Friends, I have been through a process at Northwestern University called a "JOB AUDIT" to help define my title and level of compensation. The steps involved were: 1. My Dean requested the audit on my behalf. 2. The NU Compensation Department, a separate part of the Human Resources, had me fill out a questionnaire which gathered information about my general responsibilities, duties broken down by % of my work time, and special tasks which are performed on a less frequent basis. I was also interviewed. 3. Compensation tried to find comparable positions within the University, and also called other Universities that have people in comparable positions. ( I provided them with the names of other Schools of Music our size and enrollment.) They also collected information about the private-sector market and acknowledged that they had to be competitive. 4. They examined all the information and made a recommendation to my Dean, who ultimately has to pay my salary from his budget. Results - 1. Exempt or Non-exempt: My position involves management but there is still a large percentage of skilled technical work. To avoid any conflict with the U.S. Dept. of Labor, they decided to keep my position classification "non-exempt". I continue to be paid as an hourly employee and must be paid over-time if I work over 40 hrs in a week. Vacation and sick leave are equal in either classification at NU. 2. They did decide to give me the title of "Director", which usually indicates a high management level. I must say, this does give me more clout in dealing with faculty and administration. 3. My compensation level did not go up, but now I know that I am making as much as I can get. I will not say how much I make in this forum, but I will say that I am happy with the pay and benefits. I highly recommend this method. It uses the system already in place at your own place of business, and let's not forget --- it's a business. Ken Eschete -- Kenneth Eschete Director of Keyboard Maintenance Phone: 847/467-6970 Northwestern University School of Music FAX: 847/491-5260 711 Elgin Rd.; Evanston, Il 60208 EMAIL: k-eschete@northwestern.edu
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