Compensation
In FY2003, the Compensation Office participated in 15 external salary surveys conducted by universities, associations, and consulting groups from across the country. They also conducted two surveys on behalf of MIT—a national faculty salary survey with 21 participants and a support staff custom survey with 26 area participants. These survey results, as well as insights gathered through strategic workforce planning discussions, provided the foundation for assisting departments with salary offers, resolving internal salary equity issues, and preparing review allocation proposals for the MIT Corporation's Executive Committee. Additionally, graphs and charts were prepared to analyze gender and minority equity, internal salary relationships, external market competitiveness, and merit distribution within departments and schools and across the Institute. Turnover within job categories was analyzed, nonmerit related increases were tracked, and an approach to managing positions was developed.
Nine separate salary review allocations covering approximately 6,000 campus employees and faculty and 2,000 Lincoln Laboratory employees were administered. Online capabilities were provided for the first time so that department managers and administrative officers could become familiar with new processes that would assist with the transition to SAP. Electronic spreadsheets proved much more efficient: they eliminated the need for the hard copies mailed out in previous years; provided formulas for testing a variety of percentage options; reflected the impact on a department's review pool; and lengthened the time managers had to work on performance reviews.
During much of FY2003, the Compensation Office participated in other SAP-related initiatives, including the development of action reason codes and annual salary review solutions. They tested quick entry screens and info types, partnered with FSS to develop and test training modules, worked with Budget, Audit, and CAO to develop position management capabilities, and participated in data validation and business impact analysis, all in anticipation of an August SAP go-live.
In order to comply with US Treasury Department regulations, salary and benefits comparability data was gathered and analyzed for the Institute's key officials and, working with the Treasurer's Office, document requirements were met.
In September 2001, the Compensation Office began a review of the support staff structure. An advisory group that included 20 representatives from across the Institute and Lincoln partnered with Compensation to serve as a source of feedback and guidance, provide depth and breadth of Institute knowledge, and validate design and implementation recommendations. Project goals included updating and standardizing job descriptions and job titles, updating salary ranges, determining how MIT pays in relation to other area employers, and reviewing pay equity within departments and across the Institute. During the following 18 months, Compensation prepared a job level guide and position summaries to be used for titling consistency, developed a customized salary survey to determine if MIT paid competitively, and conducted 30 manager/administrative officer briefing sessions and 30 support staff information sessions to ensure that communication was consistent. New pay decision guidelines were created for managers to assist them with salary range application, determination of starting salaries, and evaluation of pay equity. Working with department managers and administrative officers, 1,550 support staff employees were classified and salaries were reviewed. On March 31, 2003, all changes became effective: staff were given titles that reflected job content; salary ranges were updated; an additional grade was introduced into the upper end of the support staff salary structure; and and 18 percent of those in support staff titles received salary adjustments.
Throughout FY2003, Compensation was involved in discussions that resulted in 53 administrative position classification or reclassification recommendations, 123 administrative and support promotions, and market adjustments for multiple job groups. They reviewed job content, recommended title and grade alternatives, and established generic titles and job families to enhance benchmarking opportunities. They also provided consultative services and established dialogues that enhanced the community's knowledge of compensation practices and guidelines.
With the transition of the Genome Center to MIT, Compensation began an extensive review and comparison of compensation guidelines, practices, and title/pay relationships to determine whether comparability was an issue. Job descriptions and job content were reviewed, range relationships and pay equity were analyzed, and total compensation strategies were determined. Working with those closest to the transition, communication materials were developed and transition issues, including dual employment, referral bonuses, and possible pay adjustments, were identified and addressed.
More information about Compensation can be found on the web at http://web.mit.edu/hr/compensation/.
Human Resources Information Systems
Human Resources Information Systems' (HRIS) responsibilities include the identification, planning, and implementation of HRIS changes and updates in order to meet the strategic needs of the Human Resources Department. This encompasses meeting customer and user needs, implementing legal and other requirements, approving security access (including the data warehouse), updating and maintaining systems tables, creating and maintaining ad hoc reports, keeping up-to-date on developing HRIS technology, and developing the local area network. The office processed more than 14,000 appointments and changes, and they continue their role in the processing of salary reviews, the servicing of the many data requests received from within Human Resources and the MIT community, and in responding to external employment verification requests.
The new telephone directory process was implemented during the summer of this fiscal year. This process was designed around an employee self-service application, allowing employees to update their own information via SAPweb. This represented a major change in the way MIT does business.
HRIS provided the technical support for the support staff classification project, which included the updating of the current Human Resources system with the new support staff job codes and support staff employee records. In order to ensure the highest level of communication, a web site was established. HRIS formatted the web content, provided links from other Human Resources sites to the project location, and set up a Filemaker database that enabled the Compensation Office to run reports and create detailed spreadsheets.
The redesign and implementation of the Human Resources web pages was completed in January of this fiscal year. The new web pages are more integrated; i.e. they have shifted from a look that is functionally based (e.g. Benefits, Compensation, etc.) to one that is much more integrated and service oriented.
During this fiscal year, HRIS upgraded the Human Resources applicant tracking system to the latest version of Webhire, a web based system. This allowed Staffing Services to manage the volume of resumes more efficiently and to begin tracking applicants for EEO purposes. HRIS also began the process of upgrading Human Resources desktops to Windows 2000 and Windows XP. This effort should be completed by the end of 2003.
The majority of HRIS time was spent on providing technical support and preparing for the implementation of SAP HR/Payroll. This has been a major effort involving a considerable amount of time with planning, testing, training, data validation and cleanup, and other required tasks. It also involved the review of more than 500 reports and programs for conversion to ABAP or Brio query.
MIT Rewards and Recognition
MIT's Rewards and Recognition Program has completed its third fiscal year. In this relatively short amount of time the program has become an integral part of the MIT culture and has continued to enhance MIT's excellence as an employer.
The quantitative and qualitative feedback collected to date underscores the program's continued success in providing multiple and frequent opportunities throughout the year for MIT staff to recognize one another (peer-to-peer, manager-to-employee, and employee-to-manager) for exceptional contributions to their office, their department, or school, or to the Institute as a whole. Increasingly, anecdotal evidence suggests that the program is having a positive impact on employee morale and the environment of the work place.
The program continues to consist of three equally important components:
The Infinite Mile Awards (typically biannual or annual recognition for teams and individuals, customized around a department's particular culture, values, and goals, and administered at the local/departmental level). In FY2003, criteria for recognition included: institutional collaboration; innovation and creativity; exceptional client service; sustainable results; serving the greater good; and community building. Over 330 employees were recognized with Infinite Mile Awards, representing support, service, sponsored research, faculty, and other academic staff members.
The Appreciation Awards (frequent, on-the-spot "thank you's" among managers and colleagues within and outside one's own department and administered at the local/department level). Most areas are recognizing staff by presenting gift certificates, notes or certificates of recognition, team luncheons and other group celebrations. These personalized, timely thank you's are often publicly acknowledged through department newsletters, web sites, and announcements at staff meetings. This practice enhances the impact of the recognition and encourages broader participation in the program. It is estimated that over 1,200 staff from Main Campus and Lincoln Lab have received some form of informal recognition via the Appreciation Awards during the last fiscal year.
The MIT Excellence Awards (annual recognition at an Institute-wide public celebration for exceptional contributions that align with MIT's mission, goals and values). Last year's annual awards ceremony was celebrated on October 16, 2002, with approximately 350 staff in attendance. Over 120 nominations were received. Fourteen individuals and 7 teams were recognized for exceptional achievements in the following areas: Building Bridges, Fostering an Inclusive Workplace, Leading Change, Making a Difference in our Communities, Serving the Client, and Working Smarter/Getting Results. For the 2003 Excellence Awards, over 110 different individuals and teams were nominated. Notable this year was the involvement of graduate and undergraduate students, faculty, alumni and community members outside of MIT in the nomination process, indicating the growing awareness of the awards and their significance in the MIT community. The next annual ceremony is scheduled for October 15, 2003.
The program administrator position has made it possible to provide ongoing assistance in the design and revision of customized Infinite Mile and Appreciation Awards programs, the collection and dissemination of data, the financial processing and record keeping of the budget allocations and expenditures, the delivery of professional development workshops to the local areas' key contacts and their design teams, the continual outreach to facilitate communication and share resources, the creation and maintenance of multiple forms of publicity (including a web site, Tech Talk and Faculty Newsletter articles), and the administration of the annual Excellence Awards celebration.
More information about MIT Rewards and Recognition Program can be found on the web at http://web.mit.edu/hr/rewards/.