Peer Health Exchange (PHE) is a national health equity non-profit organization that provides young people with the support, resources, educational opportunities, and digital products needed to make positive, health decisions of their own choosing. Committed to advancing health equity, PHE works to improve health outcomes for young people in under-resourced communities. The organization’s heart beats strongly for diversity, equity, and inclusion, with equity as its guiding star. PHE boasts a remote team and a national presence, reaching youth across the country. Peer Health Exchange’s commitment to equity is not just for the young people it serves, but also its internal clients: the PHE staff. Edgility has had the privilege of working with PHE on several occasions in the last decade, and we are proud to share a look into our long partnership.

Pay Equity with Market Rate Salaries

One of the best things organizations can do to hire and keep talent is to pay at or above the market rate. This means offering pay and benefits that align with what is offered at similar organizations for similar roles. 

In 2021, Peer Health Exchange found that they weren’t paying their staff as competitively as they would like. As an equity-driven organization, both inside and out, PHE also knew that equitable pay practices should guide their salary program, so they turned to Edgility for a comprehensive compensation program design. Our process included a full market analysis which considered three key factors: size, location and sector; refinement of their current salary structure to better fit their current and future state; and an internal wage gap analysis to identify and course correct any pay disparities. With our data-centric approach, we provided PHE with a roadmap to equitable and competitive compensation. This included creating competitive salary ranges, implementing equitable pay structures, and developing pay policies that support their diverse and remote team.

We provided guidance on how to elevate all positions to an at-market rate without pay gaps, which included not just sharing a forecast of what salaries should be, but how those changes would fit into their overall budget. PHE, buoyed by the strong implementation timeline prepared by the Edgility team, committed to the execution of these adjustments. Fair and competitive compensation helped PHE live up to their esteemed core value of equity, matching their internal and external values, and putting them in the best position to serve the youth in their communities. 

Implementing Equity through Talent Management 

One of Edgility’s more recent engagements with PHE involved creating a comprehensive training series for their performance management and compensation programs. The organization had previously built what consultant Jennifer Svendsen, PhD called a “beautiful” evaluation process. However, they needed some assistance ensuring that staff were able to use it to its fullest potential.

Overcoming Implementation Barriers

Sometimes, even organizations with exceptional talent management practices can struggle with implementing and managing their performance management and compensation programs effectively. Peer Health Exchange (PHE) had invested considerable effort into designing a thoughtful and well-crafted talent management program. However, they encountered significant challenges during the implementation phase, which highlighted the need for additional support.

The challenge? Educating staff and managers about the principles of their performance management and compensation programs, so that they could align manager and staff perceptions and more equitably distribute performance ratings and make compensation decisions. Peer Health Exchange was determined to overcome this obstacle and found the solution through Edgility’s support and training.

Edgility Principal, Jennifer Svendsen, was not only impressed with their well-developed program but also inspired to take action. She immediately began crafting a tailored training plan for PHE. After she unveiled Edgility’s guidance to organizational leaders, they were so energized by the training, they requested an additional presentation to their entire staff. This led to comprehensive training sessions for managers and staff, delving into the various components of the performance management and compensation programs and elucidating how these processes and procedures fostered more equitable outcomes for all. The trainings were saved for future reference, ensuring that staff could revisit the material as needed. This helped bring clarity to the entire team and enabled everyone at all levels of the organization to understand the choices made by leadership, thereby creating buy-in.

A Partner at Every Step of The Process

Throughout Peer Health Exchange’s talent management journey, Edgility has been a trusted ally, guiding them through every stage of talent management with expertise and dedication. From addressing compensation challenges to implementing equity-driven performance management systems, our collaboration has empowered PHE’s leadership to create conditions where staff thrive and aid in its mission of advancing health equity and improving health outcomes for young people.

As organizational leaders in mission-driven organizations continue to navigate complex talent management challenges, Edgility remains committed to being their partner of choice, providing expert guidance and innovative solutions that drive sustainable growth and impact. Together, we can build a brighter future for our communities and enable organizations like Peer Health Exchange to continue creating meaningful change.