Frequently Asked Questions

For questions about View2022, please review the FAQs below. If you don’t see your question here, please contact Bryce Drew or Jody Bevill from the HR Comp Team. This page will continue to be updated to address widely shared questions as they come up.

Why View2022 and how will it help the University?

It is common for employers to periodically review and update their human resource processes and systems. At the University, it has been many years since we’ve holistically reviewed our classification and compensation system.

A new job classification and compensation system will help the University achieve four goals:

Attract and retain qualified employees
Provide fair salaries for all workers at UM
Provide clearer paths for staff career growth and advancement
Provide a salary structure to enable UM to be competitive with other employers and higher education institutions over the long term

What is a classification and compensation study?

This classification and compensation study looks at how the University defines and groups staff jobs, gives them titles, and determines the appropriate pay for them. The study draws upon internal information, like our current job descriptions and pay structure, but also looks at external information like salary data and approaches taken by other universities. The study will produce recommendations for new job categories, titles, pay grades, and pay administration policies. Ultimately, the study will help us understand how our compensation levels compare to regional and higher-education employers and ensure that our compensation levels are competitive.

What jobs are part of this project?

The project is focused on classified, professional, administrative (staff) positions. The University currently has more than 1,200 active job descriptions for these types of positions.

See breakout below for groups that fall within scope of this project.

Unclassified (outside of scope)

EEO1 Executives
Faculty
Researchers
Coaches
Librarians with academic rank

Classified, Permanent and Temporary Staff (within scope)

Non-exempt, hourly staff members
Exempt, salaried staff members (not listed as unclassified above)

Why do we need an external firm to support this work?

Classification and compensation studies frequently utilize external experts. These projects require a significant amount of time and effort and working with an external firm will allow us to do the work more effectively. An outside partner also brings expertise as well as experience with similar projects at other institutions. University leadership and Human Resources staff are actively involved in all phases of the project. Huron Consulting is the external firm supporting this project.

Who is “Huron Consulting”?

Huron is a management consulting firm that has a large practice dedicated to working with colleges and universities. Huron was selected through a competitive RFP process and has supported several other large public universities in similar projects. More information about Huron is available on their website: https://www.huronconsultinggroup.com/

The Huron team assigned to View2022 focuses on human resources and talent management professionals in higher education and has worked on other similar projects previously.

Will the consultant determine job descriptions and pay scales?

Huron will analyze data, develop drafts of job profiles based on feedback from stakeholders across the university. Huron will make recommendations to the University about pay structures and processes. Ultimate changes will be informed by that work, but all final decisions will be made by the University in consultation with stakeholders. Any changes will be taken with consideration of university policy and any applicable regulations.

Will the study change my pay?
The study creates new structures and processes for setting and adjusting pay. No “automatic” pay increases will be made. No employee’s pay will be reduced as a result of this study.

Will this study bring University compensation to “market levels”?

This study will look at the University’s compensation levels compared to the marketplace locally, regionally and nationally, within public higher education, and in some cases general industry. It will provide insight into how our salaries compare. One overarching goal has been and will continue to be to provide a structure that enables our employees to have competitive pay.

Will this study address salary compression?

Salary compression occurs when a new hire earns close to or more than an employee with more responsibility or a longer period of service might earn. The classification and compensation study will likely include processes to help us avoid compression in the future. Individual instances of compression, will be identified as a part of the study. These will be addressed through HR and unit leaders. No job eliminations or pay reductions will take place because of View 2022.

How long will it take for this work to be completed?

The process of designing the new system and making recommendations typically takes six to eighteen months. View2022 is on pace to be completed early Fall 2023 with implementation to follow in early 2024. Information will be shared and the education process begun on the new system in late 2023.

Who on campus will be involved in this work?

University Human Resources is leading this project. Bryce Drew, the University’s Manager of Compensation, will be the primary point of contact, but leadership and staff members from across campus have been engaged and involved in the synthesis of this new structure.

Please visit https://hr.olemiss.edu/compensation/contacts-project-teams/ for a full list of project participants and engagement opportunities.

Will employees be informed about the progress being made with the compensation study?

Yes. Transparency is a guiding principle for the overall project. This website will serve as the central location for all up to date information.

As View2022 progresses, many communication channels will be used to share information and updates including UM today messages, the Red and Blue employee e-newsletter, in-person meetings, zoom sessions, HR website updates, and town halls among other channels. We will also rely on engagement from all employees. Please share all information as it becomes available across your respective teams and peers.

As a classified, staff employee of the University, how will View2022 benefit me?

You can be confident that your compensation is based on data and reason. We will compare your set of responsibilities to those who perform that same type of work in the market at large and calculate your compensation based on that data. This program will reduce inconsistency, inequity, and lack of definition in the way we compensate our employees.

What this project is NOT:

A general or automatic university-wide pay adjustment
An effort to reduce headcount
Specific reorganization of departments or re-structuring of the University’s hierarchy
An employee-specific or unit/department performance review