Setting Base Pay: Top Strategies for Collaborating with Compensation to Achieve Pay Equity from the Start
Given the continued focus on pay equity and the increase in related state and federal legislation, compliance and compensation practitioners need to collaborate when setting starting pay for new hires. Several states have enacted or proposed pay equity laws that strictly forbid a person’s prior salary to be a determining factor for setting base pay. Unfortunately, many employers are unaware of the nuances of these new laws and/or how to ensure that their own compensation practices are in compliance. Even employers who routinely monitor current compensation for internal pay equity may be putting themselves at risk for pay inequity when making starting pay decisions.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn about the impact of state pay equity legislation on compensation decisions.
- Learn methodologies for setting starting base salary.
- Learn to promote pay equity at all phases of the employee lifecycle.
Michele Hester, SHRM-SCP
Michele Hester is Senior Manager of Client Services at Berkshire Associates. In her position, Michele is responsible for overseeing, developing, and implementing training and consulting services related to affirmative action and human resources management.
With more than 20 years in the human resource industry, Michele is an expert in HR practices and procedures. This experience allows her to develop and present training sessions to educate clients on the latest affirmative action, applicant management, compensation, and workforce analysis topics and trends. She has a true passion for educating fellow HR professionals, which is why she has been an active speaker throughout the country at conferences and meetings including the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) Talent Management and Annual Conferences.
Michele has a Masters of Business Administration in Human Resource Management and Management Skills from New York State University at Buffalo. Michele holds both SPHR and SHRM_SCP Certification and is a member of the national Society for Human Resource Management.