What are special entry rates

1
What are special entry rates?

• Special entry rates are rates of pay that are
  provided to attract employees to state service
  where it has been demonstrated that market
  conditions make it difficult to recruit at the
  normal entry rate, or where the selected
  applicant has exceptional qualifications.

2
Standard Salary Adjustment Rules

• New employees normally enter state service at Pay
  Level 1 of the job classification. Current
  employees generally receive a 6 or 8
  adjustment from their current salary level when
  promoted to a higher grade.
• Special Entry Rates should only be utilized when
  traditional salary adjustment procedures do not
  meet the agencys/institutions needs or mission.

3
Exceptionally Well-Qualified (EWQ) Special Entry
Rates

• EWQ Special Entry Rates should be utilized in
  instances where an applicants background and
  experience qualifies him/her to perform the job
  with very little or substantially less
  orientation and training than other qualified
  applicants.

4
Who is qualified for EWQ rates?

• Both new and current employees are eligible
  for Exceptionally Well Qualified Rates
• These rates apply to current employees where
  the employee has been selected through the
  competitive promotion process and should not
  be utilized during the CLIP promotion process
• EWQ rates are also not approved for employees
  who are transferring to positions of the same
  grade or classification that the employee
  currently occupies

5
OPM Requirements for EWQ Rates

• A completed state application that includes
  education credentials as well as previous
  employment and salary history of the applicant
• Applicants resume detailing experience, if
  available
• Documentation that no current employees
  applied for promotion or that any current
  employee who did apply was determined by the
  agency to not be an equivalent alternative to
  the exceptionally well qualified applicant
• Statement from the agency/institution that the
  hiring of the EWQ applicant shall not affect the
  salary level or salary eligibility of any
  existing employee within the agency

6
Additional Helpful Information that Agency Can
Provide

• Statement from Hiring Official explaining how
  the applicants qualifications will assist the
  agency in meeting its goals and objectives
• Specific job information regarding the duties
  and responsibilities of the position for which
  the applicant has been selected

7
OPM Considerations

• A review of the minimum requirements of the
  position for which the applicant was selected
• How an applicants qualifications exceed
  requirements of the position
• If applicants qualifications necessary for
  the job requirements
• Dollar amount and percentage increase over the
  current or most recent salary level of the
  applicant

8
OPM Considerations (continued)

• Review of internal statistics of the job
  (classification) for which the agency has
  requested the rate. These include
• Display of the statewide and agency specific
  salary levels of all incumbents within the
  classification that result in the average salary
  of the classification for the state and the
  agency/institution
• Review of the years of service current
  incumbents and their salary levels as compared
  to the experience and salary requested for the
  applicant
• External salary data collected by the Office of
  Personnel Management or provided by the
  agency/institution

9
Labor Market Rates

• Labor Market rates are utilized when prevailing
  market rates of compensation make the state
  salary non-competitive or when an acute shortage
  of qualified applicants exists.

10
Differences Between EWQ and Labor Market Rates

• EWQ rates are based on the applicants
  education, experience, and skills. Labor Market
  Rates are based on the market demands for the
  job requirements.
• Employees within classifications with an
  approved labor market rate may be eligible for
  adjustment to the labor market rate.

11
OPM Requirements for Labor Market Requests

• Summary of recruiting efforts, agency needs,
  and effect of lack of qualified employees on
  agency operations
• Any competitive salary data collected by the
  agency
• Turnover issues suffered by the agency within
  the requested classification
• Cost of implementation of the requested labor
  market rate

12
Tools to Assist in Determining Appropriate Salary

• Position Control
• Allows review of current salaries for
  employees within the same classification
• Reflects the career service date for those
  employees which indicates the years of state
  service of the current staff
• Report can be sorted by position number,
  grade, class code, organizational area, or even
  cost center sequence. This assists in
  pinpointing information about comparable
  positions.

13
Tools (continued)

• Organization Chart
• Get a snapshot of where the position is located
  within the agency or institution's hierarchy.
• Note the salary levels of positions supervisor
  or managera salary offer should not be made that
  is equal to or higher than their salaries.
• Published Salary Surveys from Other Organizations
  
• Industry standard salaries for similar jobs or
  duties.

14
Tools (continued)

• Salary Surveys
• Internal (produced by own agency)
• External (published, from other organizations)
• Review of rates of pay, pay practices,
  benefits, and demographic information from
  participants in the survey
• Analyze Existing Job Descriptions
• Provide reference point for performance
  standards
• Highlight essential job functions

15
Salary Considerations

• OPM does not grant extraordinary salary
  increases for current or new employees.
• OPM must consider the statewide impact and
  potential cost of labor market rates.
• OPM monitors the use and cost of labor market
  rates.

16
Special Requirements

• Justification must be submitted to the Chief
  Fiscal Officer of the State!
• Decisions to Personnel Committee must be
  consistent!

17
Role of the HR Professional

• Part of the HR consistency role applies to the
  hiring process.
• The same process and factors should be used in
  determining rates for all candidates.
• Accurate record keeping and consistency in
  processes ensure that all applicants are treated
  fairly and equally.

18
Role of the HR Professional

• Ensure that internal equity benefits the
  organization.
• Consider how many employees are in the target
  classification and their average salary.
• Consider how long these employees have worked for
  the state.
• Determine if a starting rate exceeding that of
  current employees with several years of
  experience is justifiable or fair.
• Finally, determine the impact of the salary
  decision and its relationship to employee morale.

19
Point of Contact Information

• Kay Barnhill
• 682-5122
• kay.barnhill_at_dfa.state.ar.us
• Herb Scott
• 682-5145
• herb.scott_at_dfa.state.ar.us
• Betty Scull
• 682-5433
• betty.scull_at_dfa.state.ar.us
• Camille Cooper
• 682-5138
• camille.cooper_at_dfa.state.ar.us
• Amy Kirspel
• 682-5183
• amy.kirspel_at_dfa.state.ar.us

• Matt Lyon
• 682-5175
• matt.lyon_at_dfa.state.ar.us
• Grant Cochran
• 682-5188
• grant.cochran_at_dfa.state.ar.us
• Tony Robinson
• 682-5353
• tony.robinson_at_dfa.state.ar.us
• Callan Callaway
• 682-5174
• callan.callaway_at_dfa.state.ar.us
• Constance Staggers
• 682-5130
• constance.staggers_at_dfa.state.ar.us

20
Point of Contact Informationfor Higher Education

• Gaylon Simpson
• 682-5184
• gaylon.simpson_at_dfa.state.ar.us
• Duane Clanton
• 682-5189
• duane.clanton_at_dfa.state.ar.us
• Essie Cleveland
• 682-5198
• essie.cleveland_at_dfa.state.ar.us

• George Johnson
• 682-5204
• george.johnson_at_dfa.state.ar.us
• Christina McGill
• 682-5186
• christina.mcgill_at_dfa.state.ar.us