How Do You Conduct a Salary Survey?

Salary survey

Understanding what the market pays is not optional—it’s essential.

Salary surveys give businesses the data to stay competitive. They prevent underpaying talent, overpaying unnecessarily, and guessing blindly about market rates.

Here’s how to do it, step by step.

1. Define Your Objective

Why are you conducting a survey?

  • Are you reviewing your pay structure?
  • Are you benchmarking for a specific role or department?
  • Are you planning to attract top talent in Kenya?

Knowing your goal guides the survey design. Companies often hire expert salary benchmarking services to make sure the data matches real-world needs.

2. Identify the Roles to Survey

Not every job needs the same level of detail.

Start with key positions that drive performance or are hard to fill. Include:

  • Executive and management roles
  • Technical or specialized positions
  • Roles where retention is critical

This ensures your survey focuses on the roles that matter most.

3. Gather Reliable Market Data

The value of a salary survey depends on the data.

Use multiple sources:

  • Industry reports
  • Government statistics
  • Third-party compensation databases
  • Surveys from professional HR firms

For accuracy, many businesses rely on professional salary survey services in Nairobi, which provide verified and localised data.

4. Analyse and Compare

Once you have data, compare it to your internal pay structure.

Ask:

  • Are we paying above, below, or at market median?
  • Do pay ranges reflect job value and responsibilities?
  • Are the benefits competitive?

This step helps create a defensible and fair pay strategy.

5. Make Data-Driven Decisions

Use the insights to adjust salaries, define pay bands, and update policies.

Transparent and market-aligned pay builds trust, improves retention, and strengthens recruitment.

Businesses that use salary benchmarking solutions often see a measurable boost in employee satisfaction and attraction rates.

Final Thought

Conducting a salary survey isn’t just about numbers—it’s about fairness, strategy, and growth.

If collecting and analysing pay data feels overwhelming, partnering with expert compensation analysis providers ensures your decisions are accurate, defensible, and aligned with the Kenyan market.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *