using the power of salary information

Using the Power of Using the Power of Salary InformationSalary Information

Pay Study Results and Toolkit

http://www.nclaonline.org/

NCLA Pay Equity Study 2

Agenda• Background information ………………………… 3• Pay Equity ……………………………………….. 6• Compensation – the basics …………………… 11• The database …………………………………... 16• How to use the database ……………………… 32• What now? What you need to learn ………… 37• What now? Making the case …………………. 43• Practice …………………………………………. 60• Statewide comparisons for pay equity ………. 62• Definition of Terms …………………………….. 69• Other resources

Funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the federal Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources.


Background

• A Pay Equity Task Force was organized by NCLA to investigate pay equity issues for North Carolina library positions.

• A project Steering Committee was formed; members included public and academic library staff, NCLA officials, and consultants. The goals now is

• To educate librarians, library staff and library customers regarding the role and value of the modern librarian so that they may be compensated fairly.


Project Steering Committee Members• Beverley Gass, Guilford Technical Community

College, Project Manager• Jenny Barrett Boneno, Forsyth County Public

Library• Pauletta Brown Bracy, School of LIS, North

Carolina Central University • Robert Burgin, President, NCLA, Fiscal Manager• Keith Burkhead, Guilford Technical Community

College• Evelyn Council, Fayetteville State University• Jennie Hunt, Greensboro College• Connie Keller, Elon University


What Did We Do? GOALS

• To develop an easy-to-use accessible database you can use to compare your library’s pay rates to the pay rates of the same jobs in other North Carolina libraries, and

• To compare library jobs to comparable jobs in your local government…to assess pay equity.


PAY EQUITY


What is Pay Equity?

Evaluating and compensating jobs

based on the skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions required, not on the people who hold the jobs (men or women).

Similar terms: Comparable Worth Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value


How do women rank?

• Women are traditionally, and continue to be, undervalued in the workforce

– On average earn 75¢ per $1 for men

– Gap larger for women of color

– Flows through to affect pension, perpetuating the inequity

Reflects society’s undervaluing the work of women relative to traditional male work – regardless of whether the job holder is a man or women in a

female dominated profession (like librarian )


Pay Equity

All benefit, men and women, when there is pay equity

“A high tide raises all boats”


What about in North Carolina?

How do library jobs compare to similar jobs in our city or county?

• That’s what we wanted to learn.

• That’s what we want to help you assess in your local area.

• That’s why we created a web-based database … that you can access.


So before we begin, a little primer about

COMPENSATION


What is Compensation?

Everything employees perceive to be of value resulting from the employment relationship - a mix of salary, bonus, benefits and the work environment


Compensation & Benefits• Base pay• Differential Pay

– Weekends, evenings, holidays

• Short and long term incentive pay

• Cash recognition• Legally required

benefits– Worker’s comp– Social security – Unemployment

insurance

• Other benefits– Health insurance– Short and long term

disability– Deferred pay– Pension– Paid time off– Tuition

reimbursement– Unpaid leave– Non-cash

recognition– Perks, including free

parking


More than $

Financial (“Show me the money”)

• Direct compensation (usually dollars)

• Indirect compensation (usually benefits)

Non-financial

• Public recognition• Feedback• Coaching/mentoring• Pleasant work group• Opportunity• Quality of work life• Job tasks• Culture/leadership• Learning opportunities


Compensation Philosophy

• Goals and objectives• Definition of your marketplace• Target level of competitiveness• Pay Equity

Considerations:– Internal and external equity– Salary vs benefits/intangibles– Local, state, regional, national markets– Benchmark jobs– Budget process for library and city/county– What’s been happening (compensation) in city/ county


About the Database


Participants

• Data represents libraries and governments state-wide– 62 public libraries and 50 governments

responded– 11 other public libraries and 56 governments

were added from UNC’s Institute for Government Services 2006 database

– The North Carolina Board of Education Department of Public Instruction, Public School Salary Schedules for Fiscal Year 2006 – 2007 and Local Salary Supplements were also reviewed


Positions Included in the SurveyPublic Library• Library Director

• Library Division Manager

• Senior Librarian

• Librarian

• Circulation Supervisor

• Library Associate

• Bookmobile Driver

• Circulation Clerk

• Technical Processing Clerk

• Systems Administrator

• PC Technician

• Web Master

Government• Finance Director• Public Health Director• Information Technology Director• County Engineer• Senior Planner• Civil Engineer• Solid Waste Truck Driver• Tax Clerk• Office Assistant• Zoning Code Enforcement Officer• Building Maintenance Worker• Recreation Program Supervisor• GIS Technician• Planner• Systems Administrator• PC Tech• Web Master


The database includes:

• Demographics:

– For each participating jurisdiction or library

• # of full-time employees

• # of part-time employees

• Budget

• Population


Data with depth!

• Each Library/Government reported the following for each position:– Hours worked per week– # of full-time and part-time employees in the

position– Average pay of incumbent(s) in the position– Hiring rate (if any) for the position– Minimum and maximum of the pay range for

the position– Longevity pay (if any) for the position


And….• The library or jurisdiction’s title for each

position• The education and experience required for

the position• The Fair Labor Standards Act (exempt/non-

exempt) status of the position• A degree of match rating

– An indication of how closely the position matches the description provided in the survey instrument


Equivalent PositionsFor comparative purposes, the following positions may be matched. These are examples only – other matches could certainly be made based on the individual requirements of the systems.

Library Government

Library Director Finance DirectorPublic Health DirectorInformation Technology Director

Senior Librarian Senior Planner

Library Division Manager County EngineerCivil EngineerSenior Planner

Librarian Senior PlannerCivil EngineerZoning Code Enforcement OfficerRecreation Program SupervisorPlannerSystems administrator

A comparison to teachers, principals and superintendentswas also made.


Equivalent Positions (cont’d.)

Library Government

Circulation Supervisor Recreation Program SupervisorPlanner

Library Associate Zoning Code Enforcement Officer

Circulation Clerk Tax ClerkOffice Assistant

Technical Processing Clerk Tax ClerkOffice Assistant

Bookmobile Driver Solid Waste Truck DriverBuilding Maintenance Worker

Systems Administrator Systems Administrator

PC Technician Computer Technician

Web Master Web Master


What can you do with this data?

• It’s customizable

• Administrators: You can compare your jobs with other libraries and local government statewide for

• Compensation and budget planning

• Updating salary plans

• HR planning

• Assessing pay equity

• “Making a case” to local officials and funders


What can you do with this data?

• Library employees: You can use this data for:

– Obtaining salary information

– Negotiating your salary

– Planning your career

– Determining where you might want to work

– Planning your future

– Planning your retirement

– Job satisfaction


You Can Compare:• The pay of positions in your library to the

“equivalent” positions in your local jurisdiction to assess pay equity

• The pay of positions in your library to matching positions in other/ peer library systems

• The pay of positions statewide or by individual jurisdiction – select the libraries you want; choose your own market! – The database does the calculations – users only

have to enter position titles and jurisdiction name.– Comparisons are made in dollars and

percentages– Comparisons also provided as

mean or median (see definitions on slide 69)


Examples:

Question • Wake County wants to compare the salary of their

librarians to librarians in other parts of the State as well as to County positions

Findings – Use the website to learn that Librarians in

Wake County earn 28.6% less than Librarians in Chapel Hill (actual pay)

– Wake County also discovered that their Librarians earn 6.6% more than Planners and 48% less than Web Masters in Wake County Government.


More Examples:

Question

Greensboro Public Library wants to compare the salary of their IT positions to those of the IT positions in the local government:

Findings • Use the website to discover that the Web Master

in Greensboro Public Library earn 11.4% less than the Web Master at the City of Greensboro (median of actual pay)

• Greensboro Public Library also discovered that their PC Techs earn 12.4% less than PC Techs at the City of Greensboro (median of actual pay)


More Examples:

Question High Point Library wants to compare its

Librarians and Circulation Supervisors to other local/regional library systems

Findings

• Use the website to select a group of comparators (the market) – in this case:– Davidson County Public Library– Forsyth County Public Library– Greensboro Public Library– Randolph County Public Library


More Examples:

• Use the website to learn the following:

• High Point’s higher pay rates may be partially attributed to the fact that 2 of the 4 comparator systems require only BS degrees for their librarians

Median Pay

Range Minimum

Range Maximum

Education Required

High Point Librarian $44,088 $34,472 $53,704 MLS

Market Librarian $41,752 $33,142 $48,160

BS (2)

MLS (2)

Difference +5.3% +3.9% +10.3%


More Examples:

• Use the website to learn the following:

• High Point has a slightly lower minimum but a higher maximum, allowing for more growth in the job. Other systems require varying amounts of education, so individual comparisons may be indicated.

Median Pay

Range Minimum

Range Maximum

Education Required

High Point Circ. Supv. $39,941 $31,235 $48,649 BS

Market Circ. Supv. $44,592 $32,250 $43,000 HS - MLS

Difference -11.6% -3.3% +11.6%


Using NCLA’s Pay Equity Study to help your library

Here’s How YOU

CAN DO IT! (Use the database, that is)


How to Use the Website:

• Go to

• http://www.nclaonline.org/payequity/results/index.php?s=1

• Dig into the data!

http://www.nclaonline.org/payequity/results/index.php?s=1





How to Use the Website:

• The public reports button allows you to download the database and save to your computer as an Excel file or use on-line and also provides a list of all of the job descriptions used during the survey process

• The instructions button provides instructions for downloading the data

• Once the data is downloaded, there is a step-by-step guide to using the database in the “Instructions” tab of the spreadsheet

Let’s get started!

Use the website to gather & analyze data ….


What does the data tell you?

• Analysis

• Comparison to municipal jobs

• Comparison to library jobs

Note: Cautions … 2006 data … ratios are probably the same or very similar, but dollar amounts most likely increased.


WHAT NOW?Part I


What are your goals?

You might not have looked at all of the data yet, but what is it you want??


What You Need to Learn

• What is the compensation philosophy of the City/County?

• How are jobs priced?

• How does the local jurisdiction define its market for:

– Exempt jobs

– Non-exempt jobs

– Management jobs

• What is the budgeting process?

• What else do you need to know?


Stakeholders

• Whose cooperation do I need?Whose compliance do I need?

• Whose opposition would keep me from accomplishing my goals?

…..try to see the world from their perspective


Possible Stakeholders/Allies

• Library Director

• Library Trustees

• Staff Association

• City/County/Municipality– Finance director– Human Resources director– City/County/Town Manager– Council / Commissioners– Other predominantly female professions in the

city/county (i.e., teachers, social workers)


Who do you need to talk to?

• Who?• About what?• When?• Why?

• Keep your message brief and consistent


What Do I Do Now?Part 2: Making the Case


Library Staff: Use the Data to

• Make a case to your supervisor and library director; show them the numbers!

• Be a 1 person crusader …

• Form a committee to delve into the data

• Talk to an NCLA committee person for training or help if needed

• Partner with NCLA for action!

• Participate in LSTA funded NCLA programs on influence and how to negotiate +


Administrators: Use the data to

• Make a case to local officials• Ensure your library’s job descriptions are well

written and reflective of actual duties• Include professional levels duties required of, and

performed by, nonprofessional staff• Stress IT responsibilities• Stress supervisory responsibilities including volunteers,

students, and pages

• Have senior library staff serve on local government compensation committees to ensure that local government HR personnel are fully aware of the scope and depth of library jobs


Tell Your Story

• Talking points

• Speeches, news releases, interviews

• Trustees, Friends, local media, talk shows

• Role of library in community

• Media contacts

• Letters to editor – faculty, board member, community members (customers)


Be Proactive!

– Ensure job descriptions are well written, reflect actual duties, and include professional duties required

– Stress IT responsibilities, data base usage, supervision

– Use same language as local jurisdiction– Update your jurisdiction regularly to reflect

changes in knowledge, skills, abilities and technology

– Serve on local government compensation committees and

– Ensure that local government HR are fully aware of the scope and depth of library jobs.


Be Proactive!

– We need to teach women to negotiate salaries, including their starting salary. This is not common (7% for women v 57% of males[1]) and makes a negative impact on their salaries throughout their careers.

– Educate public about the role and contribution of library personnel as well as the education and experience required.

– Librarians must speak out, not downplay, their role in education, information literacy, etc.

– Capitalize on advocacy materials prepared by ALA-APA.

• [1] Babcock, Linda & Laschever, Sara. Women Don’t Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide (Princeton University Press, 2003)


Talking points

• Shouldn’t have to choose between paying fair salaries and buying books

• Starting salaries for X (position) are x% higher than librarians who also have bachelor’s degrees

• Who will take the place of retiring librarians?• Can’t live on love alone!• Libraries work because library workers make them

work!• Today’s librarian is a tech savvy, info expert who

can enrich the learning process of any library user – from pre-school to grad student to retiree!

From Advocating for Better Salaries and Pay Equity Toolkit ala-apa.org


Action Plan

WHAT When Need Issues Out-comes

1.

MORE TIPS

To Make Your Case


INFLUENCE


How to Make Your Case

Influence: a process that uses interpersonal and social skills to make others voluntarily change their attitudes

How do YOU get what you want?


Channels of Influence: Some Ideas

1. Frame” the options to emphasize the “desirability” of your choice

2. Display your expertise; don’t assume it’s obvious

3. Changing a commitment requires a face- saving way out

Make active, public and voluntary

4. Higher price = Higher quality

Highlight unique benefits and exclusive information


More Ideas

5. People follow the lead of similar others; we want to fit in; use peer power when you can

6. We like those who like us; similarities create bonds ; seek connections

7. People follow the lead of those with prestige or reputation for a valued quality

8. Reciprocity – people repay in kind; give what you want to receive!


Missed opportunities

• Failure to take the audience with you• Wrongly assuming that the key players all shared

identical goals• Ignoring “emotional” reactions to proposals• Forgetting that men and women are irrational• Trying too hard• Having no knowledge of others “hidden agendas”• Not “selling” to the “buyer’s” style• Underestimating the political dimensions of

organizational life• Relying only the data; you need to sell your

story.


Persuading or selling your ideas

• “…. The skills in identifying what matters to the people being persuaded

• shaping one’s arguments to guide the thinking of those persons

• presenting oneself in a credible manner• and encouraging people to see one’s

perspective• without setting them up as in manipulation

or backing them into a corner as in coercion.”

Reardon, p. 2


Disempowerment Happens

• Not clarifying wants

• Responding too quickly

• Seeing others as experts (devaluing own expertise)

• Boundary fusion

• Not focusing on the present

• Being fearful of rejections

• Viewing others’ wants and needs as more important than your own

• Limiting your options (always more than 3)


Influence

• Who do you need to influence?

• How are you going to do it??


PRACTICE


Role Play

• Teams of 3

• Prepare

• Use the information from the NCLA survey

• Probe

• Propose

• Listen

Statewide ComparisonsLibrary to Local Government Positions

Pay Equity


Statewide Salary Comparisons:Libraries vs. Local Government

Library Director$61,737

Finance Director Difference

$67,650 -9.6%

Public Health Director Difference

$78,209 -26.7%

IT Director Difference

$63,572 -3%

County Engineer Difference

$76,338 -23.7%



Librarian$36,951

Senior Planner Difference

$47,164 -27.6%

Civil Engineer Difference

$52,937 -43.3%

Zoning Code Enforcement Officer Difference

$36,327 +1.7%

Recreation Program Supervisor Difference

$35,778 +3.2%

Planner Difference

$38,378 -3.9%

Systems Administrator Difference

$48,393 -31%



Library Div. Mgr.

$47,200

County Engineer Difference

$76,338 -61.7%


$52,937 -12.2%


$47,164 +0.1%

Circ. Supervisor

$33,469

Recreation Prog. Supv. Difference

$35,778 -6.9%

Planner Difference

$38,378 -14.7%



Library Branch

Manager$38,331


$47,164 -23%

Planner Difference

$38,378 +0.1%


$52,937 -38.1%

Library Associate

$27,898

Zoning Code Enforcement Officer Difference

$36,327 -30.2%

Planner Difference

$38,378 -37.6%



Circulation Clerk

$22,548

Tax Clerk Difference

$24,338 -7.9%

Office Clerk Difference

$24,934 -10.6%

Bookmobile Driver

$24,416

Solid Waste Truck Driver Difference

$26,077 -6.8%

Building Maintenance Worker Difference

$24,097 +1.3%



Library Position City/County Position

Systems Administrator Systems Administrator Difference

$45,399 $48,393 -6.6%

Webmaster Webmaster Difference

$46,492 $52,791 -13.5%

Computer Technician Computer Technician Difference

$35,455 $39,466 -11.3%


Definition of Terms• Mean/Average – an arithmetic average derived by adding a set of numbers

and then dividing the sum by the number of items in the set.• Median – the middle item in a set of hierarchically ordered data points

containing an odd number of items or the average of the two middle items if there is an even number of data points.

• Minimum – the median of the minimum of all pay ranges reported for the position

• Maximum – the median of the maximum for all pay ranges reported for the position

• Range Minimum – the median minimum of the pay range or grade to which positions are assigned in the market

• Range Maximum – the median maximum of the pay range or grade to which positions are assigned in the market

• Actual salary (Average) – the average of the actual salaries paid to incumbents in the position

• Actual salary (Median) – the statistical median of the actual salaries paid to incumbents in the position

• Labor market – the labor markets for libraries and other organizations are identified and defined by a combination of geography (local, regional, national), industry (e.g. librarian), education and experience required. The labor market will vary depending on the level and type of position.


Other resources:

• @ your library

– Libraries are changing and dynamic places

– Libraries are places of opportunity

– Libraries bring you the world

– Librarians are the ultimate search engine

• Singer, Paula. Developing a Compensation Plan for Your Library. ALA

• ALA-APA


Prepared by the Committee and:

Paula M. Singer, PhD

Laura Francisco, PHR

The Singer Group, Inc.

12915 Dover Road

Reisterstown, MD 21136

410-561-7561

[email protected]

www.singergrp.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.singergrp.com/

using the power of salary information

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