Bringing fairness and structure to pay

Replacing years of ad-hoc salary decisions with a defensible, job-evaluated pay structure.

The challenge

After years of ad-hoc increases, salaries had drifted out of line with the value of roles. This created internal inequities, recurring grievances, and a real difficulty explaining why people were paid what they were paid.

What we did

• Evaluated benchmark jobs using the Paterson decision-band method for a consistent, transparent basis of comparison.
• Built a graded pay structure with researched market reference points for each grade.
• Modelled the cost of moving staff onto the new structure so leadership could plan affordably.
• Equipped HR and line managers to explain grade and pay decisions consistently.

The outcome

• A transparent grade-and-pay framework that managers could understand and defend.
• A clear, costed path to correct the worst inequities over time.
• Fewer pay-related grievances and more constructive progression conversations.