How the C3 Compensation Blueprint Process Works

Building Your Pay Plan, Step by Step

Creating a public sector compensation plan that’s fair, competitive, and budget-friendly doesn’t have to be complicated. With the C3 Compensation Blueprint, our friendly team partners with cities, counties, and municipalities to make pay planning simple and effective. We guide you through a clear government compensation process that attracts talent, keeps employees happy, and supports your community’s goals.

Alt text: A close-up of hands working at a desk with a smartphone, calculator, clipboard with charts, glasses, and a laptop, illustrating the step-by-step, data-driven process of the C3 Compensation Blueprint process for creating effective public sector pay plans.

Why it works for you.

The Compensation Blueprint Process: Tailored for Your Success

Our Compensation Blueprint is designed for public sector leaders like city managers, county administrators, HR teams, and financial decision-makers. Whether you’re a small town tackling public sector pay transparency or a large county planning for growth, we tailor the government compensation process to your needs. We use real data, listen to your team, and create a pay strategy that’s fair, compliant, and built to last.

Our Simple, Trusted Process

We’re with you every step of the way, making local government compensation planning a true partnership. Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Get to Know Your Needs

We start by learning about your team and goals. We review your current pay, talk to your leaders and employees, and check salary benchmarking to see how you stack up. This helps us understand what’s working and where you need support.

Why It Matters: Sets the stage for a municipal pay strategy that fits your mission and budget.

Step 2: Spot Challenges and Opportunities

Next, we dig into your pay structure. We look for gaps in fairness, check pay equity solutions, and see where your salaries compare to market trends. We also align your plan with your community’s goals, like hiring and retaining top talent or staying compliant.

Why It Matters: Pinpoints ways to make your pay for government jobs strategic and effective.

Step 3: Build Your Custom Pay Plan

Using salary benchmarking and your input, we create a Compensation Blueprint for your local government. This includes clear salary ranges, and career paths that balance competitive salary planning with your budget. We also ensure public sector pay transparency and compliance with pay laws.

Why It Matters: Gives you a public sector pay strategy that’s fair, attractive, and sustainable.

Step 4: Put It Into Action

We help you roll out your new pay plan with confidence. We train your HR team, share the plan with stakeholders and employees clearly, and provide tools like our C3 CompBook to manage pay easily. We also conduct work sessions with your leadership and stakeholders to get everyone on board.

Why It Matters: Builds trust with public sector pay transparency and smooths the transition.

Step 5: Keep It Strong

Your pay strategy stays fresh with ongoing support. We monitor market changes, suggest updates, and provide fair pay audits for cities and counties to keep your plan competitive and compliant year after year.

Why It Matters: Ensures your government compensation process supports long-term success.

What You Get

Your C3 Compensation Blueprint package includes:

C3 CompBook Tool: An easy-to-use platform for managing pay planning and benefits.
Clear Pay Plan: Transparent salary ranges and career paths.
Detailed Reporting: Insights your position relative to the broader market.
Action Plan: Simple steps to improve fair, strategic, and attractive pay for government jobs.
Ongoing Support: Annual check-ins to keep your pay strategy and implementation on track.

Frequently Asked Questions

Most public agencies using C3 experience lower vacancy and turnover rates, faster hiring for key roles, improved employee satisfaction, and greater compliance—all measurable outcomes that deliver operational improvements and return on investment.

Not necessarily. C3 is designed to enhance what’s already working. We build on your existing structure, recommending strategic improvements over time with minimal disruption.

C3’s five-phase rollout—from audit to launch—takes about 8 to 24 weeks depending on your organization’s size. Each phase has defined milestones to minimize disruption.

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Real Words. Real Impact.

The Arnold Group’s C3 Team was great to work with. They provided great insight to our compensation study to ensure its successful implementation. They were considerate of our time, budget, and overall implementation plans. They were very punctual, responsive, and provided a valuable service in our project.
Darin Myers
Ellis County, County Administrator & Fire Chief
We have had a good experience with the services provided by The Arnold Group’s C3 Team! Phil and Heather helped diagnose personnel issues such as wage compression, proposed solutions, and assisted with implementation. […] They obtained local market values for our positions […] to attract the interest of a greater pool of potential employees. We whole-heartedly recommend TAG C3.
Mark Watkins
Labette Community College, President
We have been privileged to work with the TAG C3 team on many different projects from placement services to a compensation study. The C3 team has been a great resource for questions and solutions to problems that each HR team faces. They have been able to help the transitions in practices feel smooth, and the assistance in navigating the challenges that come with change has been valuable.
Helen Foster
Director of Human Resources, Reno County
I can’t say enough great things about working with The Arnold Group’s C3 Team. They are responsive, professional, and absolute experts in the HR field. As a new HR Manager I have come to rely on their team for everything from job classifications to policy development. The Arnold Group’s C3 is always there and always ready to help.
Matt Morgan
Human Resources Manager, Riley County Police Department
We were extremely pleased with the process and support we received from Phil and Heather during our recent compensation study. They took the time to understand the unique nuances of our organization and tailored their recommendations specifically to us. […] The tools made it easy to administer the new plan and forecast future salary increases for budgeting purposes. Their personalized approach gave us confidence moving forward. We highly recommend their services!
Chasity Page
Director of Human Resources, City of Andover
Working with the [C3] team has been a lovely experience. You have been accommodating and responsive to my needs and have listened so well! […] Their commitment to me as a customer has been excellent. I have emailed countless questions and asked for small and large adjustments to our product and they never once ailed to meet expectations. I am beyond pleased with our partnership with The Arnold Group’s C3 Team and look forward to working with you in the future.
Jo Lynne Herron
Director of Human Resources, City of Emporia
I have participated in three market studies conducted by The Arnold Group’s C3 Team. In each instance C3 went above and beyond expectations to ensure they provided the best communication possible. […] Overall morale has significantly improved, and we continue working with TAG to ensure we stay competitive with the market so we never again need a large amount to invest for “catching up” to the market. Our employees are our largest investment, and TAG C3 helped us acknowledge and recognize that.
Cyrstal Malchose
Human Resources Director/Special Projects, Geary County

Ready to build your plan?

Let’s create a public sector pay strategy that makes hiring easier and keeps your team happy.

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