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County consultants say classification study near completion; compensation survey results next, implementation timeline requested
Summary
Gallagher consultants reported the county’s classification and compensation study is in its final stages: classification descriptions are being finalized, about 240 benchmark classifications were surveyed, and consultants aim to complete study deliverables in July while noting implementation options remain to be decided with county staff.
Consultants from Gallagher presented a status update on Imperial County’s multi-year classification and compensation study at the Board of Supervisors meeting on June 17, saying the classification phase is nearly complete and that compensation benchmarking is in its final data-collection stage.
Debbie Owen and Gaylord Kramer told the board the study began in January 2024 with roughly 2,185 employees and about 447 classifications. The classification review used position-description questionnaires (PDQs), interviews and a “whole-job analysis” approach; consultants said they expect to recommend a consolidated plan of about 380 classifications after reallocating positions and updating class specifications.
"We are really entering the kind of the final deliverable stage of the project," Gallagher's Debbie Owen said during the presentation. Owen and Kramer said they had collected PDQs and interviewed managers and incumbents to document duties, decision-making level, minimum qualifications and supervision responsibilities.
On the compensation side, Gallagher said it surveyed about 240 benchmark classifications drawn from other counties and regional employers and is finalizing base-salary and total-compensation spreadsheets for county review. Consultants explained they apply geographic adjustment factors for markets with materially different cost-of-labor conditions to make comparisons equitable.
Consultants confirmed they will prepare salary-range placement recommendations for every classification — for both benchmarked and non-benchmarked titles — and deliver narrative reports summarizing methodology and findings. Gallagher said the target was to complete the study by July and to remain available to support implementation discussions afterward.
Supervisors and labor representatives asked how implementation would be handled. Board members said an implementation plan is necessary — for example, a multi-year approach if the county is below market and cannot finance full immediate adjustments. Consultants agreed to work with county staff to model implementation options and fiscal impact scenarios.
Teamsters representatives had asked whether Gallagher compares incumbent PDQs to existing job descriptions to capture additional duties. Gallagher confirmed PDQs and interview findings are used to update job descriptions and that recommended outcomes could include no change, retitling, or upward/downward reclassification depending on the documented body of work.
The consultants also noted that some positions covered by the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) merit system were handled through a parallel submission process as required by state rules. The study’s final deliverables will include updated class specifications, allocation of incumbents to the new plan, salary placement recommendations and narratives on methodology and recommended next steps.
