Background:
In the dynamic landscape of the UAE's higher education sector, attracting and retaining top talent remains a key challenge for universities. With a competitive market for academic and administrative professionals, higher education institutions have sought to establish a well-defined Compensation & Benefits framework that aligns with the sector's demands and meets their strategic goals.
Scope:
Our client, a prestigious university in the UAE, approached us with a need to review and develop a comprehensive Compensation & Benefits framework which included salary benchmarking with other universities in the UAE. Their key objectives were:
- To ensure internal equity and consistency in salary and benefits.
- To benchmark and align salaries with UAE universities.
- To propose a Compensation & Benefits policy that complies with UAE labor laws and supports the university's strategic objectives.
Challenges:
1. Job Grading: The university's existing salary structure lacked clear grading criteria, resulting in disparities in pay among similar roles.
2. External Benchmarking: There was a need to position the university's salary and benefits package competitively in the UAE higher education market.
3. Policy Compliance: Ensuring the new Salary & Benefits structure adhered to UAE labor laws and institutional policies.
Our Approach:
1. Job Evaluation:
- Conducted job analysis meetings with key stakeholders to understand role requirements, responsibilities, and qualifications.
- Reviewed job descriptions to ensure clarity in role expectations and responsibilities, forming the basis for the job evaluation process.
2. Grading Exercise:
- Applied a globally recognized job evaluation method for a structured job grading exercise. This involved scoring roles based on compensable factors.
3. External Salary Benchmarking:
- Conducted a market benchmarking study to compare the university's salary structure against similar higher education institutions in the UAE.
- Assessed compensation and benefits practices within the sector to identify gaps and opportunities for alignment.
4. Developing the Compensation & Benefits Framework:
- Proposed a new salary scale based on internal grading and external benchmarking to ensure competitiveness and internal equity.
- Recommended allowances and benefits packages aligned with market practices and UAE labor law requirements.
- Developed Compensation & Benefits policies covering salary reviews, promotions, and allowances to provide a comprehensive and transparent framework.
5. Implementation:
- Conducted a cost analysis to assess the financial implications of implementing the recommended Compensation & Benefits framework. This step ensured the proposed changes were sustainable & helped the university in attracting and retaining the best talent.
Results:
The newly developed Salary & Benefits framework provided the university with a structured, market-aligned compensation system. The grading exercise established internal equity, while the external benchmarking ensured competitiveness in attracting and retaining talent. With the implementation of the proposed Compensation & Benefits policies, the university gained a clear structure for salary reviews, promotions, and benefits in line with UAE labor law.
Conclusion:
Tuscan Consulting, with its unique positioning of a large remuneration database, guided the university through the development of a tailored Salary & Benefits framework that addressed both internal equity and market competitiveness. Our holistic approach, combining job evaluation, grading, pay benchmarking, and cost analysis, delivered a robust and sustainable salary and benefits structure aligned with the university's strategic objectives.
