Creating Competitive Compensation Programs that Draw and Retain Top Talent
Case Study: Town of Plainfield, Indiana

The Client
Plainfield, a town of about 25,000 residents located in Hendricks County, Indiana; the town's slogan is “A Community of Values” because values such as honesty, truth, integrity, and justice are important to its citizens.

The Situation
Plainfield’s mission is to provide an “extra measure of service” to the community with a competent and dedicated staff. Through open communications, continual self-assessment, responsible management, and quality service, the town and its employees strive to keep Plainfield’s citizens as their top priority. The town approached FlashPoint to help develop a competitive compensation and benefits program. The town wanted to build a program that is fiscally responsible but capable of drawing and maintaining an outstanding workforce that delivers quality service.

FlashPoint's Approach
FlashPoint worked extensively with the town council, town manager, and department heads to help build a three-year compensation and benefits plan. As part of our work, we examined key positions, conducting a customized market-pricing survey to see how Plainfield’s salaries and benefits compared to those of other towns of similar size. Based on the data we gathered, we developed a salary structure, creating a number of job levels with corresponding salary ranges. We assigned each position to one of the job levels, advised the town council on how to best make needed salary adjustments, and recommended a plan for ongoing administration. We also looked at the town’s paid-time-off policies, tuition reimbursement program, and paramedic-related policies and suggested revisions based on comparisons with other communities. As the three-year plan rolled out, we worked with the council each year to create the proper salary ordinance, ensuring that the town properly executed our recommendations.

FlashPoint's Impact
The Town of Plainfield has implemented FlashPoint’s recommendations with great success. The town council now offers salaries that are more in line with the market, and the benefits programs allow town employees more flexibility and control. The employees have received the changes favorably, and the town is now better able to compete for talent because candidates view it as an employer of choice. At the same time, the three-year plan offers town leaders guidance in controlling costs, so they can continue delivering excellent service in an efficient manner.