“Why do some organisations only increase allowances not basic pay at salary review ?”. This question was asked recently on LinkedIn, and even though the person asking is based in India, I thought I would answer for my readers based in the GCC. Review of the allowances At the company level, most often, there…
Even pictures have fine print
February 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I’ll keep it short today and will share a picture from the always excellent OneFTE.com. In the post Even pictures have fine print, Stuart makes an excellent point about how presenting data in graphics can convey a different impression based on the scales you choose to use. Make sure to try different versions of your…
Before you jump into a technical compensation answer…
February 21, 2012 by 5 Comments
Here is a recent question on LinkedIn : “How does someone determine the dollar value of a benefits package ?”. There was no additional explanation or clarification. Many of the answers provided were relatively detailed, covering different types of benefits, talking about “net present value”, referring to actuaries and the concept of value vs that…
Compensation provider Birches Group extends its reach in the region – an interview with Warren Heaps
February 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment
My friend Warren Heaps is a Partner at Birches Group, an independent consulting firm specialised in providing compensation information in over 180 emerging and developing countries. Birches Group very recently announced that they have entered into an agreement with Aon Hewitt, one of the major global compensation consultancies. Under the partnership, Aon Hewitt will make…
Why the big pay gap between managers on the same grade?
February 14, 2012 by 4 Comments
In my career in Compensation & Benefits, I have often heard this question or a variation upon it : I see managers getting twice the pay of other managers from the same group and same job grade… Why is this, and how can you explain it ? This is a fair question on the differences…
Should you rely on free compensation data from magazines and recruitment organisations?
February 12, 2012 by 1 Comment
Recently a few recruitment organisations have issued free “salary guides” for certain countries or industries. Magazines, whether business oriented or focused to the individual consumer, also run regular reports and guides with exciting titles like “Are you paid enough ?”. There are even websites where you can get free pay information (say, regarding a position…
5 traps to avoid for your Compensation projects
February 7, 2012 by 2 Comments
You have to manage one or more Compensation & Benefits projects and want to achieve success as they form part of your objectives for the year. Before you rush into implementation mode, here are 5 fundamental traps to avoid : 1 – Lack of executive buy-in All projects require a clear sponsor. This is especially…
