2023 Compensation Study

The first phase of the study focused on collecting data and obtaining employee perspectives. To that end, we invited employees to participate in a compensation survey in March 2023. Overall, 540 employees representing every School and College and most administrative departments responded.

The survey responses indicated the following:

• Among compensation, benefits, work content, career opportunities, and affiliation with the University, employees consider compensation and benefits to be the most important, followed by work content, career opportunities, and affiliation.
• Employees are very satisfied or satisfied with work content, benefits, and affiliation with the University, but only somewhat satisfied or not satisfied with compensation and career opportunities.
• Most employees do not understand career path options at the University.
• The University is not transparent enough about how pay is set, adjusted, and managed.
• Employees feel that performance should be the most important factor in determining pay increases.

In response to the concerns about transparency, we created this page and encourage you to check it regularly to review communications related to the study, see the progress, and submit questions or feedback about the study or the compensation program. 

Using the important feedback that we gained from the compensation survey, we will develop a comprehensive compensation philosophy that is aligned with the University’s mission and Strategic Plan and sets the foundation for all aspects of the University’s compensation program.

In response to survey feedback about higher education institutions that employees consider to be our competitors, we expanded our peer group to provide a more representative sample of national and New York City metropolitan area schools to benchmark our positions. Utilizing job descriptions and organizational charts, Segal will use this expanded group to benchmark a broad array of jobs throughout the University and determine market competitiveness.

In the third phase of the study, Segal will use the market assessment created in Phase 2 to develop a salary structure and arrange positions within the structure. In doing so, Segal will look to satisfy the strategic intentions of the compensation program, reflect the realities of the marketplace, and have an internal logic and consistency that provides latitude for career advancement.

In the fourth phase of the study, we will work with Segal in developing pay guidelines for a consistent approach to setting, adjusting, and managing pay.  The pay guidelines will apply to various aspects of pay, including but not limited to

• Starting salaries
• Merit process
• Advancement between and within salary ranges
• Promotional increases
• Review and costing of new jobs or updates to existing jobs
• Shift differential compensation
• Reclassification of job/job evaluation
• Taking on “acting” or dual roles temporarily
• Lateral move or transfer to a different area
• Expansion of responsibilities within the current job
• Other monetary incentives

As the study nears completion, Segal will provide a report of findings and recommendations for changes to the compensation program. 

In the final phase of the study, we will work with Segal on developing a strategy for implementing the recommended changes to the compensation program. We will share with employees the compensation philosophy, salary structure, and pay guidelines so that there is clarity and transparency around how pay at St. John’s is set, adjusted, and managed.

As you know, St. John’s University has engaged The Segal Group, Inc. to conduct a comprehensive compensation study that examines the roles and compensation of our employees. The first phase of this study focused on collecting data and obtaining employee perspectives.

To that end, we invited employees to participate in a compensation survey in March. Overall, 540 employees representing every School and College and most administrative departments responded. We are extremely grateful for this vital information and feedback. The survey responses indicated the following:

• Among compensation, benefits, work content, career opportunities, and affiliation with the University, employees consider compensation and benefits to be the most important, followed by work content, career opportunities, and affiliation.
• Employees are very satisfied or satisfied with work content, benefits, and affiliation with the University, but only somewhat satisfied or not satisfied with compensation and career opportunities.
• Most employees do not understand career path options at the University.
• The University is not transparent enough about how pay is set, adjusted, and managed.
• Employees feel that performance should be the most important factor in determining pay increases.

It is clear that compensation is top of mind, and that we must ensure transparency and open communication throughout the process of the compensation study, as well as into the future. We encourage you to visit the Compensation Study webpage, where you can review communications related to the study, check the progress, and submit questions or feedback about the study or the compensation program. Note: to access the page, you need to log in using your St. John’s email and password. The page is also accessible via SignOn.

As we move into the second phase of the study, we will develop a comprehensive compensation philosophy using the valuable input we gained through the survey and stakeholder meetings. Aligned with the University’s mission and Strategic Plan, the philosophy will set the foundation for all aspects of St. John’s compensation program. Once the study is completed, we will share it with you.  

Additionally, in response to feedback in the survey about those higher education institutions considered to be our competitors, we have expanded our peer group, providing a more representative sample of national and New York City metropolitan area schools to benchmark salaries. In the study’s second phase, Segal will use this expanded group to benchmark a broad array of jobs throughout the University and determine market competitiveness.

We are committed to keeping you informed and appreciate your patience as we work toward a robust compensation program. Thank you for your participation in this important initiative.

St. John’s University has engaged The Segal Group, Inc. to conduct a comprehensive compensation study that examines the roles and compensation of our employees. The University has not engaged in an in-depth, externally conducted compensation review in many years, and wishes to be proactive in assuring our competitive ability for the future. An overall goal of this study is to increase transparency in the compensationprogram and policies, and to ensure that the program is fairly and consistently applied across the University.

To help Segal understand how our employees are engaged in their jobs and with the University—and how compensation may affect those items—we ask that you please take 15–20 minutes to complete a Faculty, Administrator, and Staff Compensation Survey. Your input, which remains confidential, is highly valuable and will be used to inform the development of the University’s compensation philosophy and changes to the compensation program. The survey remains open through March 31.

We look forward to ensuring that our employees are compensated appropriately in a manner that meaningfully reflects how much we value all that each of you do for St. John’s. We encourage you to review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document about the compensation study or contact the Office of Human Resources with any questions. Thank you.

Keaton Wong, J.D.
Associate Vice President for Human Resources