Compensation Study

Isle of Wight County is soliciting sealed proposals from qualified firms to establish a contract through competitive negotiations for Compensation Study .

Isle of Wight County is located in the Hampton Roads region in the State of Virginia. Isle of Wight has two incorporated towns, Smithfield and Windsor. Isle of Wight County encompasses 363 square miles of which 316 square miles is land and 47 square miles is water. The James River bounds the County on the north and the Blackwater River to the south.

One of our greatest challenges is that we have neighboring jurisdictions that are paying more than we can under the current pay structure. This reality greatly impacts our ability to hire and retain our best employees. While we must remain cognizant of the budgetary demands placed on our Board of Supervisors, we cannot forget the pressures we face in compensating the employees who are being called upon to serve. Our objective is to have a compensation package that is fair and equitable. We realize our compensation plan cannot compete with other localities such as Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk or Norfolk. We have been very successful in hiring employees from these localities who were seeking a different work environment. This is essential as we continue to serve an increased number of residents in this growing area. Additionally, ensuring raises and promotions are managed uniformly will allow for better communication and understanding between employees and supervisors. The final report should suggest ways to use a salary structure more rigorously and systematically, as well as provide recommendations that will guide the County in making future compensation decisions.

The County’s Department of Human Resources administers comprehensive programs aimed at attracting, motivating, and retaining a professional and industrious workforce. The department provides approximately 280 full-time and 300 part-time employees with services related to recruitment, selection and retention, compensation and benefits, performance management, employee relations, policy development and interpretation, organizational development, training and development, and employment law compliance.

It is the goal of the County to conduct a compensation study to provide a recommendation for salary placements, pay grade, and compression adjustments, placing the County in a comparable position to hire and retain quality employees. The last compensation study conducted by the County was in 2021, with a market study completed in 2024.