08
Full pay transparency at CityD-WES group
How SD Worx unlocked full pay transparency for CityD-WES group
No matter the size, merging two companies may lead to salary discrepancies. That's why Myriam Vanhooren, CityD-WES group's office manager and HR responsible, contacted SD Worx for a salary scale. The result? Happy employees and happy Myriam. “Everyone knows they're treated equally, and we can make educated, competitive offers when recruiting new consultants.”
About CityD-WES group
The Belgian group provides independent advice to organisations, companies and administrations and operates via two brands: DataD (market and marketing strategy research) and CityD (consultancy in city centre management, city marketing, retail, hospitality and real estate management).
One salary scale for all
CityD-WES group was created in 2020 after a successful merger between CityD (Genk, °2007) and WES (Bruges, °1959). Both former companies were specialised in consultancy. But inevitably, differences in pay between the consultants existed. “We wanted to make sure that everyone was treated equally,” Myriam explains. “That's why we asked SD Worx, our payroll partner, to build a salary scale.”
“I have worked with SD Worx since I started my career at WES, in 1990. We have always had a fantastic relationship – we're mutual customers – and I knew they were the ones to turn to. We started with an expert meeting, where they asked specific questions about our wage structures. Together, we developed a competence matrix where we defined functions and the corresponding required criteria.”
“In the next phase, SD Worx conducted thorough market research. You can't just Google certain function titles to investigate what the competition pays. Different sectors, regions, company sizes, specific experience, seniority … They took all these parameters into account. We now have a salary scale based on solid data. When we're recruiting new employees, we are confident that our offering is market based and fair. Our existing employees are also happy to know that they're treated equally. This makes it easier to communicate salary growth curves at evaluations.”
Handy tools for employers and employees
CityD-WES group also uses SD Worx's Payroll and HR Selfservice tools. “Both are versatile tools in which I can easily budget salaries and benefits of current and future employees. I immediately know the impact of a salary bump, or the total cost of a company car, for instance. I used to input a lot of data in Excel sheets to make forecasts, but now the insights just roll out of the tools.
“Looking back is just as easy as looking forward. I can easily generate a report showing employees' career evolutions in the past or forecast salary costs in the future. The reports are clear and accessible for everyone. You don't have to be a financial or legal expert.”
“Our employees use HR Selfservice intensively. They can easily request leave themselves, enter periods of illness and consult the team calendar. As HR responsible and office manager, I only have to approve. The system automatically performs internal checks and alerts in case of issues to avoid problems at the end of the year. For example, if someone starts working fewer hours, the system will inform me. The smartphone app is also very user friendly for our employees.”
A partnership for years to come
The partnership with SD Worx not only results in efficiency but also strengthens City D-WES's employer image. Employees experience the digital HR solutions as self-evident and pleasant. Myriam also appreciates the personal approach and proactive support of the SD Worx team: “Whenever I have an urgent question, I always receive a quick answer. They are committed and know our organisation through and through. They keep us informed through newsletters and live information sessions where we can network with other companies.”
Myriam has clear advice for companies that are still unsure about using data-driven HR tools: “The tools save valuable time, avoid possible errors and always allow access to up-to-date insights. They are easy to use and scalable to the size of your organisation. Highly recommended.”
