plans, job classifications, and policies.
- Clearly outline promotional opportunities, ladder positions and provide recognizable compensation growth.
- Ensure compliance with FLSA, EEO, state statute, and other regulatory requirements.
- Maintain a competitive position with other comparable governmental entities and private employers within the same geographic area, to include starting wage, calculation of overtime, and additional supplemental pay.
- An analysis of the current pay plan, policies, and processes.
- A comprehensive report, including benchmarking and market analysis of direct compensation to determine the value of the county’s current program, market comparisons and recommendations for alternatives and cost projections reflecting cost/savings to the county; the report shall include recommendations (to include any policy changes), alternatives, and cost projections as well as narrative, graphs and charts both at detail and high level.
- Analysis of data for each job shall be provided to the county including the following information: degree of match, range minimum, range maximum, actual averages, overtime calculation, and hours per year of incumbent employees of market comparable.
- The methodology used to place positions and/or construct the pay structure should be fully defined.
- Charts and graphs depicting how the position of the county’s jobs compare in relation to the comparable market and recommended placement in a compensation structure.
- Provide for a comprehensive evaluation of every job within the county to determine relative worth within the organization for internal equity and for the establishment of pay ranges and progressions within the ranges.
- Review all current job classifications, confirm, and recommend changes to hierarchical order of jobs using your evaluation system.
- Establish appropriate benchmarking standards and conduct salary surveys as needed for similar positions with comparable local governments and private employers as required.
- Identify potential pay compression issues and provide potential solutions.
- Analyze and recommend changes to the present compensation structure to meet market analysis. 
• This recommendation may include recommendations for individual positions. - Classification study
• Review current classification methodology and propose recommended strategies for the county.
• Conduct interviews and/or job audits as appropriate.
• Interviews and/or job audits may be conducted individually or in groups based upon classification.
• Update job descriptions, and provide job descriptions if none are available, to uniformly reflect the distinguishing characteristics, essential job functions, minimum qualifications (education/experience and knowledge/skills/abilities), working conditions (physical demands, work environment, and travel requirements), and certification/licenses/registrations requirements for classification as needed.
• Finalize class specifications and recommend appropriate classification for each employee, including correction of identified discrepancies between existing and proposed classifications.
• Submit recommendations, if any, to modify the current policy to hire above minimum as well as recommendations on career ladders/promotional opportunities, as deemed appropriate.
• Submit recommendations for appropriate implementation measures that the human resources staff will need to take.
- Compensation study
• Review the current compensation plan (salary bands) and understand current challenges in recruiting and retaining employees.
• Recommend and identify a consistent and competitive market position that the county can strive to maintain.
• Recommend comparable labor markets, including both private and public sector employers for compensation surveys.
• Develop and conduct a comprehensive compensation and benefits survey.
• Recommend appropriate salary range for each position based on the classification plan, the compensation survey results, the internal relationships and internal equity. 
• Prepare a new salary structure based on the results of the survey and best practices. 
• 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.
• Develop policy recommendations for the administration and maintenance of the classification and compensation plan.
1. Provide a salary determination methodology that is streamlined, transparent, and easy to understand, including recommendations for consistently and equitably valuing candidates’ prior experience and any potential triggers that would necessitate a deviation from the normal process.
2. Provide a strategy for monitoring market position, inflation, compression, and internal equity on an annual basis.
3. Provide a strategy for the employees’ progression through the pay plan that is transparent, easy to understand, and easy to administer.
4. Provide a policy recommendation for internal employee reallocation (promotion, transfer, etc.).
5. Provide training to designated HR staff members on the utilization and maintenance of the classification and compensation system.
6. Prepare implementation and maintenance manuals for future use and conduct comprehensive training sessions for HR staff members.
- Provide recommendations for the ongoing internal administration and maintenance of the proposed compensation plan. 
- Maintenance should include annual activities such as a market survey.
- Contract Period/Term: 1 year
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: July 18, 2025