Why Take the Time to Participate in Pay Surveys?

There are many legitimate reasons why it may be difficult to participate in pay surveys. Yes, they are oftentimes long and they take time out of our already busy schedules to complete. They are typically open for long periods of time so it is easy to put off and soon forget without regular reminders.

However, what would happen if participation in pay surveys dramatically went down or went away altogether? The answer is clear. No survey data could result in little knowledge of what the competition is doing … minimal information to help set wages … it could result in some really serious pay issues.

The following list of implications could become real if survey participation went away:

• If participation is minimal, data breakouts would be limited, or non-existent.
• Average data could be skewed by those who do participate resulting in data that is not representative of what appropriate wages are.
• Limited participation affects the validity and integrity of the survey data. It is important to participate in the same surveys annually as it helps to validate the survey data and ensures a consistent database year after year. Regular and consistent survey participation results in a data source you can trust.
• Pay and benefit surveys are costly to conduct and administer. Participating organizations (who also purchase survey reports – typically at a fairly substantial discount) help to keep the cost of individual survey reports affordable. Without adequate participation, pay data would be in high demand, and the days of “affordable” would be long gone.
• Without adequate pay data, employee issues over pay may become a constant issue. Without readily-available information to justify your pay decisions, employee claims about their pay may be warranted and justified.

If you are involved in making any pay-related decisions, the importance for your organization to participate in pay surveys is clear. Participation is critical to ensure data integrity. Valid survey data is invaluable to any organization that has to pay their people fairly and competitively.

Cascade is receptive to the difficulty organizations experience when it comes to taking the time and effort to participate in pay surveys. If you need help with survey data input, or have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are always here to help, and to make your job easier!