Cultivating a Collaborative Workforce Through Standardized Pay Practices

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A large academic health system with over 28,000 employees across 13 counties faced the challenge of integrating multiple facilities under a standardized pay system. Historically, each member organization operated independently, with its own policies and systems. Leadership sought to align pay practices while maintaining employee trust and engagement. The systemwide changes were part of a broader effort to create consistency and efficiency across the organization. To ensure a smooth transition, leadership prioritized transparent communication, proactive change management, and direct employee engagement. The goal was to minimize disruption, support managers, and provide clear messaging that reinforced the benefits of standardization.

Issue:

  • Fragmented Pay Practices —Employees across different facilities had varying pay structures, policies, and systems, leading to inconsistencies.
  • Change Fatigue – Employees had already experienced significant organizational shifts, making additional changes more difficult to implement.
  • Leadership Transitions – A new CEO and leadership team needed to quickly align with and champion the pay standardization effort.

Action:

  • Leadership Engagement – Created an executive steering committee and workgroups to drive the change and ensure alignment across departments.
  • Strategic Communication – Developed a branded initiative to frame pay standardization as part of the system’s broader unification efforts.
  • Manager Enablement – Provided a comprehensive toolkit, training, and dedicated communication resources to help leaders guide their teams through the transition.

Result:

  • Successful Implementation – The system transitioned more than 20,000 employees to standardized pay practices with minimal operational disruption.
  • High Employee Trust – Transparent messaging and leadership alignment led to positive feedback and improved confidence in systemwide initiatives.
  • Minimal Payroll Issues – On launch day, only 10% of HR support cases were related to pay, and fewer than 50 employees required paycheck adjustments.

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