Four principles behind
every plan we build.
Compensation plan design is not just about what you pay - it is about the system you build around pay decisions. Every plan we design is built on four non-negotiable principles that determine whether it will actually work in practice.
"Are we competitive enough to attract the people we need?"
Custom survey data benchmarks your compensation against the specific organizations you compete with for talent, not national averages. You learn exactly where you stand in your market, which roles are most exposed, and where you have competitive advantage. That clarity is the basis of every strategic compensation decision you make.
"Are we paying the roles that are most critical to us at the right level?"
Custom surveys let you focus data collection on the roles and job families that matter most to your organization. Instead of estimating from general market data, you get compensation benchmarks for the exact titles, responsibilities, and performance levels you are trying to retain - with the sector and geography specificity that generic surveys cannot provide.
"Is our salary structure still aligned to the market, or has it drifted?"
Markets move. Survey data ages. A custom salary survey, conducted on a defined cycle, tells you whether your pay structure has remained competitive or whether specific grades, bands, or job families have fallen behind. The trend analysis our proprietary data model provides shows you where the market is heading, not just where it is today.
A fully customized report.
Not a data dump.
Every client receives a comprehensive report with critical job market insight, designed for use directly in compensation plan development. Here is what the output looks like.
Five phases. Fully managed. 10 to 12 weeks.
We manage every aspect of the survey process - from questionnaire design through final report presentation. You get the data. We do the work.
- Define scope and objectives
- Design questionnaire
- Define participant pool
- Develop custom questions
- Create user-friendly format
- Identify participants
- Build communication plan
- Launch and manage distribution
- Develop incentives for participation
- Manage reminders and follow-up
- Review and scrub incoming data
- Normalize outliers
- Apply proprietary data model
- Analyze compensation practices
- Trend analysis and benchmarking
- Prepare findings report
- Charts, graphs, and data tables
- Competitive position analysis
- Written presentation of final report
- Actionable recommendations
- Verbal presentation to leadership
- HR team and board briefing
- Compensation plan integration guidance
- Q&A and follow-on analysis
- Ongoing access and support
Four data categories.
One complete picture.
Every custom survey report covers all four components of total compensation, so you are making decisions based on the full picture, not just base pay averages.
Base Compensation
- Salary ranges by role and level
- 25th, median, and 75th percentile benchmarks
- Market position analysis by job grade
- Pay gap identification versus peers
- 5-year trend data by job family
- Geographic differential analysis
Variable Pay
- Bonus and incentive prevalence by level
- Target bonus as percentage of base
- Actual payout versus target analysis
- Incentive plan design practices
- Commission structure benchmarks (where applicable)
- Non-cash recognition program prevalence
Benefits
- Health and welfare plan prevalence and employer contribution rates
- PTO, vacation, and leave policy benchmarks
- Retirement plan type and employer match rates
- Tuition and professional development benefits
- Flexible work arrangement prevalence
- Executive benefit and perquisite practices
Total Compensation
- Total compensation valuation by role and level
- Cash versus non-cash compensation mix
- Total rewards competitive position analysis
- Organization-level total comp benchmarking
- Cost of compensation gap remediation modeling
- Total compensation communication support
10 to 12 weeks, start to finish.
We manage the full project timeline - from survey design through final presentation. Typical engagements complete in 10 to 12 weeks depending on scope, number of roles, and participant response rate.
Compensation intelligence,
free to download.
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Commission a survey built for your market, not the average of everyone else's.
- We have developed and administered thousands of custom salary surveys over 30+ years - making us one of the leading resources in the industry for compensation data reliability and insight.
- Every survey is fully managed by our team - from questionnaire design through final presentation. You provide the scope and objectives. We handle everything else.
- All clients receive a fully customized report covering Base Compensation, Variable Pay, Benefits, and Total Compensation - formatted for direct use in compensation plan development.
- Typical engagements complete in 10 to 12 weeks. Scope, number of roles, and participant pool determine final timeline. We provide a project plan and milestone schedule at engagement start.
LET’S TALK ABOUT PEOPLE, IDEAS, AND SOLUTIONS.
If you want to recruit, engage, develop, and retain the best team in the business, get in touch with us.
NEW YORK OFFICE
New York, NY 10120
NORTH CAROLINA OFFICE
Raleigh, NC 27613
ARKANSAS OFFICE
Bentonville, AR 72712
TEXAS OFFICE
Suite 175 PMB 1024
The Woodlands, TX 77381
