Analyzing Salary Surveys

Survey Software Databases

Survey software databases are typically very robust and include high quality data. ERI’s Assessor series are a perfect example. These extensive databases include data from thousands of available salary surveys and are available as seven products that can be used for analyzing the data in different ways:

• Salary Assessor - salaries and incentives for more than 18,600 positions, over 1,100 industries, and more than 9,300 locations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
• Geographic Assessor - geographic salary differentials for more than 9,000 locations worldwide.
• Relocation Assessor - the cost of living in more than 10,500 cities in 195 countries worldwide.
• Executive Compensation Assessor - over 1,800 executive positions in over 9,500 locations and 1,100 industries in the United States, Canada, and Europe.
• Nonprofit Comparable Assessor - United States nonprofit executive salaries including 55 positions and 600 industries.
• Occupational Assessor - allows users to easily estimate overtime exemption status at the state and federal level for over 27,800 positions. It also examines jobs based on criteria relating to the underlying physical, mental, and environmental demands of work. Job measures can be changed as required to indicate an individual's limitations due to injury or other circumstances.
• Global Salary Calculator - global salaries including 39,600 positions, in 10,500 locations, and 1,100 industries.

A quality online survey database will have the ability to filter market data to customize survey results to ensuring the best possible job match as well as consistency with a company’s compensation strategy.

Computer Data Banks

The large consulting firms typically will provide access to their extensive computer data banks on a subscription basis. When subscribing to a computer data bank, full access to the entire network of these surveys can be included providing access to an extensive global database.

The Strategic Industry Rewards Solutions (SIRS®) Survey Suite, owned by Mercer, is a comprehensive cross-industry database. This database covers an impressive number of jobs from 23 job families and lets you select from 17 industries to compare and match jobs. The website is: SIRS.

Mercer HR Consulting offers an online analytical tool that allows organizations to evaluate their competitive position and analyze market data. Only data extracted from surveys conducted by Mercer is included. The website is: Mercer Surveys and Reports.

Korn Ferry collects pay data on over 25 million employees working for more than 26,000 companies in over 150 countries. They transform this impressive database of information into tools and services with easy access for their clients who can use it to make a variety of decisions. Korn Ferry Compensation Surveys.

Willis Towers Watson also has an Internet-based system reporting online compensation data extracted from surveys that they conduct. Willis Towers Watson Salary Surveys.

Aon is a leader in high-tech and biotech surveys with the Radford Surveys. They are a participant-only survey provider. Companies can order customized reports or obtain data from their online database including base pay, total cash compensation, and total direct compensation. Radford McLagan Compensation Database.

All these data bank salary survey resources require an annual fee and are generally useful only to corporate subscribers.

Evergreen Surveys

An evergreen salary survey will:

• Collect and publish market data throughout the year
• Stagger data collection cycles
• Receive data one time each year from participants
• Refresh data throughout the year