In an effort to be proactive in the recruitment and retention of highly-qualified employees, the Oro Valley Town Council recently approved $30,000 for an employee salary market study in its FY 2013-14 budget. The idea to fund a market study was initially laid out in the Council-approved 2013 Strategic Plan, which guides decision-making and resource management in pursuit of organizational goals over the next two to five years.

The market study, which will be conducted by an independent organization, will measure pay grade assignments of specific jobs across several comparable organizations to determine whether the Town of Oro Valley is below, at or above market.

Studies of this kind are typically conducted every three to four years; however, the last time Oro Valley completed a full study was 2003.

“Over the past two years, the Town of Oro Valley has saved approximately $1,800,000 through reduction in staffing,” said Town Manager Greg Caton. “As responsibilities have shifted—and in many cases, increased—we want to ensure that employees are being fairly compensated as they continue to deliver a high level of service to the community.”

Employee turnover, which can occur when comparable positions are available in other jurisdictions for better pay, has recently increased to 15%.

“Turnover is expensive,” continued Caton. “It is more cost-effective to pay employees at market rate than to manage the impact of high turnover.”

One such example is the expense of training a new police officer. It costs the Town of Oro Valley more than $115,000 per officer for required training and certifications. In addition to the added expense, employee turnover and training can result in periods of reduced staffing and delays in service.

Oro Valley’s 2013 Strategic Plan, which was approved in January 2013, establishes the goal of attracting, engaging and retaining highly-qualified employees, which would be achieved by conducting “a market study of the Town’s benchmark classifi­cations and make necessary pay grade adjustments as needed and based on ­fiscal resources.”

For more information, contact Misti Nowak, Communications Administrator, at (520) 229-4712 or mnowak@orovalleyaz.gov.