High Point, North Carolina Development News

High Point City Council Reviews Compensation Study Recommendations, Approves Budget Allocation for Adjustments

The High Point City Council reviewed the final presentation of the phase two compensation and classification study conducted by Evergreen Solutions. The study aimed to ensure internal equity and external market competitiveness for city positions. Key findings included employee concerns about compensation competitiveness, recruitment, staffing, and performance management, alongside strengths in job security, benefits, and community purpose. The study identified compression issues within the current pay structure, with a significant portion of employees paid below the midpoint and in the first quartile of their pay ranges. Recommendations include adjusting pay scales to align with market placement, reassigning pay grades for specific classifications, and making individual employee adjustments. The recommended approach for adjustments is a hybrid parity model, which considers both time in classification and overall city tenure. The total salary-only cost for implementing these recommendations for phase two employees is estimated at $2.92 million, with a total cost including benefits and taxes projected at approximately $3.3 million, which will become a recurring annual budget item. Phase one employees also received adjustments to ensure alignment and address compression. Evergreen Solutions will be available for assistance for the next year at no additional charge.