Frequently asked questions

Get every answer you need on the subject of pay reviews and our PAYreview software

Conducting a pay review

  • Traditionally, pay reviews can take weeks or even months due to manual data collection and analysis. However, with PAYreview can notably shorten these timelines. Our pay review software automates data compilation, analysis, and reporting, streamlining the entire process. This not only increases efficiency but also reduces the likelihood of errors associated with manual methods.

    Several other factors will impact the length of a pay review, including the frequency of reviews, the size and structure of your organisation, and the chosen method for communicating changes to pay.

  • The frequency of pay reviews depends on various factors, including industry standards, organisational policies, and business needs. In many companies, annual reviews are standard practice, providing a comprehensive overview of employee performance, achievements, and market trends. However, some businesses opt for more frequent reviews to ensure pay equality and competitive advantage within the market.

    The ideal frequency should balance staying responsive to market changes and maintaining a stable environment for employees. Industries with rapid market fluctuations or high demand for specialised skills might benefit from more frequent reviews.

  • Effectively communicating pay review decisions involves transparency, context, and honesty. Start by clearly articulating the organisation's salary and bonus structure and how the increase aligns with broader pay strategies. Providing employees with a breakdown of their pay review within the larger context fosters understanding.

    Clearly communicate the reasons behind the salary and bonus decision, whether tied to individual performance or the company's financial health.

    Explain the calculation process, especially in larger companies with intricate methods. Demystifying these calculations helps employees comprehend the rationale behind their pay adjustments.

    Be prepared for individual queries. Address concerns about achieving better pay or comparisons with colleagues thoughtfully, providing actionable insights.

  • Ultimately, a collaborative approach involving HR, management, finance, and IT will help to ensure a well-rounded and informed decision-making process. This inclusive approach helps balance the needs of both employees and the business, fostering transparency and fairness in the pay review process.

    Involving line managers creates the greatest sense of ownership for the pay review outcomes.

  • All employees within a business should be eligible to undergo a pay review, although this will depend on rules specific to your organisation. For example, new starters or those recently promoted may not be eligible for a salary increase at the time of the pay review. Inclusivity is crucial to maintaining pay equality and a transparent workplace.

    Pay reviews extend beyond salary adjustments; they are a tool for recognising and rewarding employees' contributions, fostering motivation, and retaining top talent.

    Clearly explaining the eligibility rules demonstrates a commitment to pay equity and employee well-being.

Understanding a Pay Review

  • Pay reviews are vital for several reasons. Firstly, they align reward with employee performance and contribution, fostering a sense of recognition and motivation. Pay reviews also allow you to keep track of and address internal equity considerations, such as gender pay gaps. This helps to achieve pay equality within organisations.

    Additionally, pay reviews help ensure competitiveness in the job market. Regular assessments allow companies to adjust salaries based on industry standards, preventing talent loss to competitors. Strategic pay reviews also support talent acquisition by showcasing a commitment to fair and competitive reward packages.

  • A pay review is a process where employees are given a new reward package. Organisations base this package on a variety of factors, such as their terms of employment, job performance, market data, pay review budgets and their overall pay strategy.

    A pay review generally happens annually but can also occur in stages throughout the year.

  • A solid base pay structure

    A solid base pay structure is the bedrock of any reward strategy. This involves crafting a systematic approach to valuing the array of jobs within your organisation, ensuring that every role has fair and consistent pay and an opportunity for a pay review.

    Benchmark against industry standards

    Regularly comparing your organisation's pay practices against industry benchmarks can help identify areas where pay gaps or disparities may exist.

    Analyse internal data for patterns

    Using advanced analytics tools and techniques to examine internal pay data can reveal trends and patterns that may indicate pay inequality.

    Utilise pay review software

    Conducting pay reviews manually can be difficult, especially if you are managing large amounts of data. Taking advantage of pay review software allows the data to be automatically analysed for disparities, helping to improve pay equality.

  • Base pay structure

    A solid base pay structure is fundamental for any reward strategy. This should involve crafting a systematic approach to reviewing all jobs within your organisation, ensuring that every role has a fair and consistent approach to pay and pay reviews.

    Once you've evaluated your jobs and determined their worth, you can create pay grades and salary ranges that align with your findings. This structure helps maintain internal consistency and external competitiveness, ensuring that people feel valued for their contributions and your organisation attracts and retains the best talent possible.

    Fixed or variable reward?

    To truly engage your employees, you'll need to strike the right balance between fixed salaries and variable rewards, such as bonuses.

    The perfect blend depends on factors including company size, industry, the culture being cultivated, and senior leadership’s approach to risk.

    Benefits and perks

    In addition to monetary reward, offering a tailored range of benefits and perks can significantly enhance your strategy's attractiveness, even with budget constraints or when catering to specific types of workers.

    Ensure legal compliance and adherence to regulations

    It can be easy to get carried away devising the perfect reward strategy. But remember, it needs to comply with applicable employment laws, regulations, and industry standards. Including data that makes it easy to keep track of employment law, such as equal pay.

Functions of PAYreview

  • The short answer is: Yes!

    We’ve built PAYreview to fit around any business. We don’t want to force you to work in a certain way or abandon your existing processes. Our job evaluation software can be customised to your specific needs.

    Our pay review software can also adapt to any company size or structure, though it is likely unnecessary for the smallest businesses.

    However, we know some smaller companies have a complex or specialised pay review approach. So, get in touch to see if we can offer a bespoke solution for your business.

  • Pay review software provides an online platform that brings your pay review data together in one accessible, user-friendly space. The system is designed to give all decision-makers a single up-to-date view of pay review data across the organisation. This allows the focus to be switched from managing the data and distribution of spreadsheets to overseeing the quality of the pay review decisions that are being made.

    PAYreview is more than just software; expert support and guidance are cornerstones of our service. Regardless of what package you select, with PAYreview, you will always receive direction and assistance tailored to your organisation.

  • PAYreview takes the pain out of pay reviews and transforms your annual process into a simple, supported experience. Just some of the benefits include:

    No more spreadsheets - A beautiful, easy-to-use interface

    No more endless email chains - Automated approval chains

    No more fragmented data – A centralised database with full oversight

    No more lack of support - A fully-managed service, supported by experts

  • Our PAYreview software offers a comprehensive set of key features that go beyond functionality. These essential elements are all seamlessly integrated into your package:

    Data-Centric Approach - At the core of PAYreview lies the significance of your annual review data. With everything you need to manage and execute your review right at your fingertips, the user experience is streamlined for optimal efficiency.

    Effortless Task Management - PAYreview goes beyond conventional software by easing the load of monotonous tasks through robust automation capabilities. The typical office worker spends over 50% of their time on repetitive tasks. What could you achieve with those hours back in your day?

    Focused Managerial Guidance - The software is designed to guide managers effectively, ensuring their attention remains aligned with the key guidelines of the review process. Say goodbye to unexpected spreadsheet alterations, as PAYreview operates strictly within your established boundaries.

  • Track progress - The Progress Report in PAYreview serves as a dynamic tool that provides real-time insights into the status of the pay review process on a manager-by-manager basis.

    Customisation – PAYreview has fully customisable summaries of data, offering a global view of the pay review landscape. This is completely tailored to your individual organisation’s specific needs.

    Change log – The Change Log in PAYreview allows you to track all changes made to any record.

  • Yes!

    PAYreview is highly customisable, allowing for benchmarking and pay structure data to seamlessly be included in your pay review.

    Organisations often work with our sister company Paydata to gather salary benchmarking data, which can then be added to the pay review in order to help guide managers' decision-making.

    Base pay structures can be defined using PayGrade, which can then also be included within our PAYreview software, allowing organisations to achieve greater pay equity.

  • Commitment to fairness and pay equality is ingrained within PAYreview software, via an array of features:

    Customisation - Our software empowers organisations to include critical information such as gender pay gap data that updates in real-time allowing for nuanced analysis and targeted decision-making by managers, departments and the business as a whole.

    Summary data - Fully customisable summaries of the data offer a global view of the pay review landscape. This visibility into aggregated data empowers senior leaders to assess fairness across different departments, teams, and demographic segments.

    Budget tolerance - Budget tolerance mechanisms further contribute to fairness by ensuring that each manager operates within similar thresholds. This not only promotes consistency across different departments and teams but also aligns with overarching organisational budgetary constraints.

    Advanced calculations - The incorporation of advanced calculations within PAYreview is pivotal for maintaining adherence to thresholds established by the business. These calculations act as a safeguard, providing validation prompts when necessary. This functionality not only streamlines the pay review process but also guarantees that decisions made by managers align with the predefined parameters, reinforcing fairness and consistency.

  • Yes!

    PAYreview can accommodate multiple currencies in a single pay review on an employee-by-employee basis.

    Our software incorporates currency conversion functionality, ensuring accurate conversion rates for different currencies.

    PAYreview is highly configurable, allowing organisations to set up and manage pay review processes in alignment with the requirements of specific regions or countries.

Implementation and Training

  • The implementation timeline for PAYreview is a collaborative process tailored to your organisation's specific needs and requirements.

    While we work closely with you to develop a timeline that aligns with your schedule, we generally recommend an approximate duration of 12 weeks for the implementation process.

  • Yes!

    PAYreview can adapt to fit any business. Our custom field and calculation builder means there’s no need to worry about overhauling your existing ways of working.

  • We like to say that PAYreview is more than a piece of software. It is an entire service solution. That’s because our expert team will be with you every step of the way.

    Using our 30+ years of reward management experience, we will initially consult with you to find the best approach to running your pay review. Once everything is agreed, we will then get to work configuring the pay review software to your exact needs.

    During your live review period, you will have a direct line of contact via email, web portal, and phone support. So, you can instantly get help with anything you need during your pay review.

    “The support team’s fast response times and solid understanding of our pay review meant we always felt in safe hands” - EDF Energy

  • When you drink a glass of water, you don’t think about the glass. When you’re writing, you don’t think about the pen. For us, the best user experience is when people don’t have to think about using a tool, they just use it.

    As such, user experience is key to our mission, and we try to infuse the ‘without thought’ philosophy throughout our product design. So, we’ve designed PAYreview to be as easy to use as possible.

    With previous clients such as the BBC, NHS, and M&S, our software designers and engineers know what it takes to build the best tools. Not to mention our support team, who will be with you from start to finish to provide any help you need.

  • All support and training provided for new PAYreview users is tailored to individual organisations.

    Detailed documentation is available for your admin teams and our implementation consultants provide in depth training.

    We can also work together with you to help develop bespoke manager manuals based on the specific fields and functionality included in your pay review.

  • Yes!

    PayReview allows for multiple managers and admin teams to be assigned varying access permission controls. This helps to ensure that the right people are seeing the right date and that confidentiality is not compromised.

Cost and licensing

  • Review processes differ depending on individual organisations. There can be large companies with relatively straightforward pay review procedures and smaller businesses with more complex needs.

    Because of this, there’s no fixed price, and our reward software is calculated on a bespoke basis.

    Factors contributing to your licence cost include how many employees you have, the number of users that need to access the system, and the complexity of your review.

    Get in touch today to discuss your needs and receive a no-obligation quote.

  • Yes!

    If you prefer a more flexible approach, we can offer convenient monthly payment plans.

  • Yes!

    To make it easy, we offer four configurations:

    Lite - Encourages collaboration while upholding a controlled approach to pay review adjustments.

    Plus - Combines manager flexibility with rule-based validation for a balanced approach to pay review adjustments.

    Premium - Allows for dynamic decisions whilst upholding data-driven rules, enabling tailored adjustments within defined parameters.

    Prime - Ideal for organisations seeking sophisticated customisation while maintaining system-driven coherence.

  • During onboarding we carry out an in-depth consultation to understand your field and data requirements. The fields in the review grid are customised as standard to suit your business needs.

    If you wish to build custom functionality into the system bespoke to your business, get in touch to discuss this with us.

Data and security

  • We host your data with ANS, the premiere server provider in the UK.

    ANS is trusted by organisations such as the MOD, NHS, The Royal Air Force, and many of the world's biggest brands.

    They are second to none for security, reliability, and speed. They are fully ISO 27001 certified, have PCI-compliant infrastructure, and are secured to UK government IL4 standards.

    We’ve even toured their facilities in person, so we’re confident this is the best place to store your most precious data.

  • You retain all ownership of your data and remain the data controller.

  • We comply with UK GDPR or EU GDPR as appropriate. We provide you with a data processing agreement which sets out our commitments.

  • PAYreview undergoes annual penetration testing, penetration testing is also carried out after any major updates.

    Our PAYreview software complies with Cyber Essentials Plus requirements and is regularly audited as requirements are updated.

    Monthly vulnerability scanning is also carried out on the system.

About Amite

  • Amite owns the PAYreview software and provides all related support services.

  • Amite was born from a team originally working within Paydata, and they are now sister companies. Amite is contracted by Paydata to provide the PAYreview software and services to Paydata’s customers, as well as our own clients.

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