Attraction and Retention Loadings

Summary:

Attraction and retention loadings may be offered to either attract potential employees to vacant positions, or retain the services of an existing employee where:

  • there are clearly demonstrable difficulties in attracting suitably qualified employees to particular positions within the prevailing market conditions;
  • there is a high turnover of employees and higher salaries being paid elsewhere for the particular occupational group have been documented as being a significant contributing factor; or
  • there is a clearly demonstrable need to retain a high performing employee who consistently and significantly exceeds agreed objectives, targets and/or key performance indicators, where the loss of such an employee would have a significant impact on the productivity and performance of the faculty or section.

A proposal for an application of attraction or retention loadings must be prepared by the Category 4 Delegate or above and include evidence of:

  • recruitment experience in the area;
  • documentation of other relevant market factors, eg turnover of employees, data from relevant external markets and/or comparable Universities;
  • in the case of retention, the employee's performance and implications of the loss of the employee; and
  • the recommended level of the loading and proposed source of funds (ie cost centre's capacity to pay the allowance).

Other than in exceptional circumstances, salary loadings will not exceed 20% of the current base annual salary of the position and will normally be offered for no more than 12 months in the first instance.  Loadings are approved by Category 3 Delegates or above.

Related policy and procedure:

Attraction and Retention Loadings

HR Contact:

John Pearson, Executive Director, Human Resources

Attraction loadings are a useful tool to use when recruiting positions in professions where the market place is currently experiencing a skills shortage and as such high salaries are being offered to attract experienced employees. These loadings are in preference to inflating a formal classification level of a position to ensure equity is maintained. Similarly, retention loadings are useful in similar circumstances to retain specialised and talented employees who may be ‘head hunted’ by other organisations in times of a ‘war for talent’ where a reclassification is not warranted or appropriate.