ITCS MSCALES Program Karen Sloan, SPHR kjsloan@umich

1. ITCS MSCALES Program Karen Sloan, SPHR kjsloan@umich.edu

2. MSCALES • MSCALES is an ITCS people-based pay system which pays on the basis of what a person brings to the job and how they perform, not simply based upon the position the staff member occupies. • Market conditions, • Skill set of staff, • Competencies of staff, • Application of skills & competencies to produce outcomes, • Longevity, • Education and reward, • Sharing based on organizational performance.

3. History of MSCALES • 1993-1996 • Discussions began in ITD (now ITCS) regarding the need to become a competitive, customer focused partner which could provide services on demand. • ITD was looking for ways to allow staff to progress in compensation without having to become a manager. • Staff involvement included focus groups, the creation of the Broadband Advisory Team, and broad distribution for comment on the MSCALES drafts. • ITD collaborated with University HR, the Broadband Advisory Team, the ITD Management Strategies Team and did some “best practices” site consultation.

4. History of MSCALES (con’t) • 1996 • MSCALES was finalized and implemented. It was defined as the broad banding approach for IT Professionals. • A classification program which dropped the classifications from 140 to five career bands. • A skill based compensation system. • Program occurred two times a year when managers submitted “Statement of Justification” to move employees within the bands. These requests were reviewed and approved/rejected by an approval committee that included the senior management and line management. In 2003, the process went to once a year.

5. History of MSCALES (con’t) • 2005 • Broad banding stopped when ITCS went to the university’s classification system. • MSCALES changed from the overall program name to the focus on the actual process by which manager’s increase their employees salary based on skill. The program now allowed for in-line promotions.

6. MSCALES Current State • The program is run once a year with an April 1 effective date for salary increases and/or classification changes. • The official purpose remains to recognize and reward skill growth and development within the same job classification. It also allows managers to request in-line promotions for their employees (i.e. moving from associate to intermediate). • MSCALES increases are based on the following: • Skill Growth • Demonstrated Impact • Length Demonstrated • In 2008, there were 22 Statement of Justifications officially submitted. 19 were approved resulting in average increases of 5%.

7. Concerns and Issues • Over the past several years, managers have submitted employees for reasons that are inconsistent with the program’s intent, usually focusing on performance versus skill growth. • Managers aren’t always clear on what qualifies for MSCALES, what should be done through a classification review and what should be looked at as a market or gap adjustment. • Managers aren’t fully utilizing the program. They are requesting in line promotions at off times and requesting classification reviews for skill increases. • Employees don’t understand the purpose of the program.

8. Intentions for the Future • MSCALES will continue in ITCS. • 2009 will bring revised training including a class on how to write a proper Statement of Justification for managers, brown bag sessions on what qualifies for the program, and employee information sessions. • Revised communication and marketing plan of the program including a new branding initiative for ITCS employment. • Revisions to the work planning process and how ITCS utilizes the merit program. • Implementation of a new recognition program.

9. MSCALES Questions? Contact Information: Karen Sloan kjsloan@umich.edu or 647-9457