Case study: recruitment of a Compensation & Benefits Advisor for a Manufacturing Company

A company belonging to an international capital group, operating in the Polish market and having a dispersed operational structure, decided to create a new Compensation & Benefits Advisor role. The position was designed to consolidate responsibility for compensation and benefits, which had previously been distributed across different HR functions.

Another reason for launching the recruitment process was the need to prepare the organization for the implementation of the EU Pay Transparency Directive and to further develop HR analytics. The client needed a person who not only had experience in the C&B area, but was also able to build processes independently, work with data and support managers in salary-related and organizational decisions.

The business challenge

The recruitment concerned an independent expert role with managerial competencies, but without a subordinate team. This was critical for defining the candidate profile accurately.

The client was looking for a person responsible for building and developing the compensation policy, salary analyses, market benchmarks, salary grid development, job evaluation, organizational structure alignment, C&B reporting development and support for salary review and benefits processes.

The key requirements included practical experience in independently managing the Compensation & Benefits area, knowledge of the salary market, the ability to work with data and prepare reports for the business. Experience related to pay transparency and knowledge of benchmarking methodologies and tools were considered additional advantages.

The greatest challenge was the limited availability of candidates. The market for C&B specialists is relatively narrow, and most of the best-matched professionals were not actively looking for a new role. In addition, many experienced candidates expected managerial positions and the opportunity to build a team, while the client needed an independent expert who would act as a business partner without managing people.

The attractiveness of the offer was also affected by the location, a limited benefits package and an initial budget that was not fully competitive compared with market expectations.

HRK’s approach

The recruitment strategy was based entirely on direct search. The HRK team focused on reaching candidates who met the client’s criteria directly and activating professionals who were not active on the job market.

Thanks to their knowledge of the Compensation & Benefits market, the consultants were able to quickly identify relevant profiles and assess their fit not only with the scope of responsibilities, but also with the specifics of an independent expert role.

Each candidate was carefully assessed in terms of C&B experience, knowledge of compensation processes, analytical skills, motivation to change and readiness to take on a role requiring a high level of independence and partnership with managers.

HRK regularly provided the client with market feedback. This covered salary expectations, candidate availability, the attractiveness of the offer and the actual level of the position. Based on these recommendations, the client verified some of the initial assumptions, including the budget and the expected competency profile.

The key to success was finding the right balance between the organization’s needs and candidates’ expectations. It was also important to position the new role appropriately in the market – not as a managerial position, but as an expert function with real influence on compensation policy, HR analytics and preparation for pay transparency.

The process in numbers

• the first candidates were presented two weeks after the project started,
• 56 people were identified as part of the search,
• 37 candidates were assessed by HRK,
• 6 candidates were presented to the client,
• 6 candidates were invited to interviews with the client,
• the client made 2 offers,
• 1 person was hired,
• the entire process took approximately 2 months.

The result

The process resulted in the hiring of an expert specializing in Compensation & Benefits. The selected person had the experience required to independently build and develop C&B processes without the need to manage a team.

The candidate was the best match for the organization’s actual needs, combining practical expert experience, the ability to work with data and readiness to cooperate with the business as a partner. The hired person took responsibility for organizing the compensation area, supporting the implementation of pay transparency and developing HR analytics.

 

“This process showed that the market for Compensation & Benefits specialists is limited, and the most valuable candidates are often passive. In the case of independent expert roles, it is essential to define the level of the position, scope of responsibility and budget realistically.

Regularly providing the client with market feedback helps verify project assumptions more quickly and increases recruitment effectiveness. In this case, success resulted from properly aligning the expectations of both sides and focusing on the organization’s actual needs rather than only on the candidate’s seniority.”

Adriana Grędzka, Team Manager, HRK HR & Administration

Looking for an expert in compensation, benefits, or HR analytics?

HRK supports companies in expert and managerial recruitment projects in HR, Compensation & Benefits, HR analytics, and business support functions. We help clients reach candidates who do not respond to job advertisements but may be open to discussing a well-matched role and business challenge.