Projects

In 2014/15 the Department for Education (DfE) implemented significant reforms to the pay framework for teachers, with the aim of introducing a more flexible performance- based structure. In May 2018 the DfE commissioned IES to collect views from teachers, headteachers and governors on the current pay framework and how the framework can best support a clear career pathway for classroom teachers and support recruitment and retention within the profession. IES will conduct a mixed methods review of these issues which will include: a YouGov survey of teachers and headteachers, telephone interviews with teachers and headteachers, and webinars with governors.

IES has been commissioned to carry out a review of a client’s pay and rewards structure. The research team will highlight the current system’s strengths and any issues, and consider potential changes and improvements.

IES was commissioned by the Office of Manpower Economics to conduct research to support the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) in its major review of the judicial salary structure. We compared and grouped judicial roles to help the SSRB to map them onto the correct points in the judicial salary scale.

Duncan Brown from IES was commissioned to help run a two-day reward strategy masterclass for senior HR and reward professionals working in universities and colleges. The masterclass focused on how to develop reward strategy, exploring the issues, challenges and solutions.

We are contributing to an MSc Human Resource Management programme delivered by the Edinburgh Institute of Leadership and Management Practice to KPMG consultants. We have provided content for online units, and are delivering masterclasses in the areas of reward, performance management and HR transformation.

The Ministry of Justice and the National Offender Management Service consider total reward to be an important factor influencing staff motivation and they seek to build it into their total reward strategies. The organisations also want to have more meaningful conversations with staff about reward based on an understanding of what they want and need, and how this might differ between groups, within the context of what their organisations can realistically offer. IES was commissioned to conduct research on the subject that would inform progress towards this goal. The research was carried out by: conducting a literature review on reward and motivation running focus groups to inform a staff survey and to understand its results briefing trade union representatives in NOMS designing staff surveys (with slightly different emphases for the two organisations) and analysing the responses reporting on the outcomes of the research. The two reports were circulated internally but were also used, in the case of NOMS, to help inform a presentation to the Pay Review Body.

IES undertook a review of Guardian Media Group’s (GMG) executive remuneration arrangements. The review involved both external market comparisons and analysis of internal relativities. The review supported the existing principles underpinning GMG’s approach to remuneration while recommending some modifications to how executives’ remuneration is structured.

We helped London Councils with a project investigating how total reward can be implemented in local government. London Borough of Camden is acting as the pilot organisation. It was apparent that pay plays less of a part in why people join, stay and are motivated. We looked to see how we can link together the various features of work that engage staff into a total reward approach which itself could form part of the employer brand. This meant examining such things as career development, non financial recognition, working environment, leadership etc and how they related to terms and conditions of employment.

IES has been working with Scottish Natural Heritage to review and develop a number of components of their new reward strategy. The first of these has been to conduct a specific market rewards survey of 17 other relevant organisations. Scottish Natural Heritage employes an unusually diverse range of specialists and so quality market information was not available from existing sources. The survey has given them a much more accurate indication of the competitiveness of their pay and benefits, as well as information and ideas on the broader aspects of total rewards such as flexible working policies. The second involved carrying out an on-line survey of staff attitudes to all aspects of their rewards, this area having been highlighted by their regular annual attitude survey. The survey was supported by focus group discussions with a representative sample of employees. Both studies have formed the basis for a wide-ranging set of proposed reward reforms.