Base Pay Approach for the Compensation Strategy
The right compensation strategy is an important aspect of the organization as it leads to the improvement of the organization competitive advantage. On the other hand, wrong compensation strategy creates room for the failure of the company (Matthew, 2014). This is because improper strategy causes underperformance among the employees. Therefore, it is appropriate for the organization to ensure that its compensation strategy is feasible and addresses the needs of the employees. Failure to observe this the full potential of the employees may never be utilized leading to decreased performance (Pearce, 2010). This should be followed by the analysis of the three critical aspects that comprises of defining the market, knowing the competitiveness the company wants to achieve and choosing what to reward (Danish, 2010). In the context of this report budget allocation is the most appropriate compensation strategy for the client. This strategy includes allocating compensation based on the base pay or salary, performance benefits, and indirect incentives.
Benchmark Positions in the Salary Survey
Job Descriptions |
Studies indicate that job descriptions are the best techniques of matching positions (Namasivayam, Miao, & Zhao, 2010). This is because job titles may be different but job descriptions are the same. Different companies are structured differently, and they use different job titles for the same job. Therefore, this report highly recommends to the client to use the job description as the basis of targeting the external market. |
Compensation Data |
A good compensation survey should obtain salary data from different companies. This because different companies use different pay structures. Therefore, compensation data should be analyzed to ensure that employees are not underpaid or overpaid. This will include exploring minimum, medium and the maximum salary in the market in addition to the base pay offered to the employees. |
Incentives and Bonuses |
This entails analyzing the actual annual payments and the target performance level expressed by the base pay when determining bonuses and incentives to offer the employees. This incentives and bonuses may vary with companies. Therefore, it is important to have a thorough scrutiny on what is added to the incentives and bonus category. |
Other Payments |
As business environments are changing, likewise, the compensation forms are changing to include elements such as stock grants and profit sharing (Mphil & Arslan, 2014). For example, an incentive for a senior manager can be important as his base salary. Similarly, an executive compensation for the company commencing its business can be highly stock compensation other than cash pay. |
As noted above the compensation of the employees involves several rewards. These rewards may be classified as base pay, performance pay and indirect pay. This report will discuss on how the client should use each approach in the recommended compensation strategy.
Provided that base pay or salary is the major reward of the employees it should always at the largest percentage (Ellig, 2012). Therefore, in the budget allocation strategy recommended to the client base pay should be 90 percent. This will ensure that the employees are kept motivated through even if other benefits associated with the job are not available. Again, given that each company is out to develop and maintain a good reputation as a well-paying company the client should ensure that the basic salary paid to the employees is above that of the competitors (Shearer, 2008). This comes with several advantages such as attracting the best labor in the market and avoiding the intervention of trade unions or employment government agencies.
Internal Factors
Profitability: If the major goal of the company is to realize high-profit margins at the end of the trading period. Then, it is forced to pay its employees below average industry wage (Shearer, 2008). However, this can have alarming effects, and the company may fail to realize the anticipated profits (Rizwan & Ali, 2010). This report recommends that paying employees well it comes together with increased profit. This is because employees will be motivated, they will utilize their total potential, the performance will increase and finally the sales of the company will increase leading to the increased profits.
Internal Factors to Consider for the Compensation Strategy
Company Size: Small companies tends to pay their employees low compared to the big companies (Aslam & Ghaffar, 2015). However, provided that the client company is a big one it is recommended to maintain a base pay of 90 percent.
Labour Market: The salary to be paid by the employers depends on the unemployment rates in the market (Shearer, 2008). When they are high, the employers are likely to pay low compared to when they are low (Muhamad, Idrus, & Mintarti, 2014). In the client’s labor market the unemployment rate is low. Therefore, the company has no other alternative rather than to pay a higher base pay.
Competitors: Company competitors are offering higher pay to their employees. Therefore, the report recommends that the client should receive a higher base salary to attract the experienced and competent competitors’ employees.
Trade Unions: To avoid the pressures and industrial strikes initiated by the trade unions the company should aim to pay a higher basic salary.
Base Pay Structure
The client will establish a pay structure by developing various job grades. This should be followed by identifying a market line and then finally computing pay ranges (Jenaibi, 2010). Upon accomplishing the above three tasks, the client should set up pay structure based on the pay for a person. This is because base pay will be paid irrespective of the normal business hours an employee stays in the workplace. Similarly, the administrator pay structure will be based on the paid person.
Salary Ranges
Salary ranges will be designed according to the market research provided to the client. Alternatively, the base pay structure will be guided by step-based compensation system. This means the salary structure will be subjected to the standard progression rates within a pay range for a job. The employees will progress to the next level of payment by promotion or performance.
Grade Code |
Navigation |
Usage |
|
Job Class |
Analysis of the workforce |
Job class codes creation |
|
Definition |
Defining base pay structure |
Establishing base pay structure ID |
|
Grades |
Setting up base pay structure |
Developing various ranges of the base pay structure |
|
Steps |
Creating base pay structure steps |
Revising base pay steps for each grade |
|
Grade Assignment |
Assigning pay grades |
Assigning grades to job codes. |
On the other side, the salary structure will be based on the 90 percent and will be arrived based on the minimum, midpoint and maximum approaches.
Proposed Ranges |
Minimum |
Midpoint |
Maximum |
Grade I |
$1000 |
$1250 |
$1500 |
Senior Manager |
$900 |
$1125 |
$1350 |
Grade II |
$800 |
$1000 |
$1200 |
HR Assistant |
$720 |
$900 |
$1080 |
Grade I
$1250-$1000 = 250
250/1000 = 0.25
Market rate = $1250
Minimum = (1250/1.25) = $1000
Maximum =1000 + (0.5 x 1000) = $1500
Grade II
$1000-$800
200/1000 = 0.2
Market rate = $1000
Minimum = (1000/1.2) = $800
Maximum = 800 + (0.2 x 800) = $1200
Upon calculating for range spread the base pay structure remains the same for all employees. This is because the spread range is based on the fixed percentage.
Pay Structure for the Compensation Strategy
Only seven percent will go to the performance pay. The pay will be allocated to the specific job grades, and it will be effected as an employee moves from one grade to another. This will apply to all employees in specific job groups. The extraordinary performance of the employees will be rewarded through the provision of bonuses. This approach is associated with several advantages and disadvantages.
Pros
- Improves performance within a short span of time.
- Appeals to employees compared to the non-monetary incentives.
Cons
- Motivation to performance can disappear immediately the employee is rewarded.
- Continued provision of bonuses can be perceived as a culture resulting t resentment among the employees.
In addition to the bonus, this report recommends that the client shout carries out a performance review within four months. The company can use sales or production to gauge the performance of the employees.
The remaining three percent of the budget allocation should go to indirect pay. This should include a medical cover, child care, retirement benefits, further employee education and training and leave benefits.
Program |
Group |
Cost per year |
Medical Cover |
All permanent employees |
$10,000 |
Child care |
Women below the age of 45 years |
$5000 |
Retirement Benefits |
All employees |
$20,000 |
Education and Training |
Employees below 35 years |
$10,000 |
Leave benefits |
All employees |
$5000 |
Total Budget |
$50,000 |
Purpose
The company aims to be the best rewarding organization to its employees. This will ensure that the employees work and the shareholders do business. Therefore, the company strives to ensure fair distribution of the business profits.
Compensation Criteria
The compensation of the employees will be based on the survey collected locally, nationally and globally. This will also be influenced by the internal and external factors facing the company.
Responsibilities
The funds allocated for compensation will be approved by the board of directors with the support of the executive management.
Management Responsibility
The president of the company will be responsible for ensuring the company has the best, competent and highly qualified employees to ensure that the company performs to its best.
Company compensation to employees is always linked to the strategic direction of the business (Yamoah, 2013). This is supplemented by communication the target goals to employees and motivating them so that they can align their efforts with them (Held, 2010). However, this will be futile if the employees are not motivated (Steers & Porter, 2008). All the issues mentioned above should be done in stages as illustrated below.
Day |
Target Group |
Message |
1 |
All employees |
Announcing the new compensation plan to all company employees. This will also be an opportunity to reinforce the team members to align their performance with the new compensation |
1-14 |
Sales Team |
Communication channels are opened to enlighten the team more about the new compensation plan. It is also an opportunity to receive feedback from the team. |
30 |
Marketing team |
Entails evaluating the understanding of the team. This can be done either through an interview or questionnaire. |
60 |
All employees. |
Involves reviewing the behavioral change to establish whether the company employees have aligned their energies with the company strategic goals. |
90 |
Marketing team. |
Carrying a performance review to determine whether the employees qualifies for the new compensation plan. |
References
Aslam, A., & Ghaffar, A. (2015). The impact of Compensation And Reward System on the Performance. European Journal of Business and Social Sciences, 4(8), 319 – 325.
Danish, R. (2010). The impact of Reward and Recognition on Job Satisfaction and Motivation. An empirical study from Pakistan. International Journal of Business and Management, 5(2), 159-167.
Ellig, B. R. (2012). Executive compensation – a total pay perspective. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Held, K. M. (2010). Money and subjective well-being it’s not the money, it’s the motives. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72-80.
Jenaibi, B. A. (2010). Job satisfaction: Comparisons among diverse public organizations in the UAE. Management Science and Engineering, 3, 60-79.
Matthew, O. (2014). Compensation Management and Employees Performance in the Manufacturing Sector, A Case Study of a Reputable Organization in the Food and Beverage Industry. International Journal of Managerial Studies and Research, 2(9), 108-117.
Mphil, A. H., & Arslan, M. (2014). The Impact of Compensation on Employee Performance (Empirical Evidence from. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 5(2), 302-309.
Muhamad, R., Idrus, S., & Mintarti, R. (2014). Effect of Compensation on Motivation, Organizational Commitment and Employee Performance (Studies at Local Revenue Management in Kendari City). International Journal of Business and Management Invention, 3(2), 64-79.
Namasivayam, K., Miao, L., & Zhao, X. (2010). An Investigation of the Relationship between Compensation Practices and Firms Performance in the US Hotel Industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 2(6), 574-587.
Pearce, L. (2010). Managerial Compensation Based on Organisational Performance. Journal of Industrial Relation, 5(2), 3-28.
Rizwan, D., & Ali, U. (2010). The impact of reward and recognition on job satisfaction and motivation. An empirical study from Pakistan. International journal of business and management, 5(3), 22-39.
Shearer, B. (2008). Piece rates, fixed wages, and incentive effects: evidence from a field experiment.
Steers, R. M., & Porter, L. W. (2008). Motivation and Work Behaviour. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Yamoah, E. E. (2013). Relationship Between Compensation and Employee Productivity. Singaporean Journal of Business Economics, and Management Studies, 2(1), 110-114.