by WG members who participate in our annual compensation and benefits survey. Greg and his team compile and deliver the aggregate results and turn them out in the form of survey reports that are easy to understand and digest for WG members. Greg shared recent Industry Insights survey results where employers were asked about their major concerns and issues. The results are not surprising as leaders overwhelmingly responded with finding qualified candidates and keeping them as their two highest-rated concerns. Having good, reliable data is a start. Having a strategy for compensation management and a plan to attract and retain is another task altogether. Most WG members do not use a system of salary ranges or broadbands to manage pay in a proactive, calculated, preplanned manner. “If you are trying to be fair, or just simply competitive, you can’t make good decisions on compensation without good data,” said Bob Gray, former Chair of the WG Board. “And the more data the better, since the competition for talent is intense and the right offer is essential.” How does an organization literally plug pay data into a manageable, sustainable format? It takes good job descriptions to start. Then the job description is compared and contrasted to highly reliable pay data. The Estimated Market Value (EMV) is plugged into a range with other jobs with similar survey outcomes. Ranges are consistent percentages across and between midpoints. The EMV rules in this structure.
Take for example this hypothetical accounts payable clerk located in Central Valley with an employer of $150M in annual review. The location and size of the organization are critical data cuts to prevent an employer from paying too much or too little for a job. Our data suggests a starting base, annual salary of $46,467. Note: nearly all WG members pay a bonus in good years. As such, base pay and bonus is referred to as total cash compensation (TCC). We also provide this information in the annual survey. The average, median, upper and lower quartile gives the employer the flexibility to decide to pay the long-tenured, preferably high-performing individual in the upper quartile. Those just starting out in their careers or have just begun learning the skills and growing capabilities should be paid in the lower quartile. This is a highly defensible position against potential claims that may be brought under the federal Equal Pay Act and its California counterpart. It also lends to the necessity of job descriptions in that they should exist and be very clear about how many years’ experience one should have to command certain pay. Salary ranges address the challenge of managing pay in a linear, planned fashion. Additional benefits make up the total remuneration of compensation (such as 401(k)/retirement), health benefits, all monetary and nonmonetary benefits. These matter too. But what employers commit to paying should be supported by a comp strategy and plan.
WESTERN GROWERS OFFICERS – 2024 Stuart Woolf, Chair Rob Yraceburu, Vice Chair Neill Callis,Treasurer Don Cameron, Executive Secretary Dave Puglia, President & CEO DIRECTORS – 2024 GEORGE ADAM Innovative Produce, Santa Maria, California CRAIG ALAMEDA Topflavor Farms Inc, Salinas, California ALEXANDRA ALLEN Main Street Produce, Santa Maria, California CHAD AMARAL D’Arrigo Bros Co of Calif., Salinas, Calif. KEVIN ANDREW Illume Agriculture, Bakersfield, California ROBERT BARKLEY Barkley Ag Enterprises LLP, Yuma, Arizona STEPHEN BARNARD Mission Produce, Inc., Oxnard, California BARDIN BENGARD Bengard Ranch, Salinas, California BRIAN BERTELSEN Cove Ranch Management, Reedley, California GEORGE BOSKOVICH III Boskovich Farms, Oxnard, California RODNEY BRAGA Braga Ranch, Soledad, California NEILL CALLIS Turlock Fruit Company, Turlock, California DON CAMERON Terranova Ranch, Inc., Helm, California EDWIN CAMP D. M. Camp & Sons, Bakersfield, California CAROL CHANDLER Chandler Farms LP, Selma, California LARRY COX Lawrence Cox Ranches, Brawley, California STEPHEN DANNA Danna Farms, Inc., Yuba City, California THOMAS DEARDORFF II Deardorff Family Farms, Oxnard, California TIMOTHY ESCAMILLA Bolthouse Farms, Bakersfield, California CATHERINE FANUCCHI Tri-Fanucchi Farms Inc., Bakersfield, California DAVID GILL Rio Farms, King City, California ROBERT GIRAGOSIAN Kern Ridge Growers, LLC, Arvin, California BRANDON GRIMM Grimmway Farms, Arvin, California JOHN JACKSON Beachside Produce, LLC, Nipomo, California TRACY JONES Booth Ranches, Orange Cove, California A. G. KAWAMURA Orange County Produce, LLC, Fullerton, California ALBERT KECK Hadley Date Gardens, Thermal, California J.P. LABRUCHERIE LaBrucherie Produce, El Centro, California STEPHEN MARTORI III Martori Farms, Scottsdale, Arizona HAROLD MCCLARTY HMC Farms, Kingsburg, California DOMINIC MUZZI, JR. Muzzi Family Farms, LLC, Moss Landing, California THOMAS NUNES The Nunes Company, Inc., Salinas, California STEPHEN PATRICIO Westside Produce, Firebaugh, California JOHN POWELL, JR. Peter Rabbit Farms, Coachella, California RON RATTO Ratto Bros. Inc., Modesto, California CRAIG READE Bonipak Produce, Inc., Santa Maria, California ERIC REITER Reiter Affiliated Companies, Oxnard, California KYLE RICHARDSON Garry Richardson Farms, Bakersfield, California SONNY RODRIGUEZ The Growers Company, Inc., Somerton, Arizona BRUCE TALBOTT Talbott’s Mountain Gold, LLP, Palisade, Colorado RYAN TALLEY Talley Farms, Arroyo Grande, California BRUCE TAYLOR Taylor Farms Calif., Salinas, California JACK VESSEY Vessey and Company Inc, Holtville, California MIKE WAY Prime Time International, Coachella, California STUART WOOLF Woolf Farming & Processing, Fresno, California ROB YRACEBURU Wonderful Orchards, Shafter, California
MEMBER SERVICES If you’ve never created salary ranges or broadbands, please seek professional assistance. All members should be contributing to the WG Compensation and Benefits Guide, (the survey results are free to those who contribute data, which is simply unheard of in the pay survey industry). The 2024 WG Compensation and Benefits survey launches February 1, 2024 goes through April 2024, results ready in late June 2024. Western Growers Financial Services offers a beautiful 401(k) retirement plan in the form of a Multiple Employer Arrangement (MEP) where WG files the 5500 (for employers with more than 100 participants in the plan) for you, offers great investment options and helps with 404(c) compliance.
JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2024
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Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com
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