Honest opinion on HR Salary

2406663 · November 2003

Alright, you honest and opinionated HR folk...........give me your honest opinions on a non-profit organization in Virginia Beach, VA finally creating a formal HR position. We're talking a one-person HR office for 150 employees:
resp. include payroll processing, benefits admin., work comp, policy creation and implementation, staff training, conflict resolution and any other HR duty that you can think of (not to mention some resistence from unskilled mgt.). What would you expect to be paid?????

David Nagle VA · November 2003

I'll look forward to including a report on this integrity issue!

David E. Nagle
Editor, Virginia Employment Law Letter
[email]dnagle@leclairryan.com[/email]

Don D · November 2003

I've tried my best to figure out Mr. Nagle's reply.

2406663 · November 2003

I agree with you Don. Was it lack of integrity on my part for asking such a question or is the Agency referred to lacking in integrity???
For the record - I would like to advise the interested party on this "job offer". Since this Agency doesn't have current formal HR, they have no clue as to the salary that would be deserved for such an important position. I think that if she were to take it, she would be a BARGAIN (especially since they aren't even offering mid 30's claiming budgeting restraints).

lnelson · November 2003

It would depend on the experience of the applicant but to get a general answer try a salary search or one of these websites.
[url]www.salarywizard.com[/url] / [url]www.salary.com[/url]

Good Luck!
Lisa

Don D · November 2003

I dunno! Unless Nagle knows who you are and considers your question an integrity issue. I certainly don't. Perhaps he'll come back on line and explain.

sonny · November 2003

I, too am confused here. . anyway, I think it is hard to say specifically not knowing the VA market. I worked for a non profit for years..it was twice the size and was unlike many non profits in that our ED believed in trying to keep salaries competitive with the private sector. .We skimped many places due to budget constraints, but tried not to with wages. That being said and not knowing all of the particulars, I would agree the offer is low.

David Nagle VA · November 2003

Gosh, I sure do apologize for what was an apparently an unsuccessful attempt at humor. I was recalling that the HR folks I have spoken to have told me that asking candidates what they expect to be paid does not always bring the same result as a salary survey of what people actually get paid. I've been hiring lawyers for years and know that to be true in the legal profession, buit I guess I should have paid more attention to the fact that the question was directed to "honest and opinionated HR folks." No offense was intended to the questioner, or those who respond with numbers.

David E. Nagle
Editor, Virginia Employment Law Letter
[email]dnagle@leclairryan.com[/email]

Cotterwood · December 2003

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 12-03-03 AT 10:17AM (CST)[/font][br][br]Dear Virginia HR 'Lone Ranger',

The most immediate answer is: A LOT ($$$).
Although I'm in CA, I also am a 'Lone Ranger', doing the same duties (all) by myself. The best info for you is to do a 'same type of agency' salary survey. I can send you an already made (and well used, I might add) excel spreadsheet that will be of great help in your survey.
My email is: [email]cwood@tcpud.org[/email]

I can tell you my employer is a non-profit (Public Utility District), we have 40 regular full-time ees, and that number goes up to about 55 during the summer months when we hire seasonals. I can tell you my monthly range is: $4474.69 - $5727.82 with the plus of 12.5% above the max. in incentives.

mwild31 · December 2003

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 12-02-03 AT 12:15PM (CST)[/font][br][br]Hi 2406663 - you need a salary survey conducted before you could even begin to determine an actual wage that works with your company & is competitive in the marketplace. There are many places to go to get wage information, through your state, the internet sites provided & through associations. However, you really need to then analyze the information gathered to determine what your company can afford to pay given the local market conditions. If you can, honestly, I would call a Personnel Agency & recruit through them. They'll let you know what wages are offered by other employers in your area for similar positions. Granted, it costs more now to hire through an agency, but when your starting from scratch you have to pay more. Once the new HR person comes on board - have them develop a salary matrix for your company - you'll start to get immediate payback during your next new hire.

One other thing, you have 150 ee's & no HR person? Make sure the HR person you get is given some lee-way to get things started as it can be really difficult to wrestle legal control back from supervisors/managers that are used to doing it the 'old' way. Make sure the HR person receives a lot of support from management.

wabbitears · December 2003

$70 to 85,000.00 a year.

sonny · December 2003

Not at any non profit around here!

HRQ · December 2003

I'm moving to FL, wabbitears! x:D

ritamcguire · December 2003

I'm just curious. Without an HR office/person, who did your hiring (interveiwing, paperwork like I-9s, etc), COBRA, drug screens, FMLA, work comp, and all the other jobs you mentioned?

HR Forum · January 2004

Based on our New Orleans area salaries, work load, areas of resonsibilities, educational level necessary to perform job, etc. I would say no less than $50,000 annual

Beave · January 2004

I agree with HR Forum. Although a formal survey and evaluation would pinpoint more closely where you will need to end up with regard to a salary range, in Michigan a non profit HR Director would probably start in the mid 40's to mid 50's. In a larger metropolitan area, that could be somewhat higher. Good luck.

116169 · January 2004

I find the salary calulators on Monster.com to be good. I work for a non-profit and we have 150 employees. All of the duties you described are mine as well, except I do not have to process payroll only serve as a backup. The salary range for my position is $38,480 to $50,000.

Honest opinion on HR Salary

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