Introduction - NGOs Benefit Survey Report

The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (hereafter the "HKCSS") has conducted annual NGOs Salary Survey (hereafter the "Survey") for the social service sector since 2003. As part of the Survey, the survey on benefits is conducted to provide relevant information regarding benefits offered by NGOs. By the definition of the Survey, “benefits” refer to the terms and items applied to staff whose salary scale does not strictly follow the MPS.

The survey on benefits is conducted biennially since 2012. Since the survey on benefits is an independent subject of interest to NGOs, the result is published as a separate report starting from this year. This is to facilitate easier access and reference to the result of the survey on benefits independently. The survey on benefits includes major topics such as leave benefits, medical care benefits, Mandatory Provident Fund Scheme and other benefits (e.g., life insurance, training subsidy, self-education subsidy, etc.). It mainly covers full-time staff whose salary scale does not strictly follow the MPS and also part-time staff whose salary scale does not strictly follow the MPS for medical care benefits.

Overseen by a Working Group composed of representatives from the social service sector, experts from the business sector and human resources management profession and conducted by an independent survey consultant, the Survey aims to provide the most updated reference to assist Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) in positioning their salary and benefits strategies to attract, motivate, reward and retain staff and revamping the relevant human resources management practices to meet the challenging operating environment. Over the past years, the number of participants has doubled. This year, the number of participants is maintained at 105, with 14 being new participants.

Introduction - NGOs Salary Survey Report

The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (hereafter the "HKCSS") has conducted annual NGOs Salary Survey (hereafter the "Survey") for the social service sector since 2003. Overseen by a Working Group composed of representatives from the social service sector, experts from the business sector and human resources management profession and conducted by an independent survey consultant, the Survey aims to provide the most updated reference to assist Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) in positioning their salary and benefits strategies to attract, motivate, reward and retain staff and revamping the relevant human resources management practices to meet the challenging operating environment.

In the past decades, the operating environment of the social service sector has kept on changing. The introduction of the Lump Sum Grant Subvention (LSGS) has transformed the resources management of the NGOs in the social service sector, especially in human resources management. NGOs are given the freedom to manage their staff structure, staff-mix and the level of salary and benefits under the new funding mode. To facilitate NGOs in determining the levels of salary and benefits with flexibility to meet their organizational requirements, more relevant and timely reference on the salary and benefits policy and strategy of the sector should be made available.

The scope of the Survey and salary data covered have been modified to cope with the changing environment and practices of the sector. Apart from covering the salary data of full-time staff in-post whose salary structure does not strictly follow the Master Pay Scale (the "MPS"), more comprehensive information on salary structure with both starting and maximum salaries has also been collected since 2012. The enhancement provides a better understanding on the salary structure of the benchmarked positions of the sector. Without the contributions from the Participants and the Working Group, and the professional service rendered by the survey consultant, the Survey cannot be accomplished to provide the social service sector with valuable reference on the practices on salary and benefits. Over the past years, the number of participants has doubled. This year, the number of participants is maintained at 105, with 14 being new participants.

Objective and Scope of the Survey

The objective of this Survey is to provide NGOs with the most updated reference in the following issues:

1. summary of salary data for a set of benchmarked positions in different job families;
2. comparison of salary level in past years for each position (which salary structure do not strictly follow the MPS);
3. average percentage of overall salary adjustment awarded to eligible staff in NGOs as a result of the regular salary review;
4. summary of findings of human resources management practices among the NGOs and
5. benefits offered to different categories of staff (result published in NGOs Benefit Survey Report 2016).

The reference date of the salary data in this Survey is as of 31 October 2016. It covers 28,465 full-time staff in-post whose salary structure does not strictly follow the MPS. A total of 53 benchmarked positions have been selected for this Survey.

Survey Methodology

The following methodology was deployed in this Survey.

Design of the Survey

The questionnaire and job descriptions for benchmarked positions are developed to:

1. ensure adequate representation and fair interpretation of findings;
2. collect empirical data and views from the Participants on their current practices in salary and benefits management; and
3. identify the differences in salary and benefit management practices due to the heterogeneity of Members.

To facilitate the Participants to complete the questionnaire, the HKCSS answers enquiries on general and administration questions. Besides, an information session was held on 19 September 2016 to walk through the questionnaire with the Participants. Stat Solutions Co, as the survey consultant, is responsible for answering technical questions, conducting data analysis as well as maintenance of all data provided by the Participants in total confidentiality throughout the entire process.

Data Collection

All Members (449 Members as of 31 August 2016) of the HKCSS were invited to participate in this Survey. A total of 105 Members returned the completed questionnaires to Stat Solutions Co. directly.

Data Analysis and Report

Data were entered into an electronic file for tabulation and analyzed by Stat Solutions Co. in a professional and strictly confidential manner. Necessary clarifications were made by Stat Solutions Co. to resolve potential data distortion and ensure completeness, accuracy, reliability and validity. Only salary data with THREE OR ABOVE Respondents will be presented in the report.

Some percentages in the figures may not add up to the total of 100% because of decimal points rounding.

Profile of Participants

Profile of Participants

A total of 105 Members participated in the Survey this year, covering 36,902 full-time staff. With reference to the Directory of Social Service Organizations in Hong Kong 2015 (the "Directory"), the number of full time staff covered in this Survey accounts for about 62.6% of employees of HKCSS Members covered in the Directory.

Analysis of Pay Management Practice

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