Pitt representatives Shahfar Shaari, Maureen Pastin and James Gallaher Jr. at the CUPA-HR annual conference.

Members of our University Office of Human Resources leadership team recently had the honor of presenting a masterclass in change management at the recent College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) Annual Conference. There, the team shared insights into the challenges they dealt with in transforming Pitt’s 25-year old classification system into a market-based job and compensation framework through our Compensation Modernization project.

Vice Chancellor for Human Resources James Gallaher Jr. kicked off the session, sponsored by Huron Consulting Group, by highlighting the project's history and the roadblocks the University had to overcome to get started.

Project Lead for the Compensation Modernization initiative Shahfar Shaari discussed how Pitt built the job catalog and salary structure, as well as the policies and procedures implemented to support the new system.

Director of Compensation Maureen Pastin rounded out the session, highlighting plans for the next phase of the new salary infrastructure, which focuses on creating opportunities for upward career mobility through a new framework of career ladders and career paths.

The session was a hit, drawing over 200 participants in a standing room only crowd, and received overwhelmingly positive feedback. The presentation was shared as a resource for others in human resources for higher education to use going forward.