POLICY NO: 3-32
VCCS POLICY NO: N/A 
EFFECTIVE DATE: 09/26/2001
REVISED DATE: 05/05/2015

  1. Purpose:

    To establish guidelines within the college to ensure that starting pay and promotion requests for classified positions and wage (hourly) positions are determined consistently and based upon relevant criteria in accordance with the Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) policies and procedures and the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Salary Administration Plan.

  2. Definitions:

    Pay band/pay structure: the structure of pay bands established by the Commonwealth of Virginia consisting of 9 pay bands that are “step-less.” Additionally, pay bands 1-8 are represented by a minimum and maximum salary amount. Pay band 9 is represented by a minimum salary amount; the maximum amount for this pay band is determined by market conditions. This structure replaces the former graded pay plan with salary grades and steps.

    Pay factors: thirteen (13) factors that are considered by managers for determining and justifying pay actions and include agency business need; duties and responsibilities; performance; work experience and education; knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA’s) and competencies; training, certification, and licensure; internal salary alignment; market availability; salary reference data; total compensation; budget implication; long-term impact; and current salary.

    Promotion: allows the advancement of a classified or wage (hourly) employee to a different role in a higher pay band through a competitive selection process. Promotions may occur within the college or to and from another state agency.

    Role: a broad group of occupationally-related positions that perform a range of work at progressively more skilled or knowledgeable levels (for example, the administrative support specialist II role).

    Starting pay: used to attract highly skilled and competent job candidates (new hires or rehires) to the college’s workforce.

  3. Policy:

    It is the policy of J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College (Reynolds) to compensate employees in a manner designed to recruit, retain, develop, and reward a qualified, committed, and diverse workforce that provides quality services in a fiscally responsible manner.

  4. Procedures

    1. Full-time classified employee guidelines

      1. Once the hiring process has concluded and the final candidate is approved by the college president, the college’s Office of Human Resources will contact the hiring manager within one (1) business day to initiate the starting pay or promotion salary action and job offer.

      2. The initial contact will occur via email from the associate vice president of human resources to the hiring manager and will include all relevant compensation factors and the HR-recommended salary offer and/or range for the final candidate. The email communication from the associate vice president of human resources must include the following:

        1. employment verification information regarding the final candidate’s most related pre-employment salary

        2. DHRM policy limiting salary offer to the minimum of pay band up to 15% of the most related pre-employment salary, but not to exceed the maximum of the pay band

        3. consideration of the thirteen (13) pay factors as identified in the COMP REFORM program, which include college budget limitations

        4. salary, education level, and experience of current staff

        5. consideration of the probable salary requirements of the second- and thirdchoice candidates, if applicable

        6. recent or future salary increases affecting state employees

        7. re-organizations and/or changes to staffing levels, which may affect the work unit and/or the position to be filled

      3. The hiring manager and the associate vice president of human resources may engage in further discussion regarding the email contents. However, if the hiring manager and the associate vice president of human resources agree on the salary offer amount within the HR-recommended salary offer range, the hiring manager will contact the final candidate to proceed with the HR-approved salary offer and starting date determination.

      4. If the selected candidate does not accept the HR-approved salary offer and the hiring manager wishes to begin the negotiation process with a figure that exceeds the amount budgeted for the position, the hiring manager must first secure approval of the additional funds from his/her respective President’s Executive Cabinet member and the college’s Budget office.

        1. The President’s Executive Cabinet member may approve the use of additional funds from any of his/her respective departments/divisions. However, the request for use of additional college-wide funds will require the approval of the college president.

        2. If the figure also exceeds 15% of the applicant’s pre-employment salary (and is above the minimum of the pay band but does not exceed the maximum), it must be approved by the President’s Executive Cabinet member, the college president, and VCCS Human Resources.

        3. Upon approval or disapproval of the request by the President’s Executive Cabinet member or the college president, the associate vice president of human resources will forward the request to the VCCS for final approval, proceed with the salary negotiation process with the hiring manager, or contact the hiring manager in order to discuss other salary options for the prospective employee.

      5. Upon verbal acceptance of the salary offer and starting date by the final candidate, the hiring manager immediately informs the associate vice president of human resources via email. The email will reiterate the accepted salary offer amount and new employee’s start date. Within one (1) to two (2) business days of the receipt of the email, the Office of Human Resources will also generate and issue a formal offer letter to the final candidate confirming the offer of employment with the college, the new role title, pay band, and start date. A copy of the formal offer letter will be sent to the hiring manager. The new hire or newly promoted employee is expected to return the signed offer letter to the Office of Human Resources prior to his/her first day of work.

      6. If the hiring manager and the final candidate are unable to seek agreement regarding salary, the hiring manager may choose to begin the process at step 1 with the second choice candidate, and then with the third choice candidate, and so on. If this is not a viable option, the hiring manager may choose to review the entire applicant pool of the vacant position or opt to re-advertise. The associate vice president of human resources will work with the hiring manager to decide upon these options.

    2. Wage/hourly employee guidelines

      1. Once the hiring manager selects the candidate to be hired, he/she will send the completed wage/hourly new hire package, to the Office of Human Resources for approval. Among other forms, this package will contain the completed Reynolds Form 35-0097, Wage (Hourly) Employment, indicating the hiring manager’s requested hourly rate for the new employee.

      2. If the hiring manager’s requested hourly rate coincides with the minimum hourly rate for the assigned pay band, the Office of Human Resources will not conduct an employment verification to obtain previously earned salary. If the hiring manager’s requested hourly rate exceeds the minimum hourly rate of the assigned pay band, the Office of Human Resources will immediately initiate the employment verification process to obtain the previously earned related salary/hourly rate.

      3. The Office of Human Resources will complete the review of the wage/hourly new hire package, obtain the employment verification, determine an appropriate hourly rate, and provide approval status of the new hire package to the hiring manager within three (3) business days of receipt via email communication from the wage employment coordinator. The email communication will also include the approved hourly rate and start date for the new wage/hourly employee.

      4. To determine an hourly rate above the minimum of the pay band, the Office of Human Resources will utilize the following factors:

        1. employment verification information regarding the final candidate’s most related pre-employment salary

        2. DHRM policy limiting salary offer to the minimum of pay band up to 15% of the most related pre-employment salary, but not to exceed the maximum of the pay band

        3. consideration of the thirteen (13) pay factors as identified in the COMP REFORM program, which include college budget limitations

        4. salary, education level, and experience of current staff

        5. consideration of the probable salary requirements of the second- and thirdchoice candidates, if applicable

        6. recent or future salary increases affecting state employees

        7. re-organizations and/or changes to staffing levels, which may affect the work unit and/or the position to be filled

      5. If the hiring manager is in agreement with the HR-approved hourly rate, he/she can issue Reynolds Form 35-0098, Wage/Hourly Employee Offer Letter and inform the newly hired wage/hourly employee of his/her start date. The signed original of the offer letter is to be sent to the Office of Human Resources for the official personnel file. If the hiring manager does not agree with the HR-approved hourly rate, he/she may contact the associate vice president of human resources for further discussion and resolution of the matter.

      6. Additionally, the following guidelines apply to wage/hourly employee starting rates of pay:

        1. Starting hourly rates of pay which exceed the amount budgeted for the position must be approved by the respective President’s Executive Cabinet member and the college’s Budget office.

        2. If the hourly rate also exceeds 15% of the applicant’s pre-employment salary (and is above the minimum of the pay band but does not exceed the maximum), it must be approved by the President’s Executive Cabinet member, the college president, and VCCS Human Resources.

        3. Upon approval or disapproval of the request by the President’s Executive Cabinet member or the college president, the associate vice president of human resources will forward the request to the VCCS for final approval, proceed with the salary negotiation process with the hiring manager, or contact the hiring manager in order to discuss other salary options for the prospective employee.

        4. If the hiring manager and the final candidate for the wage/hourly position are unable to seek agreement regarding the hourly rate, the hiring manager may choose to begin the process at step 1 with the second choice candidate, and then with the third choice candidate, and so on. If this is not a viable option, the hiring manager may choose to re-advertise. The associate vice president of human resources will work with the hiring manager to decide upon these options.

    3. Documentation and reporting requirements

      1. The associate vice president of human resources will maintain complete documentation of each starting pay and promotion request in accordance with DHRM policy and procedure. This information is subject to post-audit review by DHRM and/or the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) office.

      2. The college’s Office of Human Resources will provide a quarterly summary of all Starting Pay and Promotion Requests to the college president and the President’s Executive Cabinet in order to identify compensation trends and problems.

  5. Other Information:

    The college’s Office of Human Resources is responsible for the official interpretation of these procedures. Questions regarding the application of these procedures should be directed to the associate vice president of human resources.

    Department of Human Resource Management Policy 3.05 – Compensation

    Reynolds Form 35-0097, Wage (Hourly) Employment

    Reynolds Form 35-0098, Wage/Hourly Employee Offer Letter