Compensation Overview & Analytics Dashboard Guide

Master the comprehensive analytics and reporting capabilities of Compensation Management. Learn how to interpret compensation metrics, analyze distribution trends, benchmark against market standards, and generate actionable insights for strategic compensation decisions.

Who this is for: Business Leaders, HR Administrators, and Managers analyzing compensation data
Time needed: 15 minutes to learn, 5-10 minutes for regular use
Prerequisites: Compensation Management enabled, employee compensation data entered

🎯 What You’ll Learn

• How to navigate the compensation overview dashboard
• Understanding key compensation metrics and KPIs
• Using advanced analytics for compensation insights
• Interpreting benchmarking and market comparison data
• Generating reports for decision-making and compliance

📋 Before You Start

Required Access:

• Business Administrator, HR Administrator, or Manager role
• Compensation Management app enabled
• Employee compensation data populated

What You’ll Need:

• Understanding of your organization’s compensation strategy
• Knowledge of industry benchmarks (if available)
• Specific analysis goals or questions

🚀 Accessing Analytics & Overview

Navigation Options

Method 1: Overview Dashboard

1. Navigate to Admin → Compensation Management
2. Click Overview button in the top toolbar
3. View high-level compensation statistics and insights

Method 2: Detailed Analytics

1. Navigate to Admin → Compensation Management
2. Click Analytics button in the top toolbar
3. Access comprehensive analytics dashboard

Method 3: Quick Actions

1. From the main compensation page
2. Use Quick Actions panel for specific views
3. Filter by compensation type or employee groups

📊 Overview Dashboard Components

Key Metrics Summary

Employee Count Metrics:

• Total Employees: Complete count of all employees in your organization
• Salary Employees: Number of employees on annual salary compensation
• Hourly Employees: Number of employees paid hourly rates
• Unset Compensation: Employees without compensation data (requires attention)

Compensation Statistics:

• Average Annual Salary: Mean salary for salaried employees
• Average Hourly Rate: Mean hourly rate for hourly employees
• Total Annual Budget: Estimated total compensation expenditure
• Budget per Employee: Average compensation cost per employee

Visual Distribution Charts

Compensation Type Distribution:

Salary Range Distribution:

• Visual histogram showing salary distribution across ranges
• Identifies concentration points and outliers
• Helps understand compensation equity

Quick Action Insights

Action Items Panel:

• Employees Without Compensation: Direct link to employees needing setup
• Recent Changes: Summary of recent compensation modifications
• Pending Approvals: Count and link to pending approval requests
• Budget Alerts: Notifications about budget thresholds or anomalies

📈 Advanced Analytics Dashboard

Compensation Distribution Analysis

Salary Distribution Charts:

• Histogram View: Shows salary ranges and employee counts
• Percentile Analysis: 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile markers
• Department Comparison: Side-by-side department salary distributions
• Trend Analysis: Changes in distribution over time

Key Insights from Distribution:

• Pay Equity: Identify potential gender or demographic pay gaps
• Market Positioning: Compare your ranges to industry standards
• Internal Equity: Ensure similar roles have comparable compensation
• Compression Issues: Identify salary compression between levels

Market Benchmarking

Industry Comparison Data:

Benchmarking Metrics:

• Market Position: Where your compensation ranks against industry
• Competitive Ratio: Your compensation as percentage of market rate
• Percentile Ranking: Specific percentile position in market data
• Gap Analysis: Difference between current and target compensation

Department & Role Analytics

Department-Level Analysis:

• Average Compensation by Department: Compare across organizational units
• Budget Allocation: Percentage of total budget by department
• Headcount vs. Budget: Efficiency metrics for each department
• Growth Trends: Compensation changes over time by department

Role-Based Analytics:

• Job Title Analysis: Compensation ranges for similar roles
• Career Progression: Salary progression paths within organization
• Experience Premium: Compensation differences by experience level
• Skills Premium: Additional compensation for specialized skills

Budget and Financial Analysis

Budget Tracking Metrics:

• Total Annual Budget: Complete compensation expenditure
• Budget Utilization: Percentage of allocated budget used
• Departmental Budgets: Budget breakdown by organizational unit
• Projected Costs: Forward-looking budget projections

Financial Planning Insights:

• Merit Increase Impact: Cost of planned salary increases
• Hiring Budget: Available budget for new positions
• Retention Investment: Cost of competitive adjustments
• ROI Analysis: Return on compensation investment

🔍 Using Analytics for Decision Making

Compensation Strategy Development

Market Positioning Analysis:

1. Review industry benchmarking data
2. Identify roles above/below market rates
3. Calculate budget impact of market adjustments
4. Prioritize adjustments based on business impact

Pay Equity Assessment:

1. Analyze compensation by demographic groups
2. Identify potential pay gaps requiring attention
3. Calculate cost of equity adjustments
4. Develop timeline for addressing disparities

Performance-Based Compensation Planning

Merit Increase Planning:

Integration with EPMS:

• Performance Correlation: Link compensation to performance ratings
• Goal Achievement Impact: Factor goal completion into compensation
• Development Investment: Compensation for skills development
• Retention Risk: Identify high performers at risk due to compensation

Budget Planning and Forecasting

Annual Budget Development:

1. Analyze current compensation trends
2. Project merit increase costs
3. Factor in market movement predictions
4. Calculate new hire budget requirements

Scenario Planning:

• Conservative Scenario: Minimal increases, basic market adjustments
• Moderate Scenario: Standard merit increases, competitive positioning
• Aggressive Scenario: Above-market positioning, retention focus

📋 Reports and Export Options

Standard Reports

Compensation Summary Report:

• Complete employee compensation listing
• Departmental summaries and totals
• Market comparison data
• Year-over-year changes

Analytics Dashboard Report:

• Visual charts and graphs
• Key metrics and KPIs
• Trend analysis
• Benchmarking insights

Budget Analysis Report:

• Current budget utilization
• Departmental budget breakdown
• Projected future costs
• ROI analysis

Custom Report Generation

Filter Options:

• Date Range: Specific time periods for analysis
• Department/Division: Organizational unit focus
• Compensation Type: Salary, hourly, commission, contract
• Employee Groups: Specific employee segments

Export Formats:

• PDF: Formatted reports for presentations and meetings
• Excel: Detailed data for further analysis
• CSV: Raw data for integration with other systems
• PowerPoint: Pre-formatted slides for executive presentations

💡 Best Practices for Analytics Usage

Regular Review Schedule

Monthly Reviews:

• Monitor compensation changes and trends
• Review pending approvals and action items
• Check budget utilization against projections
• Identify employees requiring attention

Quarterly Analysis:

• Comprehensive market benchmarking review
• Department-level performance analysis
• Pay equity assessment
• Merit increase planning preparation

Annual Strategic Review:

• Complete compensation strategy evaluation
• Market positioning assessment
• Total rewards program analysis
• Long-term budget planning

Data Quality Maintenance

Ensure Accurate Analysis:

• Regular data validation and cleanup
• Consistent job title and department coding
• Up-to-date market benchmarking data
• Proper classification of compensation types

Performance Integration:

• Sync with EPMS performance data
• Regular calibration of performance ratings
• Validation of goal achievement data
• Skills and competency assessment updates

Stakeholder Communication

Executive Reporting:

• High-level metrics and trends
• Strategic recommendations
• Budget impact analysis
• Market positioning insights

Manager Enablement:

• Team-specific analytics access
• Benchmarking data for compensation discussions
• Performance-compensation correlation data
• Retention risk indicators

🎯 Interpreting Key Metrics

Understanding Compensation Ratios

Compa-Ratio Calculation:

• Formula: Employee Salary ÷ Market Rate = Compa-Ratio
• Interpretation:
  • 0.80-0.95: Below market (development opportunity)
  • 0.95-1.05: Market competitive (well-positioned)
  • 1.05-1.20: Above market (premium positioning)
  • 1.20+: Significantly above market (review required)

Range Penetration Analysis

Position in Salary Range:

• Minimum to 33%: Entry level, growth potential
• 33% to 67%: Experienced, market competitive
• 67% to Maximum: Senior level, limited growth room
• Above Maximum: Red circle, requires attention

Statistical Measures

Distribution Analysis:

• Mean: Average compensation level
• Median: Middle point of compensation distribution
• Standard Deviation: Measure of compensation spread
• Variance: Degree of compensation differences

❓ Troubleshooting Analytics Issues

Data Quality Problems

Issue: Analytics showing unexpected results
Solutions:

• Verify all employee compensation data is current
• Check for data entry errors or outliers
• Ensure consistent job titles and departments
• Validate effective dates for compensation changes

Performance Integration Issues

Issue: Performance data not reflecting in analytics
Solutions:

• Confirm EPMS integration is properly configured
• Verify performance review cycles are complete
• Check data synchronization between systems
• Validate user permissions for cross-system access

Report Generation Problems

Issue: Reports not generating or showing errors
Solutions:

• Check date range parameters for validity
• Verify sufficient data exists for selected filters
• Ensure browser allows pop-ups for report downloads
• Try different export formats if one fails

📚 Related Resources

• Individual Employee Guide: Managing specific employee compensation
• Bulk Operations Guide: Managing multiple employees
• Merit Matrix Integration: Performance-based compensation
• Audit Trail Guide: Tracking compensation changes

This analytics guide provides the foundation for data-driven compensation decisions. Regular use of these insights will help optimize your organization’s compensation strategy and ensure competitive positioning in the market.