Compensation and Classification Study

Dorchester County is seeking proposals from qualified firms to conduct a comprehensive compensation and classification study for its workforce, which encompasses approximately 37 departments with 959 full-time and 189 part-time employees. The study's primary objectives include evaluating the current compensation plan, identifying internal equity and external competitiveness, ensuring proper job classifications, and developing recommendations for updated pay plans and policies. Key deliverables will include a detailed analysis of the current pay structure, a comprehensive report with benchmarking and market analysis, and recommendations for policy changes and implementation strategies. The proposal is due on July 31, 2025, at 2:00 pm, with the last day for questions being July 18, 2025. The contract will have an initial term of one year, with options to renew for up to four additional one-year terms. Evaluation criteria will likely focus on the firm's expertise in compensation studies, proposed methodology, understanding of the county's workforce needs, and ability to provide actionable recommendations.

While no specific set-aside designations or restrictions on respondents are mentioned in the documentation, the study will cover a significant workforce with a current county general fund budget of $97.5 million, of which approximately 70% is allocated to salary expenses. The workforce includes 122 full-time exempt employees and 1,026 non-exempt employees across various departments. The selected consultant will be expected to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of every job within the county, including reviewing current job classifications, performing salary surveys, identifying potential pay compression issues, and developing guidelines for starting pay and compensation progression. Although no incumbent vendor is specified, the study aims to create a robust framework for ongoing maintenance of the county's compensation system. While no specific budget range is provided, the comprehensive nature of the study and the size of the workforce suggest a significant potential contract value that would be attractive to specialized human resources consulting firms with expertise in municipal compensation studies.