Case studyHigher educationUAE
How a UAE University Found It Was Paying 12% Below Market
At a glance: A UAE university with 245 employees was paying 12% below the market. In four weeks, Tuscan evaluated and graded 80 job roles and benchmarked pay against other universities. The new pay structure helped the university keep employee turnover under 5% over the next two years.
- 12%below market at the start
- <5%turnover over the next two years
- 80job roles evaluated and graded
- 245employees covered
- 4 weeksstart to finish
Project facts
- Client
- A university in the UAE. Name confidential under NDA.
- Sector
- Higher education
- Employees covered
- 245
- Roles evaluated
- 80
- Timeline
- 4 weeks
- Method
- Globally recognised job evaluation methods, scoring each role on compensable factors
- Market data
- Tuscan’s higher education pay data from 27+ universities in the UAE and Saudi Arabia
- Scope
- Job analysis, job evaluation and grading, salary benchmarking, pay and benefits policy, cost analysis
Why did the university call Tuscan?
Universities in the UAE compete hard for the same academic and administrative staff. This one had a problem sitting underneath its payroll.
There were no clear grading rules, so similar roles earned different salaries. Leaders also wanted to know how their pay compared with other universities, and what it would cost to put things right.
What did the university need?
- Fair, consistent pay and benefits across similar roles.
- Salaries benchmarked against other UAE universities.
- A pay and benefits policy that complies with UAE labour law and supports the university’s plans.
How did Tuscan run the project in four weeks?
Job analysis
We met key stakeholders to understand each role’s duties, responsibilities and qualifications. Then we reviewed the job descriptions so every role was clearly defined.
Job evaluation and grading
We scored all 80 roles on compensable factors using globally recognised job evaluation methods. Each score placed the role in a grade, so similar jobs now sit together.
Salary benchmarking
We compared the university’s pay with other UAE universities, drawing on Tuscan’s higher education data from 27+ universities across the UAE and Saudi Arabia. We also reviewed allowances and benefits practice in the sector.
Pay and benefits framework
We built a new salary scale from the grades and the market data. We recommended allowances and benefits in line with market practice and UAE labour law, and wrote the policies for salary reviews, promotions and allowances.
Cost analysis
We costed the new structure before rollout, so leaders knew exactly what moving to market rates would take.
What did the salary benchmarking find?
The grading work also showed where similar roles were paid differently inside the university. Both problems had to be fixed together: a fair internal structure, set at a competitive market level.
What were the results?
- Every one of the 80 roles has a clear grade, so similar jobs are paid on the same basis.
- A new salary scale set against the market, with the cost of closing the 12% gap known up front.
- Written policies for salary reviews, promotions and allowances, in line with UAE labour law.
What made the difference?
The data. Tuscan holds one of the widest higher education pay datasets in the region, drawn from 27+ universities in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. That meant the university was compared with universities, not with the general market.
One joined-up project. Job evaluation, grading, benchmarking and costing ran as a single piece of work. That is how 80 roles were done in four weeks.
