When determining the starting salary for a new employee, the pay band range for the position along with several key characteristics such as job knowledge, skills, experience, and capacity for complex work will be considered. The hiring supervisor should take into account the following:
1. How does the prior and current work experience of the candidate compare to the minimum job requirements?
2. How does the depth and breadth of the candidate’s skills, job knowledge, and overall competencies compare to the position requirements?
3. What are the candidate’s current job responsibilities? Are they comparable to the position to which the candidate has applied?
4. What are the salaries of peers with similar experience, job knowledge, and skills in the same or similar jobs?
Although the pay band is broad enough to recognize competencies ranging from entry level to expert, generally salaries for new employees should be between the pay band range minimum and midpoint. Senior leaders and department supervisors should pay special attention and are responsible for maintaining internal equity and guarding against compression of salaries for their respective areas.