Salary Study Services

The Vendor is required to provide to conduct a salary study as requested per the Board of Supervisors.
- The study is being conducted to evaluate whether employee compensation is fair, competitive, and aligned with industry standards.
- The study will also assist the County in developing a strategy to implement changes in compensation to a competitive level in the future.
- Conduct a compensation study which will include an option to provide an annual salary survey to ensure the County’s pay plan remains competitive.
- Employs approximately 584 employees (382 full time and 202 part time).
- Current classification and compensation system is a pay grade system consisting of 35 grades.
- This study shall include an examination of the County’s compensation system and shall make recommendations for compensation policies, procedures and practices.
- The study shall be conducted in accordance with generally accepted compensation methods, and applicable federal and state laws. 
- The study is limited to gathering information on salary data only, and not benefits information.
- Compensation Study
•    Schedule an initial meeting with the county to discuss the process and tasks to be performed to include reasonable dedication of key personnel.
•    Provide weekly progress reports to include data collected.
•    Recommend and identify a market position for county.
•    Develop a comprehensive labor market salary survey for the tri-cities area that reflects the public sector to include the cities. The offeror may also identify other appropriately comparable public entities and/or localities for review.
•    The market salary will include the following:
o    Market salary survey comparison to county for each benchmark position for each position by minimum, midpoint, and maximum.
o    Prepare cost analysis for employees in positions that fall below the proposed minimum salaries.
o    Combined average pay plan salary range comparison to county for each benchmark position by minimum, midpoint, and maximum.
•    Recommend appropriate salary range for each existing or proposed position based on the classification plan, the compensation survey results, and internal relationships and equity.
•    In addition, to number 5 above, recommend salary range to include percent spreads between ranges and within ranges for each position based on the median and mean salary of comparable cities. 
•    Prepare a new salary structure (if warranted) based on the results of the survey and best practices.
•    Recommend implementation strategies including calculating the cost of implementing the study with a phased approach that would be implemented over a three (3) year period.
•    Provide system documentation and computer formats as approved by the finance director and human resources director.
•    Conduct analysis of pay policies and practices and develop recommendations for the ongoing internal administration and maintenance of the proposed compensation plan.
•    Conduct a compression analysis to include any recommendations for implementation, if required.
- Study Conclusion
•    Prepare a written report of recommendations, including discussion of methods, techniques, and data used to develop the compensation plan.
•    Provide instructional information to allow county staff to conduct individual salary audits and adjustments consistent with study methods until the next formal study is conducted.
•    Attend meetings, if requested, throughout the process with the county administrator, finance director, HR Director, and/or Board of Supervisors to explain the methodology, survey results, and recommendations. The Offeror should budget for two (2) board meetings.

- Contract Period/Term: 1 year
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: October 1, 2025