ainm

Reward strategy, salary benchmarking and pay banding for Irish SMEs

Pay that’s fair, competitive and easy to explain. From Fionnán O’Sullivan, lecturer in Performance Management & Reward at UCC, with 15 years in HR.

Fionnán O’Sullivan, Ainm · Cork, working nationwide

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UCC · Ibec Academy · CIPD Ireland · The Sunday Times

Pay decisions made one at a time add up

  • Salaries set by negotiation, not by a structure.
  • People doing similar jobs on very different pay, and no clear reason why.
  • Losing good people to competitors, or overpaying to hire.

Pay transparency rules are coming, and you’ll need to explain how pay is set.

How I can help

Reward strategy.

What you pay for, how you pay it, and how it supports the business you’re building.

Salary benchmarking.

How your pay compares with the market for your key roles.

Pay banding.

A clear, simple structure of pay ranges for your roles, so pay decisions are consistent and explainable.

Pay banding for SMEs

A pay-banding project for your business: we group your roles, set pay ranges, and agree how people move through them.

Book a 15-minute call

How it works

  1. 1

    15-minute call

    to understand your business and what you need.

  2. 2

    Discovery.

    Your roles, current pay and what you want pay to achieve.

  3. 3

    Analysis and design.

    Benchmarking and a proposed structure.

  4. 4

    Handover.

    A clear structure, with guidance on using it and explaining it to staff.

Why work with me

Performance and reward work best together: see performance management.

  • 15 years in HR
  • Lecturer in Performance Management and Reward, UCC HR Higher Diploma
  • Ibec Academy panel consultant and pay transparency speaker
  • CIPD Ireland Southern committee member (MCIPD)
  • Previously owned and scaled a recruitment business
  • Co-host of The People Problem podcast; featured in the Sunday Times
  • Clients include Fort Wayne Metals and Adhesive Research Ireland

Frequently asked questions

A set of pay ranges for groups of similar roles, so you have a consistent basis for pay decisions.

Let’s make pay simple to explain

Book a 15-minute call

The information on this page is general information for employers and is not legal advice. Employment law changes and every situation is different. Take professional or legal advice for your specific circumstances.

Book a 15-minute call