 With the Village's new Facebook page launching just a few weeks ago and the recent announcement that we'll be pursuing music as Tinley Park's new brand, it's been an incredibly busy and productive month.
I'd like to take a few minutes to update you on another recent development, namely that the Village Board has decided to hire two outside experts who will help to improve our staff's efficiency and make sure we are paying competitive but fair salaries and benefits to our employees.
The Village hired Paypoint HR to look at the salaries of all non-union employees to ensure they're competitive and comparable to other similarly sized communities. They'll also examine how we can improve our merit pay system and will take a hard look at benefits - things such as health insurance, vacation pay, etc.
This study will also include both public and private sector comparisons where appropriate, with a focus on job descriptions and how positions compare to each other. In my experience, professionally managed communities will typically undertake comprehensive salary surveys every few years. It has been about 10 years since Tinley Park did its last comprehensive salary survey and pay plan review.
The Village also hired Matrix Consulting Group to review
the Village Hall organizational structure to make sure it aligns with the goals and service level expectations of the residents and Village Board. The expert will conduct a best-management practice and comparative assessment of staffing allocations, analyze the organization, analyze our operations and staffing in each function, review whether redundant or unnecessary tasks can be eliminated, recommend how technology can be used to better deliver services, and analyze the effectiveness of Village operations and potential cost-savings opportunities.
 It's important to note that, for both of these studies, not every single position in the Village is going to have an exact comparable match. Some of our staff members may perform the duties of two or more employees at a comparable location, while other jobs that are performed by one person elsewhere are spread out here amongst several people. All of this means it's not always going to be an easy cookie-cutter comparison, which is one reason why we've elected to hire an independent company that specializes in conducting these kinds of studies.
A key advantage of having an independent expert conduct these studies is assurance of an impartial and unbiased analysis.
Occasionally, towns will hire more staff and pay the corresponding salaries and benefits to undertake special projects such as conducting these studies rather than hiring outside experts. I support moving forward with an external expert who can get this project completed in a timely manner, free from other distractions.
Both studies should be completed within the next several months and, when finished, should yield an end product that will provide us with the tools needed to help make our Village staff as efficient as it can be. We also want to continue to attract and retain talented, experienced employees while making sure the salaries are competitive and comparable to other similarly sized organizations in the public and private sectors. Using the information provided from these studies, I'm confident we can do just that.
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The fifth annual Downtown Tinley Boo Bash will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30 at the "haunted" Oak Park Avenue train station, 6700 South Street.
Fire up your computer or smartphone and visit the Village of Tinley Park's new Facebook page