Assignment Topics: Reward Systems (EZDV202)
Topic1
Title: Aligning Reward Strategy with Business Strategy
Critically evaluate how an organisation's corporate strategy (e.g., cost-
leadership, differentiation, or innovation) should directly shape its rewards
policy. Using two real-world companies from the same sector, compare
and contrast their reward structures and assess whether these structures
effectively drive the desired strategic behaviours. Conclude with a set of
recommendations for how HR can ensure reward policies remain
strategically aligned over time.
Poster must include:
Brief description of your chosen companies and their strategies
Side-by-side comparison of their reward policies (base pay, bonuses,
benefits)
Analysis of alignment (or misalignment) between strategy and
rewards
3 actionable recommendations for HR practitioners
2
Topic 2
Title: Achieving Internal Equity Through Job Evaluation
Design a simplified analytical job evaluation scheme (point-factor method)
for three distinct roles within a chosen organisation. Apply your scheme to
rank these roles by relative worth and discuss the challenges of ensuring
objectivity and fairness. Critically reflect on the limitations of job
evaluation in addressing pay inequality and propose improvements to
your scheme to minimise bias.
Poster must include:
Brief description of the organisation and three roles chosen
Your point-factor grid (factors, weights, scoring system)
Final scores and rank order of the three roles
Discussion of at least 2 limitations/biases and how to fix them
Topic 3
Title: Moving from Job-Based to Person-Based Pay
Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of implementing a
Competence or Skills-Based Pay (SBP) system in a modern organisation.
Using a specific department or job family as a case study, design a skill-
block structure that outlines how employees would progress through
levels, how skills would be assessed, and how pay would increase. Discuss
the administrative and cultural challenges of transitioning from traditional
pay grades to SBP.
Poster must include:
Description of your chosen department/job family
Visual "skill block" grid showing levels and associated pay bumps
Explanation of assessment/certification methods
Analysis of 3 challenges and how to overcome them
3
Topic 4
Title: To Lead, Match, or Lag? Strategic Market Positioning
Analyse the strategic decision of setting pay levels relative to the external
market. Using hypothetical or real salary survey data for a specific role,
model three scenarios (market-lead, market-match, and market-lag).
Compare the financial implications and talent attraction/retention risks of
each approach. Recommend a market positioning strategy for a given
organisation, justifying your choice based on its financial position,
industry, and talent needs.
Poster must include:
Brief description of the organisation and target role
Salary survey data summary (hypothetical or real)
Cost comparison table for the three scenarios
Justified recommendation with supporting rationale
Topic 5
Title: The Power of Non-Financial Rewards in Retention
Investigate the relationship between non-financial recognition and
employee retention/engagement. Using secondary research (academic
studies and practitioner reports), identify the most effective forms of
recognition and explain why they work. Design a low-cost 'Recognition
Toolkit' for line managers that includes at least three different recognition
strategies. Evaluate how your proposed toolkit would impact employee
engagement and reduce turnover intentions.
Poster must include:
Summary of key research findings on recognition and retention
Your "Recognition Toolkit" (3+ strategies with examples)
Explanation of why each strategy works (psychological/behavioural
theory)
Evaluation of expected impact on engagement and turnover