Conduct Your Own Salary Survey
The following outlines the major steps taken when designing, planning and executing your own salary survey.
After you have determined which jobs you will survey, write a brief description of each benchmark job. This will allow participants to "match" jobs at their organizations to the survey's benchmark jobs and supply data accordingly.
Caution. To avoid antitrust concerns, ask only what wages, salaries and benefits an organization is currently paying.
- Pay program procedures:
Frequency and average size of step increases or merit increases.
Frequency and size of across-the-board increases.
Use of cost-of-living allowances or geographic differentials.
Other compensation:
Check for the use of the following programs:
Employee benefits programs:
Time off policies:
- Vacation.
- Sick time.
- Leave time.
Step four: Distribute the survey.
- Include a cover letter.
- Ensure the participant that the supplied information will be kept confidential.
- Promise the participant a copy of the analyzed results.
- Include a specific due date.
- Include contact information, should the participant have any questions.
- Include instructions for completing the survey and define specific terms, like "total compensation."
Step five: Follow up.
Step six: Analyze results.
Calculate medians, averages, weighted averages, 25th percentile, 75th percentile, etc.
Summarize findings in easy-to-understand charts.
Use codes so that individual company data cannot be identified.
Communicate all significant findings.
Step seven: Distribute results.
Send a copy of the final survey report to participants.
Make sure information is presented in summary form and no information can be attributed to a single participant.
Thank respondents for their participation.
Reprinted with permission. © CCH
Conduct Your Own Salary Survey. The following outlines the major steps taken when designing, planning and executing your own salary survey. Step one: Select who you will survey.
Conduct Your Own Salary Survey
/resources/etools/conduct_your_own_salary_survey.aspx
511
none