Compensation Review Workflow

Why should we automate compensation review instead of handling it over email?

Email-based approvals often lack visibility into where a request sits, who reviewed it, and why a decision was made. This workflow centralises the proposal, HR review, and approval routing in one place, so managers and HR can see status in real time and avoid duplicate follow-ups. It also creates a consistent record of who approved what and why, which is harder to maintain in scattered email threads.

What is the ROI of using this workflow compared to a manual process?

The main return comes from time saved on chasing approvals and reduced risk of inconsistent pay decisions slipping through. By automatically routing requests to the right approver based on increase size, HR and Finance spend less time triaging requests manually. Faster approval cycles also mean payroll updates happen sooner, reducing the chance of delayed or missed pay adjustments.

How does the threshold-based routing between HR and Finance/Executive work?

When a manager submits a compensation proposal, the workflow checks the increase amount against a configured threshold. Smaller increases route to HR for approval, while larger increases are sent to Finance or Executive reviewers. This threshold and the routing logic can be adjusted directly in assess.one to match your organisation's policy.

Can we customise the approval steps or notification messages?

Yes. Approval stages, reviewer roles, notification content, and status labels can all be edited directly inside assess.one without needing developer involvement. Teams commonly adjust the increase threshold, add additional approval tiers, or customise the rejection notification wording to match internal tone and policy.

Who needs access to this workflow?

Typically, people managers who initiate proposals, HR reviewers who assess consistency and equity, and Finance or Executive approvers for larger increases all need access. Payroll or HR operations staff also need visibility to pick up the payroll update task once a change is approved. Access can be scoped by role directly in assess.one.

What happens if a proposal is rejected during HR review?

If HR flags a proposal as inconsistent or inequitable, the workflow routes it back to the manager with the stated reason rather than allowing it to proceed to approval. The status updates to reflect the rejection, and the manager is notified so they can revise and resubmit if appropriate. This checkpoint helps catch equity issues before they reach Finance or Executive approvers.

How long does it take to implement this workflow?

This is a ready-to-use template, so there is no lengthy implementation project. Once published in assess.one, it takes minutes to configure approval thresholds and roles, and your team can start running live compensation reviews immediately.

What compliance or audit considerations does this workflow support?

The workflow captures a clear status trail from submission through HR review, approval routing, and final decision, which supports internal audit and compliance reviews. Because rejection reasons and approver decisions are recorded at each stage, HR teams have documentation to reference if a pay decision is later questioned. This structure is designed to support consistency reviews, not to replace formal legal or compliance sign-off processes.

What happens after an increase is approved?

Once approved, the workflow automatically sets the status to Approved, assigns a payroll update task to the relevant team, and notifies the employee's manager that the change has gone through. This removes the need for manual handoff between HR approval and payroll execution, helping reduce the chance of an approved change being delayed or forgotten.

Can this workflow integrate with our existing HR or payroll tools?

Notifications and integrations such as email or Slack are configured directly inside assess.one, allowing updates to reach managers and payroll teams through the channels they already use. Since the workflow runs natively in assess.one, there is no separate software installation required to connect these notification channels.