Mindstream

Path and Pay

Building fair, competitive, and transparent pay that retains your people

Path & Pay is a focused 4-month engagement designed to develop and implement a standardized classification and compensation system for faculty and staff. In a competitive labor market where retention is critical, pay equity expectations are rising, and outdated structures quietly drive turnover, Path & Pay helps institutions build compensation systems that are fair, transparent, market-competitive, and operationally efficient. 

Who is this solution ideal for?

Institutions facing recruitment or retention challenges, organizations responding to pay equity concerns, schools without a standardized classification structure, and institutions whose compensation plans have not been benchmarked against the market in several years. 

A six-phase methodology that moves the institution from current-state assessment through faculty and staff classification, market-aligned compensation structures, and a fully scoped implementation plan.

Classification structure development

Job family framework

Career ladder design

Job Description analysis

Market compensation analysis

Pay plan structure creation

Policy and procedure development

A hands-on partnership model that combines senior consultant leadership, regular on-site presence, and ongoing coaching through design and rollout.

Senior consultant as project lead

On-site presence 1–2 days per month

Weekly executive committee meetings

Design, mobilization, and implementation coaching and support

A complete, audit-ready compensation system the institution can own and maintain after the engagement closes.

Standardized classification and compensation plans for faculty and staff

Career ladders where applicable

Pay plan structure and title-to-pay-grade assignments

Electronic versions of final job descriptions

Compensation benchmarking data analysis

Implementation plan

Maintenance plan for future updates

Change management plan

Ready to put your people on a clear path — and pay that matches?